Tag Archives: funding

February 24, 1942

Tuesday night 2/24-42

My dear Sweetheart,

The money on the repellent project $44800 became available today and things will pick up now. The present work on fumigants including tests with the Army will require approximately 2 weeks. At a conference this PM Dr. Armand is willing for Bruce to complete these. They will wire Bruce tomorrow to come into Wash. & if I can see him first I think the job he now has will be consolidated with ours and he will be my second man at Orlando. Bish has been opposing it to Armand, but Armand had agreed to it several days ago. The situation is that a lot of Bureau men are on the end of a limit due to curtailment & Armand is now looking for places for them. Our work will be filled by transfer within the division except for Mr. Glass & 4 juniors who come from the outside. Cushing will then consider transfers of others to fill temporary places vacated by men who are coming to our projects.

February 24, 1942

February 24, 1942

Bishopp is as pale as a ghost. I’ve never seen him looking as badly. I do not know if the merger mentioned in the enclosed clipping has anything to do with it. All divisions of the Bureau were called upon today to stream line their activities in line with war needs and this means that the Bureau of the Budget can then pick out ones to be eliminated or reduced. They seem to be going after it great shape. I believe that the Bureau part is confidential but it would be OK to let Simmons know.

My return ticket is dated the 27th & today is the 24th. I may not be able to get away by that time but I’ll come as soon as Bruce can get here and I can turn this work over to him. I would telephone him tonight but the only news I can get of his present address is the state of Texas. Mrs. Townsend has his itinerary and she had already gone when the conference was over. I could try San Antonio and Dallas, but anyway they can wire him tomorrow morning, and the orders for him to come here will have to come from the office anyway.

Lots of love,
Always
Walter.

February 17, 1942

Tuesday Night 2/17.

My dear Sweetheart & Boys,

Saturday noon I ate a dinner with Claudelle & BM down town, and then went home with them over Sunday. I went to the office from there Monday AM. Mr. Cushing came over Sun. night for chili but Deniza was too tired. She works at night at the War Dept. We had a quiet day and light visiting.

February 17, 1942

February 17, 1942

Monday & today Mr. Lata and I had some fumigations to keep us busy and there is enough for tomorrow too. It seems to be going OK but we cannot check results until the hatching takes place. I have been sending material to Bushland and he writes that the laboratory colonies are being established OK.

It looks as though the money on the first project will come through in a few days. A voucher was sent over and as I understand it, a check is to be returned to the Bureau. The other project is late, and it may be a month before it comes through. I think we have the personnel lined up and things are under way to transfer some assistants on short notice.

Mrs. W.V. King passed away on Sat. PM and is being buried at Shreveport, her home town. I have had no word of any kind from Dr. King.

I am enclosing a clipping that Claudelle gave me. I believe you knew Ardie Shaw at Charleston.

The valentines were appreciated very much and I want to thank all three of the boys and their mother.

With love
Walter.

February 4, 1942

Wednesday Feb. 4

My dear Sweetheart & Boys,

It was great to get two letters from home, so I’m sending another one. It seems ages since I left but it was just one week ago this AM that I arrived here.

February 4, 1942

February 4, 1942

Cushing came back on Monday AM and I was glad to see him. He is very helpful on this program, even if I have not yet made any fumigation tests. My first cooperators did not come through because of the effect of the gas on the equipment and the possible danger of releasing it in the city. The quantities are small but it is a tear gas. Arrangements have been made to do the tests at Beltsville where I can borrow from three different places. I borrowed a car from a third office today, and I’ll get it tomorrow. Yesterday I purchased 24 suits of underwear for prisoners of the District jail. They will be exchanged to individuals for ones that I can fumigate.

Annand & Bishopp are at the Memphis meetings, also Prof. Harned at his own expense.

Talked with Hoyt this PM. I called upon him for a little visit. He does not seem like the same one to me. Like the others (Rohner and Spencer) he is strictly in line with Annand & without regard to Strong or the past. I’m disappointed in him, but of course I did not try to draw him out or to ask for anything. A friendly visit regarding the dog fly control & the present work, then he suggested a young man from Colorado for the new work. Wakeland is here and sent word that he wanted to see me. I’ll see him tomorrow and I’ll guess that he mentions the same man. Also Cushing & I are calling on Major Stone tomorrow AM to get some gas masks, & for a conference.

Every division of the Bureau is getting a cut except Man & Animals & it is getting two new projects amounting to $94,000 on defense. Also the dog fly control program is coming back to the Bureau. I am to talk to the Biological Society of Washington on Sat. eve. 8 PM for 35 min. on “dog fly control in N.W. Fla.”

There will be no money for control of salt marsh mosquitoes & sand flies & Dr. Williams is returning to malaria in the USPHS.

With love
Walter.

Sent Kodak pictures last night. New ones not yet developed.

February 1, 1942

Sunday Noon.

My dear Ina & Boys,

Yesterday morning we had an air raid drill in the agricultural buildings, which amounted to a concentration of the personnel on certain floors at designated places. There was nothing exciting about it, but some of them seemed to like the idea of being wardens or First Aid people.

February 1, 1942

February 1, 1942

Mr. Hall phoned that his neighbor was a secretary to Congressman Sikes & asked if I would join them at noon. We had lunch in the Capitol Bldg. with the Congressman and Mr. Terry Lee the secretary who lives at Marianna. It was a sociable visit with some discussion of the dog fly control work. The Congressman asked if anyone objected to the use of creosote, and I told him that they did not make it known to me. We heard of one unfavorable comment which anticipated the use of creosote but that none was used on such premises. Also told him of the Park Supt. at Santa Rosa who wanted to know if shore birds walking on treated grass would be burned. Mr. Sikes said that not a single complaint had been received by his office, and that he had heard favorable comments on the work. They expect to get a project through for the Bureau.*

Most every research division is to get a cut, except Man & Animals. Prof. Harned expects to be reduced from $145,000 to $120,000. There is much uneasiness in the Bureau. Rumors float about on moving the whole Bureau to Kansas City or somewhere else. They have no instructions to move, but may get them. From what I can hear, Annand is making a lot of changes and they are coming gradually but fast enough to put things on edge. Different ones have told me that my standing was ace high now, with no comments on what it has been. They expect Mr. G to be shorn of most of his projects but do not say in what way. I’ve seen Bish a few times and I’ve never seen him as worried looking as at present.

There is some good news on retirements. Anyone can retire before he is 55 if he has had 15 years service, but will not draw any retirement money until he reaches 55. Then he can get 15/30 of 70% of his regular rate of pay at the time he quits. The rate increases with years of service and one must retire at 62. Dr. B is about 60, so that he could not be in longer than 2 more years. I would expect King Parman and Laake to retire within a couple of years, though I am not certain of their ages.

There will be a memo on the subject of retirement before long & it should give all of the information we want. Until then we have this to think about, and I think it is OK.

With lots of love to all of you.

Daddy.

* Remember, this was a project that involved spraying thousands of gallons of oil and creosote over the beaches near Pensacola. Priorities were different in 1942.

December 7, 1939

This letter was out of order in the file, but I’m back-dating it on the blog so it’ll be in the proper order now. Sorry for any inconvenience to those reading on the site’s RSS feed.

Thursday Night

My dear Sweetheart,

I have just had dinner with Mr. Gaddis & Claudelle. We left Claudelle at her address and BM brought me here a few minutes ago. It was a very good dinner.

December 7, 1939

December 7, 1939

Had my first good talk with Mr. Bishopp today, and I have asked for reports for the past five years, his work program for each project and a copy of his budget for this year. They are still looking up files to find them & when Miss Lynch returns tomorrow I am quite sure I’ll get them. He had proposed to transfer two men to take care of me, but I told him today that the amount saved in them would not be enough and that I was quite sure that the chief did not intend that I be reduced in salary. He said that he understood that I was to have the minimum of the principal grade, $5600. This means that there is now no doubt about that and that my job is to see that the new alignment will provide this much with advantage to the work. I have some good ideas on how to affect the economies. He agreed that Schroeder could be transferred to Alfalfa Weevil survey & I’ll take steps to transfer him between June 1 to 15th.

I’ve seen a few motions from Bish which I am skeptical of, but I think I can handle. Stage should have left here today but left Wednesday with stops planned at the different research labs in Florida & Texas before returning to Portland. If he is out covering up weaknesses before my arrival I’ll be pretty sure to detect it.

Claudelle & I were invited to Bishopp’s last Saturday & I was treated very fine. Yesterday I went to his office at noon & not finding him there I opened different doors to locate him and Stage. After I opened Cushing’s door & peeked in, a voice in the hall asked whom I was looking for. It was Mrs. Bishopp & she asked in a mean accusing manner. Bishopp was with her. I told her I was looking for her. Then I told her I wanted to see Stage before he left. I was then informed that Stage left yesterday & was driving to the southern stations.

Today when I saw Bish he invited Claudelle & I to come to another party at his house on this Saturday night to meet some more folks. We are going. The conference today did not continue the icy atmosphere yesterday, but apparently with a full understanding that I was to examine & report on his division & recommend such changes as would provide a place for myself & improve the efficiency. Gaddis seems to enjoy my assignment & thinks it OK for the Bureau.

Hearings before the Congressional Committee eliminated the new item for encephalomyelitis but with no other cuts for Bish’s division. In other words we can plan next year on the same basis as funds for this year.

In about another week or so I’ll visit Florida & Texas stations. Claudelle is planning to come to Mpls & then go to Uvalde for Xmas. She plans to leave here the Saturday after next.

Please give my very best wishes to Kenneth Helen & Miss Fulcher. The Gulfport project needs Kenneth. Tell him his stock rates high in Wash. His promotion will not be to the next grade but two less than the next grade & the same as Messenger’s.

With love,
Walter

March 5, 1939

Railroad stationery from the Burlington Route, “The National Park Line.”

Saturday Night
En route to Denver.

Dear Sweetheart,

Dorward & Dr. Wakeland are with me and we meet with Colorado cooperatives tomorrow and Monday. I hope to leave Denver Monday night for Minneapolis and should get home Tuesday night. So far our conferences have been fairly satisfactory and we hope that things develop as they are being planned. You probably noticed that the House passed the bill for 2 1/4 million and that the Senate is going to insist on $5,400,000. Just how it will come out remains to be seen. We are planning for the full amount. You already know my personal views on it which I keep to myself. Dorward may go on to Amarillo. I am reducing my trip that much.

March 5, 1939

March 5, 1939

RA was with us for most of the week and seems to have his program worked out in considerable detail & with most every move approved. He sends his regards to the family. Said he saw Mother Lewis at Uvalde Xmas.

With love to all of you,
Walter.

May 15, 1938

Sunday PM. May 15th

My Dear Ina & Boys,

Your letters were appreciated very much. I think Lewis Dunbar and Walter White are improving in their letter writing. I am enclosing a sticker for Lew’s automobile (Northwest Airlines). A statement on insurance in Charleston is also enclosed for Mother. It is due June 1.

May 15, 1938

May 15, 1938

These are rush days and nights. Today I listed some expense accounts & I hope to get them in some time this week if the sec’y is not rushed too much with other things. Hoppers are hatching and bait materials are being shipped. The next six or 8 weeks will tell the story of control or no control. Naturally everyone is doing all he can to get them poisoned while they are young and before they leave the hatching beds along the roadsides and edges of the fields.

I am glad that you sent the gifts to Mother Lewis & Mother Dove, also that the boys had one for my wife.

I feel sorry for Gilbert but perhaps it is best after all.

I am enclosing a receipt on the New England payment of $100. I think we can afford to pay another $100 on it now, if you will send it. Seems better to do this than try to reduce Kenmore house now.

Our work is pretty trying but we seem to be ahead of the game this year by shipping some materials early. Also some were shipped in excess last year which helped a great deal. Gaddis was here when I got back but left two days later after the conference with Annand & Packard here.

Tomorrow I am to talk an hour to the University of Minn. students in Entomology on screw worm control. This makes the 3rd time I’ve been called on to do this in universities up here. Iowa, Missouri & Minn. I packed some graphs and haven’t used them yet but plan to take them to Minn. U. tomorrow.

Strong is to receive his doctorate at LSU on May 31 and you and I were invited by Anderson to attend the banquet. I wrote to him of the affair & expressed regret that we could not be present. No doubt Strong and Rohner will come out before long. I look for them when Congress closes its session. It looks as though our G hop funds might be replenished with another million or more before the closing of the session*.

With lots of love to all three of you.

Your
Walter.

A million-dollar appropriation in 1938 would equal about $16 million in today’s money.

January, 1938

This is apparently a list of people who previously worked on grasshopper control projects for the USDA, but were laid off. The marginalia suggest Walter was looking to recruit some of them back (he’s about to be transferred to grasshopper control). If you wonder why the government had employed so many people for this, or why so many of them got dismissed and then hired back with funding fluctuations, check out Jeffrey Lockwood’s outstanding history of this astonishing pest.

January 1938

January 1938

May 14, 1937

Stationery from the Gulf Coast Limited train.

Friday the 14th.

My dear Ina,

Will reach Gainesville this noon and will be with Roberts until about Saturday PM. A bill was introduced in Fla. legislature for $100,000 for the next two years for control of S.W. There are also some matters to discuss with Roberts.

May 14, 1937

May 14, 1937

The SW item passed the Senate Committee for only $75000 and Strong says that is all we can count on but that we will get that much. Conferences in Wash. were quite satisfactory. Am getting 6 new cars on this year’s fund with trade in of all 1935 cars. Will have two new 4 door sedans at San Antonio, 1 new 4 door sedan and 1 2 door at Gainesville. Also will get 2 pick up trucks & 2 new sedan deliveries. Bishopp conference resulted in abbreviated section on carcass burning with statement that it was a sanitary procedure but should not be depended upon to control the screw worm. I think I won a decisive battle on this. It was not carried to Strong for a decision. Strong was friendly and most pleasant but made me win my case on the automobiles. Spent one night with Prof. & Mrs. Harned. Did not see Halls or Mrs. Cushing. Mr. Cushing is in Texas now. With love to all of you & especially to my wife.

Walter.

February-March, 1937

I’m not going to transcribe all of these items, which should already be accessible in the public record anyway, but I think this packet of paperwork provides a neat snippet of the behind-the-scenes lobbying that was (and remains) typical in funding large pest- and disease-control projects.

February-March 1937a

February-March 1937a

February-March 1937b

February-March 1937b

February-March 1937c

February-March 1937c