44 HEARINGS BEFORE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE. 
under the direction of the Secretary of Agriculture, such plans for 
lessening the damage caused by, and controlling the spread of, the 
Mexican cotton boll weevil.” ; 
The only authority given under this act for what you might call 
agricultural education, touching the people in Texas and the other 
States, to diversify their industries, is given under this clause, if it is 
given at all—a plan for lessening the damage caused by this weevil. 
The CHarrman. That is the clause under which Dr. Galloway claims 
he could operate. 
Mr. Burcess. That has a further clause, you will notice. 
Mr. Apams. Yes— 
And controlling the spread of the Mexican cotton-boll weevil and other insects and 
diseases injurious to cotton, as the Secretary of Agriculture may deem best. 
Mr. Burecgss. That leaves it in his absolute judgment. 
Mr. Apams. It gives him absolute authority to do what he can to 
stop the ravages of this weevil. 
Mr. Gattoway. Lessening the damage is a different thing from 
stopping the ravages. 
Mr. Apams. There is one thing the committee and Congress should 
consider, that if the Secretary of Agriculture finds, upon the expendi- 
ture of $50,000 or $100,000 or $125,000, that all work in that direction 
is ineffective, he would be empowered under this construction to spend 
the remainder in the cause of agricultural education. We donot want 
to overlook that. Understand, I look it squarely in the face, and am 
rather in sympathy with it; but 
The Cuarrman. I think that interpretation would be a little too 
broad. It specifies ‘lessening the damage caused by, and controlling 
the spread of, the Mexican cotton-boll weevil.” 
Mr. Apams. It can be so construed. It is capable of a double con- 
struction. A close construction of that language would not permit 
the interpretation which I have placed upon it, but the gentlemen 
here defending this bill seem to place that interpretation upon it. 
Mr. Burieson. And so does ‘he Secretary of Agriculture. 
Mr. Grarr. It seems to me the committee ought to broaden that 
language, if they intend it to have that scope, so that there may not 
be any question about it. I think it is very decidedly doubtful 
whether the Comptroller of the Treasury would hold that money, 
used for the diversification of crops, would be for the lessening of the 
damage done by the boll weevil. I think it is too remote. 
Mr. Gattoway. It has been submitted, not to the Comptroller, but 
to our attorney, who put the exact interpretation upon it that has 
been put on it by the Secretary—that under that authority he would 
be empowered to diversify crops if he deemed it best. 
Mr. Lorimer. I am quite sure he would not. 
Mr. Gatioway. The point raised by the Secretary is that it gives 
the Secretary larger discretion if the language is ambiguous than if it 
is specific. 
Mr. Apams. Here is a law directed at a certain specific thing, to 
stop the ravages caused by the boll weevil, and an appropriation, and 
these words “lessening the damage” are supposed to apply to the 
action of the boll weevil upon the cotton plant. 
