Show THE CRAS grasshopper SHOPPER convention IN ix answer circular of invitation by gov pillsbury of minnesota to the governors of states and territories a convention ivas was wab held hold at nt omaha october 24 and 25 2 aj and the following were present gov J S pillsbury of minnesota gov B S J kirkwood of iowa gov C H hardin of missouri gov pennington of dakota territory gov silas garber of nebraska prof A whitman and rennock pennock pen ren nock pusey of minnesota prof C V bliey biley of missouri prof cyrus thomas of illinois ex gov B R W furnas prof A D williams and prof wilbur wilbun of nebraska 11 gov pillsbury was elected chairman and prof riley of missouri and mr pennock pusey of minnesota were chosen secretaries prof riley risey read a letter from governor beveridge authorizing prof cyrus thomas to appear in his behalf for the state of illinois and mr thomas was admitted to the deliberation prof riley biley was also admitted as representative of the tho state board of agriculture of missouri and subsequently on motion of gov Garl garb Jer ier er all persons interested in the subject of the call were wore invited to participate gov pillsbury Pill abury read the following paper the object of our conference as you are aware is to consider the grasshopper question in its various aspects and especially in that in which the insect presents himself aa as the inveterate enemy of our agricultural interests this assemblage was suggested by the hope tha that through the collect collection ion ioa of information and a thorough interchange of views among those who of necessity had given tile subject attention some comprehensive plan might be devised und and a concert of action secured which might prove in some degree commensurate with the magnitude of the evil to be encountered 11 no subject surely transcends this question in urgent practical importance from a casual appearance of the grasshoppers in isolated localities more than a century ago their visitations have grown of late years with such alarming frequency and in such countless and destructive numbers as to create the profoundest apprehension for the primary sources of our prosperity since 1818 1818 some portions of our extensive frontier from texas to our northern boundary as well as the pacific slope hava have been invaded by the insects and subjected to their rapacity considering the sudden and fitful movements of the locusts the limitless field of their operations and the mysterious and predatory nature of their inroads they constitute a formidable enemy with which no single state or community can expect to cope successfully and it is my profound conviction that an evil which by threatening our agriculture threat ens ons ensall all ali forms of productive industry deserves the tho prompt and thorough consideration of the general government if it bo be within tho the legitimate province of the federal govern government men t to improve our river and harbors in order to facilitate the movement of crops surely purely the rescue of these crops from destruction is no less an object of its rightful care if it be right for the government to aid the promotion of its internal commerce it certainly cannot bo be wrong to attempt the preservation of those primary products without which there can be no commerce in view of facts which seem to me indisputable and of tho the vast importance of the subject I 1 invoke your careful and earnest atte tion to such buch questions as may come before us looking to the furtherance of the object of our meeting various measures embodying the results of experience and observation will I 1 trust be presented and wisely considered for myself my bel eel f I 1 feel so deeply impressed with the magnitude of the evil which confronts us and the urgent importance of comprehensive efforts for its arrest that I 1 trust I 1 may be pardoned for indicating in advance some bome ef f the proposals which I 1 think claim our attention as of odthe the first importance among these I 1 name A joint and urgent appeal to the president of the united states to be signed by the executives here assembled and others favoring the movement requesting him in his forthcoming annual message or other suitable manner to commend the subject to the prompt and favorable action of congress ad A similar joint request from this body to the congressional delegations from the states here rep represented re and others interested urging their assiduous efforts for the passage of an act of congress providing for rr the appointment of a commission of both scientific and practical men to consider the whole question including cause and remedy rith with v adequate provision pro vision for bounties for the prevention and cure of the evil ad agodt A joint memorial if practicable or tame ome other form of combined official action by our several legislatures asking the aid of congress for these purposes and to that end requesting the concerted and persistent influence of our ri everal several congressional delegations 4 recommendations of the 8 subject ab by the governors to the favorable consideration of the several state legislatures interested invoking the adoption of such pra practicable measures as have proved efficacious and such as further experience may suggest including the repeal of existing game laws or such euch modification of them as will prevent the destruction of birds which feed upon the insects the of offering fiering of bounties pes yes for the destruction of eggs and insects the prevention of prairie fires until d a suitable time for the destruction of the young grasshoppers by firing the grass the encouragement of tree culture for promoting moisture and harboring birds and such other means as may promote the great end desired 1 I cordially wish nor for such favorable results from this consultation as may be confidently expected of all sincere efforts deserving success considerable discussion was had upon the subject a committee report was made and accepted resolutions were adopted and a lengthy paper wan was read by gov pillsbury the following is the conclusion conc lasion of the report as published in the omaha J lerald prof riley eiley offered the following lc 11 resolved that in the event of the he appointment of a national com mission for the investigation of the locust problem each of the states and territories interested be urged to appoint a commissioner or commissioners to work in such states and territories and to cooperate with the national commission in accumulating facts and experiments peri ments petitions were read from the synod of minnesota and from a conference of indian ministers in dakota to the convention to appoint a day of fasting and prayer and governor pennington introduced a preamble and resolutions which were adopted whereas the scourge of the grasshoppers or locusts has become so alarming during the la last st few years as to seriously threaten the iro of many of the states and territories and tc whereas they have appeared n many local localities atles in such force as lo 10 utterly defy the ingenuity of man without the blessin blessing of god to avert avelt the danger 0 and protect the growing crops and 11 1 whereas while we have a never failing falling faith in the goodness and wisdom of that all seeing and ever merciful god who controls the early and the later rains and whose merciful providence gives us seed time and harvest 1 ibs ids I be it therefore resolved that we respectfully but earnestly urge that all our people ia in the thi states and territories afflicted with the locusts of all denominations and sects offer up special prayers in their heir respective churches for de from this great grea enemy |