86 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
insisted upon the retention of the provision requiring examination at 
the port of entry, of all nursery stock imported without a proper cer¬ 
tificate from an official of the government of the country exporting it. 
He expressed his most decided belief that we need have no doubt that 
France, Holland and other countries would make haste to properly 
inspect their export products, even as we made haste to inspect and 
certify to the soundness of our meats, sought to be exported to Ger¬ 
many and elsewhere. 
CALIFORNIA OBJECTIONS. 
Every member of his committee seeming of the same opinion, your 
committee attempted but little objection, and that little did no good. 
The bill was very soon recommended, by unanimous vote of the full 
committee, to the House for passage. Since then certain California 
congressmen have strongly urged the committee to consent to an 
amendment providing that “nothing herein contained shall prevent 
the inspection of such nursery stock by the authorized inspectors of 
any state or territory at the final point of destination, in accordance 
with the laws of such state or territory.” They have been very insist- 
ant, but your committee has steadily insisted that such a proposition is 
unfair, for that if the nurserymen voluntarily submit their products to 
Federal inspection and certification, such certificates should not be 
shorn of any part of their proper and reasonable effect to protect the 
goods covered thereby. Moreover, it was pointed out to them that 
state laws were easily framed and sometimes passed through the 
efforts of interested parties, imposing much heavier burdens upon out¬ 
side than upon inside nurserymen, and that such an amendment would 
be an open invitation to such selfish efforts. 
Finally, it was pointed out that the insistance upon such amendment 
would compel the nurserymen to oppose the bill, which would surely 
prevent its becoming a law, so that they would prevent their important 
fruit interests from securing any protection whatever. In consequence 
of these considerations, they have finally been led to withdraw all 
opposition and to heartily support the bill. 
There are no other known objections, except in the east, where the 
provision for inspecting uncertificated stock at the port of entry is 
objected to, but, as already stated, Chairman Wadsworth insists upon 
the provision, and believes we need fear no danger, so that the pro¬ 
vision must stand whether the measure succeeds or fails. 
The last objection relates to the amount of appropriation. If we 
desire the law, we must urge its passage with an appropriation of only 
$50,000.00. If we insist upon $100,000.00, we take nothing at all. The 
bill in its present form is as fair to our interests and offers us as much 
protection as any measure which we have any reasonable hope of 
getting passed into law. 
The best information obtainable by those of your committee who 
have been in Washington and heard the matter discussed is, that we 
should either unitedly support the present bill and urge its passage, or 
else abandon our efforts to secure legislation. We should all go one 
way or all go the other. 
In a letter lately received from Representative Haugen, chairman of 
the sub-commtitee in charge of the bill, he says, “ I believe strong 
resolutions by your Association in favor of the bill as now drawn, 
protesting against amendments, will be of great help.” We have never 
before been so near securing the passage of our bill as to-day. Ap. 
parently we can have the law,if we want it, and if none of us oppose it. 
A. L Brooke—“ In connection with the report of the 
Committee on Legislation, I ask that a resolution be prepared 
expressing some decision on this matter by this Association. 
I believe it is time that the questions were settled. I am in 
favor of putting an earnest shoulder to the wheel to see if we 
can get the present Congress to act in the matter. We have 
been spending our money to get the bill before Congress, and 
now I move that Mr. Watrous be requested to present a 
resolution to this body.” 
N. W. Hale—“ I have a resolution on the subject.” 
Mr. Brooke—“All right, then. I did not know that. I will 
withdraw my motion.” 
RESOLUTION ON FEDERAL BILL. 
Mr. Hale presented the following, which was unanimously 
adopted : 
Having suffered from the increasing numbers of insect pests and 
plant diseases whose ravages already cost the fruit growing and 
nursery interests of the country untold and yearly increasing millions, 
and believing that federal quarantine regulations restricting the free 
transportation of infected fruits and plants in interstate and foreign 
commerce, offer the only effective means of hindering the spread of 
such destructive pests and diseases ; 
Therefore, we, the American Association of Nurserymen, in anuual 
convention assembled, hereby resolve : 
First, We believe that a well-guarded quarantine law, regulating 
both foreign and interstate commerce in fruits and plants, offers our 
greatest hope of relief ; 
Second, We favor the passage of House bill 10,999, now pending in 
the House of Representatives, and ask our representatives and senators 
to favor its prompt enactment into law, without amendment; 
Third, The secretary of this Association is hereby authorized and 
directed to promptly transmit an official copy of these resolutions to 
each representative and senator in Congress, now in session at Wash¬ 
ington. 
Mr. Hale—“ It has occurred to me that at each session we 
should have some subject of general utility, on which we could 
get a diversity of opinion and spend a day in earnest and 
honest discussion. We might have such discussion on this 
bill. Our Association is for the purpose, I presume, of learn¬ 
ing to knew all that is possible on subjects of interest to it. 
As Mr. Albaugh says, it is possible for nurserymen to know 
two things at the same time. Whether we have humbugs or 
entomologists is not the question here. We do have laws and 
insects, and we are going to have them. As years come they 
will increase. 
“ We know many states have laws unto themselves. Now 
it is a matter of some concern to ship stock from one state to 
another. If we grow to be a strong Association we must look 
after ourselves, as do the merchants and manufacturers. We 
must have a Federal law on this subject for our interest, be¬ 
cause states have laws. But the states cannot legislate on 
interstate subjects. We want laws in the states to govern 
affairs in the states. 
“ We do not have the'j'scale in Knoxville, and I suppose 
there is not a nurseryman here who has the scale in his vicin¬ 
ity. Still we have the scale, and very destructive, in this 
country. Yet every bird and animal going up and down a 
tree is distributing the scale. Orchards all over the country 
are badly infested. Our nurseries are open to infestation and 
we have no protection. 
“ Every man who has a home has already bought stock. 
We need uniform legislation. Let me venture this asser¬ 
tion : The efforts so far in connection with this federal 
bill have done more to nationalize it than anything since the 
birth of this Association. Most of the newspapers have seen 
fit to assert that we have stood before Washington legislators 
and pleaded for a national law. If the bill never becomes a 
law, and if we spent $5,000 to accomplish what we have, it is 
a blessing to the Association ; because we have shown our¬ 
selves to be business men as well as bug fighters and limb 
cutters. 
“ I speak on behalf of a Solid South of fifteen influential 
states. We all favor this bill, and this indorsement comes 
from every blooming magnolia, every ripening fruit, every 
opening bud. I hope we may ship stock untrammeled 
throughout the states and throughout the country.” 
