FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
116 
our legislators no peace until we get some 
help from, them: 
These are the three things, and I ask 
that you have a committee of five appoint¬ 
ed to look into these several propositions 
and report on them and the advisability 
of presenting and handling them. I put 
it in the form of a motion. 
Motion seconded 
Mr. Painter—A good many members 
will probably remember that Mr. Hart 
at two different meetings put in a resolu¬ 
tion somewhat tO' the effect that we want¬ 
ed to get aid from the Government to 
help fight the blight. I went to Wash¬ 
ington and presented it to Secretary Wil¬ 
son myself. He said he wanted to do all 
he could, but just then the appropriation 
was all taken up and he said “What are 
yon doing yourselves?” You can count 
on his helping you and meeting you more 
than half way on anything you will un¬ 
dertake that will be of benefit. He also 
said, “If you will get your people to¬ 
gether and) show that you mean some¬ 
thing, then we will help you.” 
Dr. Richardson—There are some 
things that nobody can find out. Mr. 
Painter knows that. You know that this 
Society has gone tO' the trouble time and 
again of preparing bills to be presented 
to the Legislature. Have they ever gone 
through? No. I do not know; what be¬ 
came of them'. Nobody else, it seems, 
can find out. We simply have apathetic 
members, an apathetic society and an apa¬ 
thetic political party. By that I mean the 
men who are in control of the Legislature 
of our state. I know of no better way to 
wake them up than to wake up ourselves. 
I think every member of this organiza¬ 
tion should take it upon himself to see 
that the legislature is fixed. I don’t mean 
fixed in the political sense, because I do 
not think that the horticulturists of this 
state are in a position, financially, to fix 
anybody. I do not think we shouldl fix 
them as it is ordinarily understood, in the 
underhanded way, but in a way that will 
serve our purpose perhaps, better. I 
mean by that in a way that will make 
them think they are going to be fixed 
definitely and permanently and finally. 
Let us fix them' in their political graves 
if they dO' not do something for us. 
I do not think we should be ojiscour- 
aged by our failures in the past but that 
we should try again. I know of no bet¬ 
ter time than right now, and I am heartily 
in sympathy with the motion offered by 
Mr. Bartlett, and hope that you will ap¬ 
point a committee that will do something. 
Let us get at the Legislature of the State 
so that we may be able to report, if we de¬ 
sire more help from the Government, 
that Florida has at least done something 
for herself. Let us ever bear in mind 
the old adage that “the Lord helps those 
who help themselves.” Let us help our¬ 
selves first and then apply to the Govern¬ 
ment. 
Prof. Bartlett—I think Dr. Richard¬ 
son’s remarks are well put, and I think 
we should get help from our own Legis¬ 
lature before applying to the Govern¬ 
ment. I was at a banquet where Mr. 
Sparkman was present, and he said, 
“What are you doing to help your¬ 
selves?” Of course, there was nothing 
that could be said. 
Prof. Rolfs—I would like to say a 
word in explanation. We ha\’e slightly 
more funds than Mr. Bartlett spoke of, 
on account of the creation of the Adams 
Fund, but these are so circumscribed) by 
law that we must use this fund for origin- 
