The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-01-07
j. S. RESEARCH
BEING HIT BY
ECO NO MISTS.
Corn Borer Has Cost Gov
eminent $lS,0OO,OO0
Since The War
By RAYMOND CLAPPER
United Press Staff Correspondent
Copyright, 1888, United Press)

Copyright, 1888, United Press)
WASHINGTON, Jan. 7. (UP)
One of the economy battles in
Washington is raging around a
little moth which has cost the
federal government $1S,000,0OO
since the World War.
1t is known as the European
corn borer because in its worm
stage it feeds on corn. Men,
bers of congress who have begun
to gun for excessive expendi-
lures on research have just fore
ed a sharp cut in the money
which has been lavished on this
pest.
Some members. who are try
ing to plug up the many small
leaks which in the aggregate are
throwing the government behind
its income probably several mil
lion dollars a day, have started
campaign against what they
call the research racket" There
is no disposition to eliminate
necessary scientific work. Con-
gress is only trying to cut down
on research which long ago achiev-
ed its ends. Heavy expenditures
once started to help the farmer
are now only additional financial
burdens.
Complaints Of congressman
that the corn borer was an over
rated menace were referred by
the United Press for confirma-
ton to an authority in the heart
Of the corn belt where corn is
burned for fuel and farmers are
bankrupt. C. j. Kennedy, assist
ant secretary of agriculture IN
Iowa, the leading corn state, said
he saw little advantage IN the
corn borer expenditure to farm
ers in his section because the
borer had not even reached
Iowa. He believed the federal
government should help the state
enforce a quarantine it has del
clared on all corn imports tol
prevent introduction of the Dor
er. Kennedy declared emphati-
cially he believed no further eX-
penSe on borer research was
justified at this time. He said
mechanical eradication methods
such as special blowing and cut
ting of corn stalks were the best
that could be devised.
Testimony generally was to the
effect that mechanical blowing
and low cutting was the best
control method. Yet the depart
ment of agriculture sough Il
$4,000 this year for gather
ing European parasites and in
Producing them into this country
so they could eat the corn borer'
When one Of the department
of agriculture experts was asked
point blank whether parasite
control had been effective in
Europe he replied:
"The parasites are not success
full in controlling the cora borer
in the United States but it will
remove that many more borerS;;
that will not have TO be handled
by cleanup and other methods
of control"
Government scientists are par
tial to foreign study and a good
deal is appro priated for this in
the various scientific services of
the government. Often it would
he CHEAPER to provide simple
travel allowances so scientists
might go abroad frequently in
stead of taking the more round.
about and more expensive way OF
setting up whole new govern
ment activities in order to pro-
vide incidentally for this gather
ing of foreign information.
Last year the department of
agriculture spent $1,l40,O00 onI
the corn borer, three times the
highest official estimate of the
damage it had caused in any
year. This year it is being cut
to less than $250,000.
"You have expended more
than $2O,OOO,0OO in investigat-
ing and experimenting and clean
ing up and graduating the corn
borer and still the borer has
been here for years." said Rep.
Summers, Repn., WASH n g n,
"the department of agriculture
tells us it cannot be exterminat-
ed, that its spread cannot be pre-
vented and that it has not done
any great damage"