NATIONAL CONTROL OF INSECT PESTS 439 



disease and of those human diseases which are subjects of national 

 quarantine. Of course, we can place no money value upon human life, 

 but were that possible, we have no doubt that the loss of plant products 

 from a half dozen insect pests imported during the last quarter century 

 would far exceed all losses from animal and human diseases which 

 within that time have been the subjects of national quarantine. 



The gypsy moth at present threatens the welfare of New Hamp- 

 shire, Rhode Island and indeed of all New England, and, if unchecked, 

 ultimately the whole country. Massachusetts has done, is doing and 

 we believe will do, all in her power to check the pest within her borders. 

 But why should her citizens be taxed sufficiently to prevent its spread to 

 neighboring states? And what recourse have the other states, if 

 Massachusetts does not prevent such spread? It would seem that 

 Massachusetts is maintaining a public nuisance, as far as the neighbor- 

 ing states are concerned, but it is doubtful whether a suit could be 

 entered against her on that ground, even theoretically, while actually 

 it is of course entirely improbable. New Hampshire and other states 

 can not make appropriations to aid Massachusetts. Why, then, is it 

 not the duty of the federal government to protect the interests of the 

 neighboring states by checking the spread of the gypsy moth and aid- 

 ing in its control? The same reasoning will apply to all other intro- 

 duced insect pests of serious importance. We should all admit that the 

 federal government may prevent their importation, but some of us 

 would claim that as soon as a pest had come upon the territory of any 

 state, that the national government was then powerless to prevent its 

 spread to other states. This same argument has been fully thrashed 

 over in congress concerning human disease, and the present laws, as 

 above outlined and administered, seem to the writer to have fully 

 demonstrated that the federal government has such a right and may 

 make and execute such regulations as seem necessary. 



With such national laws and regulations, we believe that the intro- 

 duction and spread of insect pests, either by transportation or by 

 natural agencies, could be largely prevented. At present under the 

 state laws they are not and can not be prevented. 



Serious consideration as to whether it is not entirely feasible for 

 congress so to legislate as to empower the Bureau of Entomology, or 

 such agency as it may deem best, to make and enforce such regulations 

 as will prevent the introduction and dissemination of insect pests, and 

 to appropriate sums sufficient to allow such work to be done at once 

 without awaiting special appropriations, is therefore urged. Only in 

 this way can we have an efficient means of preventing the future im- 

 portation and spread of insect pests which, if unchecked, may cost the 

 nation millions upon millions of dollars, as those have done with which 

 we are now familiar. 



