205 



lias been expended. That money is being used, it appears to 

 lue, to determine which of various methods is the best, and the 

 very fact that such a large balance of the money is still held in re- 

 serve is the strongest proof that the authorities of this State 

 are waiting until they are fully satisfied as to which is the best 

 course to pursue. It seems to me, gentlemen, that when w r e 

 say there is danger of wasting public money uselessly in con- 

 nection with the work which has been reported here, we are 

 attacking a phantom and, as I think there is some little danger 

 of the wrong impression getting out from this meeting, I desire 

 to make these remarks to assist in clearing up the situation. 

 Good work is being done in this State and in other States. 

 Here the problem is perhaps greater than in any other State, 

 and here the State has. made magnificent provision for both 

 studying the problem and carrying out effective measures. 

 (Applause). 



DE. MURRILL: I just want to concur heartily in every- 

 thing the Chairman has said, and entirely disclaim any refer- 

 ence to the Commission in any way or any shape that the Penn- 

 sylvania State Legislature has so generously provided for. I 

 just wanted, when called a politician, by using pre-Convention 

 methods, to disillusionize you of that statement. 



PROFESSOR CLINTON: I used that word "politician." 

 Why did I use that word "politician?" Not because he is a 

 Democrat or a Republican or anything of that sort I do not 

 care what his politics are but for this reason : The convention 

 at Albany and the convention here, to my inind, is called largely 

 for a moral backing for this Chestnut Blight Commission in 

 Pennsylvania. They want that backing and they are going to 

 get it, and I am not going to object to it. You can pass any 

 resolution you want, and I will not object to it. I came down 

 here to present facts as I know them and to give them to you, 

 and the moment Mr. Williams is speaking, he is trying to throw 

 slurs at science, and especially at science outside of Pennsyl- 

 vania. He attacked Professor Peck, and Professor Peck at 

 Albany was the one man that not the one man, but he was a 

 man that said he was in favor of their work in fighting the 

 chestnut blight. He quotes him to disparage him, and he is the 



