850 



HORTICULTURE 



September 20, 1919 



Congressman Davey's Suggestion 



HOW TO OBTAIN A MODIFICATION 

 OF THE PLANT EXCLUSION RULING. 



At the recent convention of Garden- 

 ers at Cleveland, Congressman M. L. 

 Davey, Ohio, made a recommendation 

 as to a practical way to secure a re- 

 vision of the Federal Horticultural 

 Board's drastic plant exclusion meas- 

 ure. Congressman Davey's remarks 

 were so important and so thoroughly 

 worth careful consideration by garden- 

 ers, florists and nurserymen all over 

 the land that they are reproduced in 

 full, as follows. 



During the time that is at my dis- 

 posal, I wish to discuss some very 

 practical questions which have an in- 

 teresting and important bearing upon 

 the profession which you represent. 



Let me first take up the matter per- 

 taining to prohibition of plant im- 

 portations, known as Quarantine Bill 

 No. 37. It is not my proper function 

 to condemn this act of the Federal 

 Horticultural Board inasmuch as my 

 office would make it improper for me 

 to assume that position at this time. 



I can, however, make certain prac- 

 tical and helpful suggestions regard- 

 ing the best method of procedure to 

 get results. I may go far enough to 

 say that in my judgment the Federal 

 Horticultural Board has gone too far. 

 I believe that there are elements of 

 good in this ruling and likewise I be- 

 lieve that it has gone far enough be- 

 yond the actual necessities of the 

 situation so that certain injustices 

 have been done. 



Now then, all you want will be the 

 elimination of the injustice and the 

 benefits of fair consideration for the 

 proper interests of your profession. 

 You have a right to ask and demand 

 an impartial hearing on this import- 

 ant question. You do not want any 

 action which is improper. You only 

 want justice and fair play. These 

 things can best be determined by an 

 impartial hearing. Obviously the 

 Federal Horticultural Board would not 

 be in a position to give an impartial 

 hearing, because they have already 

 reached a decision and it is most 

 natural that they should be prejudiced 

 in favor of their own decision. They 

 are human like the rest of us. 



My suggestion is that you proceed 

 to get a full hearing of this matter be- 

 fore the Agricultural Committee of the 

 House. You can get such a hearing if 

 you will proceed in a practical way. 

 The Federal Horticulural Board will 

 certainly listen to the Agricultural 

 Committee of the House because they 

 get their appropriations through that 



Committee. The Agricultural Com- 

 mittee, in turn, will certainly listen to 

 the urgent request either of their own 

 members or a reasonable number of 

 other members of the House. No one 

 can deny you the benefits of a hearing. 

 That is the least thing which the Agri- 

 cultural Committee of the House can 

 in fairness do. 



You are not asking this Committee 

 to pre-judge your case. You are not 

 asking them to take your side. You 

 are asking them merely to arrange for 

 a hearing at which all the facts from 

 both sides may be fully and freely pre- 

 sented and from which they can draw 

 a just conclusion as to the merits of 

 the case. 



If you cannot make a good case, you 

 naturally would not expect favorable 

 action. But if you can make a good 

 case you will expect such action as 

 will result in a proper modification of 

 this Quarantine Rule. 



Those who are interested in this 

 matter are sufficient in numbers to 

 secure such a hearing if they will pro- 

 ceed in a determined manner. Let me 

 tell you something about the attitude 

 of a Member of Congress. Those whom 

 I have met are practically all fine fel- 

 lows personally. They are trying to 

 do right in the service they render to 

 their constituents. They are human, 

 of course. Most men are in Congress 

 because they want to be there. Most 

 of them want to stay there. They 

 recognize the fact that the best way to 

 stay there is to render satisfactory 

 service to the people whom they repre- 

 sent. 



So if each of you will tell your Con- 

 gressman that you think an injustice 

 has been done the horticultural pro- 

 fession by this Quarantine Bill No. 37; 

 that you insist upon an impartial hear- 

 ing of the whole question before the 

 Agricultural Committee of the House; 

 that you ask him to use his influence 

 to secure such a hearing, I am sure he 

 will gladly respond favorably. 



You are not asking him to commit 

 himself as to the merits of the case. 

 You are asking him merely to help you 

 secure an impartial hearing, which is 

 perfectly right and proper. 



Take my advice and don't write a 

 form letter. Take the facts and write 

 them in your own way to your own 

 Congressman. Don't let him put you 

 off with a formal acknowledgment. 

 Tell him you want to know the results 

 of his efforts. If he does not report to 

 you within a reasonable length of 



time, go after him again. Let him 

 know that you expect results. If he 

 knows that you mean business, you 

 can take my word for it that he will 

 "step on the gas" and try to help you. 



Your Congressman wants your votes 

 and the votes of your friends. As long 

 as you do not ask him to do anything 

 wrong or injure anyone else, or violate 

 the rules of proper conduct, he will be 

 glad to help you, if he knows you mean 

 business. 



You cannot expect him to do any- 

 thing for you unless he knows what 

 you want. You are not asking him 

 anything improper. Not only will he 

 be glad to help you, but you have an 

 absolutely perfect right to go to him 

 for help. He is your representative 

 and subject to your call on anything 

 that pertains to his office. Don't feel 

 that you are asking him something to 

 which you have no right. He knows 

 that you have a right to go to him and 

 that you have a right to insist upon 

 his help, within the limits of pro- 

 priety. 



If every man interested in the hor- 

 ticultural profession will make it his 

 individual business to take this mat- 

 ter up with his own Congressman and 

 insist upon positive help and definite 

 action and keep after him until he 

 gets a satisfactory reply, I can almost 

 guarantee that a hearing will be 

 granted. 



From that time on it is entirely a 

 question of making your case before 

 the committee. Also I can almost 

 guarantee that any recommendations, 

 which the Agricultural Committee sees 

 fit to make on the basis of the facts 

 and merits of the case as disclosed to 

 the hearing, will be cheerfully and 

 promptly carried out by the Federal 

 Horticultural Board. 



If I should talk to you indefinitely. 

 I could not give you any more prac- 

 tical method of procedure nor one 

 more likely to be successful. I com- 

 mend it to you for prompt and vigor- 

 ous action 



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