24 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOLL WEEVIL CONVENTION. 



to the fullest extent that industry. Another national aspect which the 

 matter has, is the supremacy that this nation enjoys in the cotton world. 

 We ship more cotton, export more cotton, than any other country, and 

 we control the cotton market and the cotton world. Hence it is a 

 national question ; and one with which we can go to the National Con- 

 gress, as some gentleman expressed here this morning, and ask for assist- 

 ance without placing ourselves in the attitude of mendicants; in connec- 

 tion with which we can appeal to them as a nation for the benefit of the 

 nation. 



With that view of the matter, in the early days of the present extraordi- 

 nary session of Congress, that is, about two weeks ago, the Texas delega- 

 tion, the Louisiana delegation, the Arkansas delegation, held a meeting. 

 That conference of the delegation of these three States was presided over 

 by Col. Robertson, Congressman from the Sixth District of Louisiana, and 

 a member from Texas was selected as Secretary. The result of that con- 

 ference was the adoption of a resolution appointing three members from 

 each of the cotton .growing States, to call upon the President of the United 

 States and invoke his interest in this question, the suppression of the boll 

 weevil. It adopted also a memorial to be presented to him and the Secre- 

 tary of Agriculture and the Congress, embracing the opinions of that con- 

 ference as to what should be done by the Congress in the matter of legis- 

 lation, intended to suppress, minimize, and if possible, eradicate this evil. 

 I had the honor of being one of the three selected from the Louisiana 

 delegation, together with Mr. Pujo and Mr. Ransdell. That resolution, 

 that memorial embraced two main features. Gentlemen, I want to say 

 that- the matter has received a great deal of thought by the members in 

 charge of it, who prepared it, after consultation and correspondence with 

 agricultural departments, with scientists, and after a careful examination 

 of the Texas situation, with the report of the agricultural department 

 there and the experimental station; and these two main features were 

 suggested : First. That the Government of the United States should ap- 

 point a Commission, composed of five members, two of whom should be 

 farmers, from the invaded district of Texas, one member should be a 

 practical farmer from Louisiana, one member should be from the Bureau 

 of Plant Industry, of the Government, a scientific man, the other member 

 should be a man connected with the entomological department of the 

 agricultural department. Second. A fund of, say, $500,000.00 should be 

 placed at their disposal for use in experimenting along the lines of sup- 

 pression or eradication of the pest. 



We called upon Mr. Wilson, the Secretary of Agriculture, and he 

 readily approved of these two main features. Now, gentlemen, the de- 

 tails have not been mapped out. They were still, when I left Washing- 

 Ion, being consulted over by Mr. Wilson, with members of this conference 

 held by members of cotton growing states. It is impossible at this time 



