The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-07-08
By J. c. BASKERVILL
The Times-News Bureau
Sir Walter Hotel

RALEIGH, July 8. - Fishing
worms were responsible for Sen
ator J. w. Bailey being appointed
a member Of the powerful senate
committee on the conservation of
wild life, according to a story as
to how Senator Bailey was made
member of this committee just
brought back from Washington.
This committee is composed OF
seven members, being much small
er than the average senate com-
m!ttec, and has great deal to do
with shaping the policy Of the
government with regard to the
conservation Of wild life. As a
result of his being a member Of
this important committee, Scna-
tor Bailey is going to try to get
the government to set aside sew
eral large game preserves and
game refugees in the eastern part
of the state and enlarge its con-
servation activities generally in
all sections.
"There are more different va
rieties of game and fish in North
Carolina than in any Of the south
eastern states and there is no
reason why it should not become
the greatest sportsmen's paradise
on the Atlantic coast" Senator
Bailey said while here last week.
proper conservation of its
game and fish resources should
bring hundreds of thousands of
dollars a year to the farmers and
landowners and | am going to do
everything possible to see that
these resources are properly de-
veloped."
The story as to how Senator
Bailey was appointed a member
of the senate committee on con-
servation of wild life, as told
here, is as follows:
Senator Bailey and several 9TH
er senators were sitting in the
senate cafe one day chatting
when Senator Mcclellan of Ten
nessce came in and started to
vigorously asSail a proposal in
some bill under discussion in the
senate that contained an appro-
priation of $4,000 for the study
of fishing worms. He became
very indignant over the fact that
any one would have the nerve to
propose the expenditure Of $780,
600 for the study of fishing
worm.
"ECn't you think you are a
trifie hasty in your conclusion
about fishing wOrms?' Senator
Bailey asked Senator Mcclellan. |
Don't you know that if it were
not for the various varieties Of !
so-called fishing worms, that you
would not be able to raise any
crops in your state of Tennessee
and my state of North Carolina, |
and that they would be little
more than deserts? For if it were
not for the lvwly fishing worms, |
the people row living in our
states could not live there, since |
nothing would grow and the re-
suit would be that we would not
be senators"
'No, don't know that" Sem
ator Mcclellan replied. 81 thought
the only thing fishing worms
were good for was to catch fish
with"
"That is probably the least
valuable of its uses, though it is /
a good one" Bailey replied, who
is a very ardent fisherman and
sportsman. "Their most valuable
function, however, is that of irri-
eating and aeriating the soil and
of increasing the fertility of the
topsoil by constantly bringing up
fresh subsoil to mix with it. III
it were not for the millions of
these fishing worms, constantly
burrowing down into the ground, |
and thus letting air and moisture
down ! to the roots of the grass, I
trees and crops and making it'll
possible for the rain to soak into !
the ground better, all growing