NURSERY INSPECTION. 39 
PROPOSED LEGISLATION AFFECTING STATE ENTO- 
MOLOGIST AND NURSERY INSPECTION. 
The State Efficiency Commission recommends that the State 
Entomologist’s duties be transferred from the University to the 
proposed State Department of Agriculture, which the legislature 
may create at the next or some subsequent session, upon the 
ground that it is more fitting that police work, if nursery inspec- 
tion work can be so regarded, be done by a State Department 
rather than by the University. It is further proposed that the 
University co-operate with such official to the extent of perform- 
ing whatever research work is needed by the State Department, 
perhaps furnishing some assistance to the inspector when such 1s 
needed in the discharge of his duties. 
We have every reason to believe that this is a good plan, partic- 
ularly from the standpoint of the University, which institution 
should be freed of responsibility of any work representing the dis- 
charge of State laws, and we heartily endorse the views of the 
Commission. It is evident, however, that such an arrangement 
would be more expensive to the State than inspection is at present. 
Under the existing plan. where the entire salary of the Entomologist 
is paid through the University, and where we can have recourse 
to assistance of properly qualified Agricultural College or Station 
experts at times when the demands of the work require it, inspec- 
tion costs the State approximately $4,000 per annum. Under the 
arrangement suggested, wherein it would be necessary to engage 
permanent help of a high grade, it would call for at least $12,000 
or $14,000 per annum for nursery and orchard inspection alone. 
We very much doubt, however willing University authorities 
might be to co-operate, that when it came to the actual demand 
for assistance, without clearly defined legal authority for same 
established, that the request would or could be always granted. 
The above figures are conservative and based upon careful 
study of the work in Minnesota, compared with the following states 
where the State Entomologist is not connected with University or 
Experiment Station. Letters of inquiry have brought out the fol- 
lowing facts: In Pennsylvania the annual appropriation for Nur- 
sery Inspection work is $40,000. They have two permanent re- 
search assistants at $1,500 each, and about 25 permanent field 
assistants, each drawing a salary of $125 per month. The Assist- 
ant Entomologist receives $2,000 per annum. The yearly ex- 
penses of field and office work of the State Entomologist of Illinois 
