Twentieth Report of the 

 State Entomologist 



The original law providing for a state Entomologist was passed 

 in 1903 and lias not been amended. The sum of money then appropria- 

 ted was +300, and this amount has been increased from time to time 

 until in 1921 the sum available was +.'900. At the last legislative 

 -t^sion (1923) the Committee on Boards and Commissions called 

 attention to the language of the original law, which reads as follows: 



"Section 4. The State Entomologist shall receive no compensation 

 for his services other than what lie may receive from the Montana 

 Agricultural College and Experiment Station, but his actual traveling 

 expenses not to exceed three hundred dollars shall be paid, and such 

 sum is hereby annually appropriated for the purposes of this act out 

 of the moneys of the Stale Treasury, not otherwise appropriated." 



This language was construed to mean that it was illegal for the 

 State Entomologist to expend in excess of +300, or rather, in excess of 

 .+500; because evidently the committee had seen the law as it reads 

 in the Revised Code of 1907. sections 766-769, where the sum appeal's 

 as +500. In the closing hours of the legislature the appropriation for 

 this office was fixed at +500. in keeping with the committee's findings, 

 although the appropriation in the previous year had been $3900. When 

 the Governor's 10 per cent reduction w T as made the amount available 

 was reduced to +450 per year, which has been the sum received during 

 the biennium now closing. 



With only +450 in sight for the work of this office it became nee- 

 sssary to dispense with the services of the Assistant State Entomologist, 

 Mr. A. L. Strand. Accordingly he was at once notified and departed 

 during the spring of 1923 to an excellent position in Pennsylvania 

 state College at an advance in salary. Mr. Strand had been with this 

 department as Assistant State Entomologist since June 1, 1917. His 

 service had been of the highest character and had resulted in tre- 

 mendous savings in money to the farmers of Montana, not only from 

 losses by grasshoppers but from losses by numerous other kinds of 

 insect pests. 



During the season of 1923 following the departure of Mr. Strand, 

 it was necessary to restrict our activities in behalf of the farmers 



