1(18 



is rcserv(Ml (o ]m «»iv('ii ii.s (oiiioi-row iiioniiiii;, wlicMicr Ihrvv. is 

 any data to show Avliat the expense is to cut out, remove and take 

 np the infected cliestinit trees Avliere the l)liglit is known to be 

 working. 



ME. I. C. WILLIAMS: In answer to the gentk'mnn's qnes- 

 tion, I would like to say that the Cliestnut IJlight Commis- 

 sion has no data at hand wliicli will answer him directly. The 

 work of the Commission lias not been specificially directed to 

 cutting out diseased trees, but has been in the direction of urg- 

 ing persons to do that. It lias not been possi))le to follow that 

 work sufficiently closely to make an approximation of just Avhat 

 that cost Avould be. The effort that is being made in Pennsyl- 

 vania will be more minutely described to-morrow morning, and 

 I do not feel that it would be fair to trespass seriously upon 

 that paper this evening; but what evidence there is, and what 

 knowledges we have on that subject, will be laid before you in 

 the morning ii) ihe first ])ap(M'. 



Some of the sjx'akers this al'tci'iiooii seemed lo be uiterly ap- 

 palled at the fact that Pennsylvania has thrown two Jiundred 

 and seventy-five thousand dollars into a rathole. Now it may 

 be of interest to this meeting at this time to realize that the 

 whole work thus far accomplished by this Commission has been 

 at an expense of twenty thousand one hundred and forty-three 

 dollars. That leaves a consideralde margin of the two hundred 

 and seventy-five thousand dollai-s u])on which we are privileged 

 to go until the first of Jnne, IDl.'*. (Applanse). 



This CommissioH is built u]m)1i ))iisiness jn-iiiciples. It is not 

 being dashed about wildly, like a potato in a tub, not know- 

 ing what it is doing or where it is going. It is trying to find 

 its way. It ]nay be that it will get lost in the blighted chestnut 

 woods, but Ave are going to make an honest endeavor to get out 

 of the woods. Every known method, and a lot of methods that 

 are not known and about which we heard a good deal this after- 

 noon, will be tried. If there is any virtue in them, they Avill 

 be followed to a finality. If there is no virtue in them, we Avant 

 the AA^orld to knoAV it, — the sooner the better. The mere fact that 

 somebody believes that something cannot be done is going to 

 have mighty little weight in the Avork of this Commission. (Ap- 

 plause). We do not care a rap what someone's belief is. If he 



