Evening star., 1950-02-06
Hired Airp|ane Cost
Agriculture $3.50
Hourly, Report Finds
BY Chris Mothisen

py SnTiS MotniSen
The Agriculture Department
spent SGT $40 for two weeks hire Of
an airplane that cost $6,65;
when bought from the War AS
sets Administration. The plane
was used to spread grasshoppel
bait.
This was disclosed today ir
publication of appropriations
hearing testimony.
Chairman Whitten of House
appropriations subcommittee con-
fronted officials of the Bureau o1
Entomology and Plant Quaran-
tine with excerpts from reports OF
committee investigators. He made
plain he didn't like some of the
bureaus airplane deals. He also
objected to requests for money
to buy new automobiles and
trucks while old ones were found
lying unused for periods of several
years.
$3.50 an Hour Rate.
William L. Popham, assistant
chief of the bureau, was testifyine
when Mr.. Whitten brought UP
the matter of the $27 $40 plane
rental. The chairman quoted from
a report indicating the arrange
ment was at a rate of $45C
per hour for the batting" OF
98,400 acres. The plane did the
job in 63. hours and 50 minutes
at a rental of $3.50 an hour and a
rate per acre of 1872 cents.
Mr.. Whitten said an official
of lone of the larger commercial
airlineS" had been asked what his
company would charge for rent
ing the same type plane-a OC-3
The reply was that one could. be
had for 81 a mile, approximately
$3.50 an hour. complete with
pilot, co-pilot and stewardess.
Mr.. Whitten asked Mr.. Popham
what he had to say about this
deal.
These prices are higher than
we would ever pay again." he
replied. 1--WE were caught in g
situation that was definitely ar
emergency. 1t was q question o1
what equipment was available fol
the work within a very short
time"
Mr.. Whitten said he couldn't
see why the bureau hadn't moved
in planes from elsewhere that
already were under contract.
Autos Unused Years.
Mr.. Whitten turned to auto
mobiles:
Throughout the United States
the investigators found various
and sundry automobiles, some OF
which had been parked for three
or four years.
"In the Denver Office, it was
disclosed that you had 217 auto
mobiles and, for the first six
months of 1949, 80 of them were
not used.
Some of the trucks at Denver
had been exposed to the elements
for at least three years and seven
months" Mr.. Whitten said, al
though the bureau considered
them trade-in material.
The bureau had bought new
trucks during the period. so Mr.
Whitten said he couldn't see why
the old ones weren't traded in
Mr.. Popham said he couldn't
explain that. offhand.
He suggested that the fact
"grasshopper control" constitutes
a fluctuating program" might
justify storing truck. until needed
again.
Listen, it is an expensive pro-
gram with you folks running it.
Mr.. Whitten retorted.
Quotes Other Reports.
He went on to quote from other
investigation reports alleging
wastefulness in the grasshoppel
control program.
A rancher charged the bureau
employees were dumping bait al
random and not spreading it al
they should have DONE"
The same rancher declared that
"grasshopper control men rode
around in sedans in parties OF
three. to five, inspecting grass
hoppers."
AT a bait-mixing station, a
truck driver and four helpers
were reported engaged in hauling
sacks of bran by truck from a
stockpile so yards to a mixing
machine where seven other men
were observed to be spending most
of their time standing around
doing nothing"
At an airfield, two employees
spent "six or eight minutes in each
half hour" folding empty bait
sacks and the rest of the time
watching the plane which was
spreading the bait. At the mixing
station, two other workers un-
folded and stacked the bait sacks
Admits Job Poorly Done.
1--WE will have to admit, MFR
Chairman, that in the absence OF
mechanization and full knowledge
Of how to do this job, cheaply. ii
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