146 



United States was iiisui-cd Inst year against (ire, at an average 

 rate of 1.14: per <-ent. or lonr Imndrcd and lif'ly-si\ million dollars 

 for fire insnraiice in one year. 



Now ninety-nine and one-third per cent, of that property was 

 insnred against a fire that did not come. American property 

 owners are paying over one per cent, of the valne of their prop- 

 erty to be insnred against a chaiicc id" less than one in one hnn- 

 dred and thirty-three. Now it is pretty generalh' agreed here 

 that the blight has a better than a one one hundred and thirt^^- 

 tliird chance of Avinning ont if we sit still. Therefore, business 

 analogy tells ns that M'e can at least afford to ])ay an average in- 

 surance rate on the risk. Don't forget that this fire has already 

 broken out. if we raise an average insurance rate, for a fight- 

 ing fund, we have about three million four hundred thonsand 

 dollars per year coming to ns. Thus far the whole American 

 nation has not spent over one per cent, even (d" that snni, and the 

 blight has already destroyed nearly or qnite one thonsand times 

 as much as Ave have spent to stop it. 



If there is any such thing as constructive conservation, this 

 chestnnt blight is blowing the whistle foi' ns to come and con- 

 strncl, an<l *2:i'\ aboni it quickly. 



Mhat (Uni We Dof 



J. All agree that we can stop the movement of nursery stock. 



"1. All agree that we can go home and start careful and thor- 

 ough surveys of actual conditions in our various States. 



8. Every State can start scientific investigation to get more 

 knowledge of the trouble. 



1. iOvery State can try the cuttiiig-ont method of conti-ol, at 

 least on small outbreaks, if not on a larger scale. 



Th(;refore every State that has any blight needs an appropria- 

 tion of ten thousand dollars to fifty tliousand dollars foi- the 

 season of 1912, dei>ending on the size of the State. The Federal 

 <Jo\'ernment also needs a substantial appi-ojiriat ion. Altogether 

 this will make bnt a fi-action of Die coiiiinon sense fnnd that 

 ANonld be prodnced b\' a one j»ei' ceid. insnrance lale on the j)ro- 

 perty involved. 



There is no evidence to bi-ing ont in ]»roof of the linal eniciency 

 of cntting as a cnre. On the other hand, actual observation has 



