56 
FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 
Senate at Washington, stood by Florida 
in this fight for federal funds; not be¬ 
cause they loved us, particularly, although 
I believe they feel kindly toward us, but 
they knew if citrus canker was not eradi¬ 
cated from Florida and the other Gulf 
states, that there is no wall they can build 
high enough around California to keep it 
out, and it was a precautionary measure 
looking to the preservation of their own 
industry. 
We have been told there are areas in 
China much larger than the citrus area in 
Florida, where citrus has not been grown 
for fifty years on account of the citrus 
canker. We are also told it is spreading 
all over the Orient, and unless adequate 
laws are made it will finally get into the 
West Indies, and when that comes to pass 
if we have accomplished the great task we 
have undertaken, it will stand out as the 
first time it has ever been accomplished. 
It is a preparedness measure. 
Look at the British Government; at a 
time when it is piling up billions and bil¬ 
lions of dollars of indebtedness, within 
the past three months it has found citrus 
canker in South Africa. It is spending 
money to eradicate it in South Africa be¬ 
cause they know it is an economic ques¬ 
tion; that they must do it to preserve 
their industry. But here in Florida, with 
more than $2,000,000 of money and prop¬ 
erty already poured into this fight, with 
the end in sight, are we going to be halted 
because a few of our legislators have de¬ 
veloped a sectional feeling? Is this feel¬ 
ing going to cause us at this time to fail in 
the duty that devolves upon Florida to 
meet the appropriation as prescribed by 
the government? If we do fail—well, 
speaking for the chairman of the Com¬ 
mittee, he doubts if he can ever stop in 
the capitol again, and there are some oth¬ 
er members who had better not try it, 
either. 
We feel as though there may be some 
thought or ideas or suggestions in this 
body regarding this work, and if so we 
would like very much to hear from you, 
because we are almost through, and we 
must win this fight at Tallahassee. (Ap¬ 
plause). 
It is my understanding that the Legis¬ 
lative Committee has a resolution to offer. 
Mr. Hume: We will call for the re¬ 
port of the Legislative Committee at this 
time. 
Mr. M. E. Gillett: The matter of 
citrus canker has been talked about so 
much, I think we are all pretty well satu¬ 
rated with it. I know I am, so much so 
that whenever I go around a spray wagon, 
I dodge for fear some fire will come out 
of it. (Laughter). I will promise not 
to talk as long as my son has. 
It seemed appropriate to the Committee 
that with the Legislature in session and 
the discussion of this measure being had 
from day to day, that a resolution be of¬ 
fered to this Society for its endorsement. 
As you have been told by the Chair¬ 
man of the Committee, the fight is on in 
Tallahassee. They have had a hearing 
before both Committees of the House and 
Senate and the Bill has been passed on 
favorably. Had this been done in Wash¬ 
ington, I am reliably informed that there 
would be no question about its passage 
when it came up before the House and 
Senate, because they have great faith in 
their Committees. They realize at these 
