Washington, Feb. 10.
The House of Representatives ordered an investigation of the work fof eradication of the Mediterranean fruit fly in Florida, after Congressman William R. Wood of Indiana, Jchairman of the Committze on Ap-Propriations, had charged—misuse and waste of funds provided by, Congress for this purpose.
Mr. Wood severely criticized Mr, Arthur H. Hyde, Secretary of Agriculture, and said that secret service men had found "damning evidence of criminal waste" in cone nection with the eradication work, Mr. Hyde failed to mention this investigation when he recently re-Jquested additional appropriations from Congress to carry on the war against the fruit fly, the appropriations from Congress to carry on the war against the freit fly, the priations chairman said.
Congressmen L. C. Dyer of Mis-Jsouri and L. C. Crompton of Michigan defended the Secretary, declaring that he had placed his feast in the Democratic administra. tion in Florida, which had cooperated with him.
Congressman Fiorello H. Lao! Guardia of New York declared that there "never was a fruit fly except those planted by persons benefitting from the extermination campaign against them."
On behalf of Florida, Congress. man Robert A. Green of that state said that all Floridans would welcome an investigation of the exter mination expenditures.
'Observers foresaw a now political! battle, probably running closely along' party lines—United Press,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.