The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-02-14
ROME FOLK IN WASHINGTON.
Harmless Gossip about the South Care.
lima Colony.

rcsentative Latimer is encountering
further trouble with the naval cadet
ship in his district, although it is not
SO sensational as the circumstances
surrounding the now celebrated Max
we'll case. 1t will be remembered that
Maxwell was forced to resign, because
it was discovered, after Mr.. Latimer
had had Il lively word combat with
Commandant McNair, that the cadet
had misreprcscnted the case to Mr..
1atimer t was the intention of Mr..
Latimer to appoint 5. ID. Pearman, Il
student of Clemson College. to the
vacancy thus created, as he was the
investigation 1T was asccrtained that
Pearman will be 90 years old this
month and he cannot go to Annapolis
| for examination before the middle of
May next. BY that time he will be
beyond the age limit, which requires
that candidates are not eligible for eX-
animation after they are 20. Mr.. Lati-
mer made an effort to have Pcarman
given special examination before he
reaches his Goth year. but the Secretary
of the Navy decided that the existing
law will not sanction such proceed
ing. Under the circumstances Pear
man Is barred out and Mr.. Latimer will
give all the young men III his district
an opportunity to enter into competi-
Ton for the designation for appoint
mcnt t., Annapolis. There will he 10
he proposes to throw the contest open
to every white boy in his district who
is qualified by age, education or other
wise. A committee will be selected to
conduct the examination and the best
boy should win.
At the instance of Private Thomas
H. Cunningham, of Anderson, now
serving in the regular army in Porto
Rico, Representative Latimer request
ed the Secretary of War to allo i young
Cunningham to be examined for pro-
motion 10 the rank of second lieuten-
ant. Cunningham is good soldier and
is anxious to take advantage of the
law which admits of promotions from
the ranks under certain conditions,
after 81 man has served two years as
private, Unfortunately for Cunning
about year and a half and, although
Mr.. Latimer made strong appeal for
o special dispensatiOn in his behalf,
the Secretary decided that the law
does not admit Of such promotions ex-
cept in special cases Of gallant and
meritOriOus service in the field. Ac-
cOrdingly Cunningham will be obliged
to curb his ambition to become al
officer In the regular army until he has
completed two years. service in the
ranks.
Pending consideration of the agri-
cultural appropriation bill by the
House committee on agriculture Re-
preventative Latimer is striving to
have certain amendments to that meas
ure adopted by the committee, which
will be of direct benefit to the farmers
of South Carolina and other agricul-
tural States. He proposes to double
the appropriation TO be used for the
purchase Of seed intended for distribu-
tion by members of Con gress; also for
an increase in the appropriation to be
expended IN experiments in growing
grass and other vegetation for pastur-
age.
prOpriated for the seed division Of the
agricultural department. or that
amount $64,00O is expended for seed
alone, and the balance Of the appro-
priation is used for clerk hire and in
cidental expenses connected with the
distribution OF seed. The sum allo-
TED to the members OF the House aggre-
gates about $4,000, SO that each Kep-
resentative's quota OF seed for distri-
packages. Mr.. Latimer's proposed
amendment provides for an additional
appropriation Of $4,000 so that ench
member will have 10000 packages to
circulate among the farmers of his dis
trict. Strong arguments have been
submitted In support OF the proposition
and the committee seems to be favor
ably disposed to grant the request.
The last appropriation for expert
ments with grasses was $4,000 and
Mr.. Latimer proposes to increase that
amount 60 S2G,OCc, to be expended un-
der the direction Of the agrastologist
of the department. In support of his
amendment MIR. Latimer says much Of
the farm lands in the Southern States
has been worn out growing cotton, and
it is desirable that further efforts be
made to discover such grasses as may
be successfully grown in the Southern
country. thus increasing the facilities
for converting worn out land into pas
lures for cattle raising, growing in
dustry all through the South. When
Secretary Wilson visited Warsaw Col
lege, some time ago, he delivered
speech in which he urged the farmers
OF the South to diversity their crops
and suggested cattle raising rs a pro-
titable substitute for some Of the crops
now produced with little or no profit in
certain sections. In the meantime ex-
periments have been in progress with
view to ascertaining what grasses
can be successfully grown in the South
ern States. ToencOurage these expert
ments Mr.. Latlmer presented to the
department of agriculture, through
Secretary Wilson, fifteen acres of
ground from his own farm and expert
ments are going on.
In certain quarters there is DISPOSE
tiOn to. discontinue the experiments
and make no further apprOpria tion to
be expended in that direction under
the agrastolOgist division. In view of
the encouraging results obtained by
the department, and the universal in
terest in grass growing throughout the
South, the suggestion to strike out the
appropriation will not only be stub
bornly contested in the committee and
on the floor of tho House, but q united
preparation, in accordance with Mr.
Latimers amendment. He says Sec
retary Wilson is in favor of continuing