The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1912-09-11
LEVERS 5 BILL PASS
sGR1CrLTCRM yT E y 81 o n
MEASURE IS NOW Law.

MEASURE Is NOW Law.
Result Of Several Years Study and
Work on Part Of Author, Who Is
Pleased at Outcome.
/ The House has at last passed the
Lever agricultural extension bill,
providing for the establishment Of
agricultural extension departments
in connection with the agricultural
colleges and experiment stations il
the several states. This measure, 20
/ which Nj. Lever has de-oted several
:ears Of study and preparation, COM
pletes an agricultural educational
system which had its beginning with
the passa geof the first Morrill, Ac. in
| 1892, augmented by the Hatch Act
twenty-five years later.
Under these e2actments stores of
AGRICULTURAL information and facts
| have been accumulated, but the one
defect in the national system, until
re Lever bill, has been the fact that
it's practical and local application has
not reached the actual farmer. These
scientific agricultural facts, gathered
| by the experiment stations and dis
seminated by the agricultural COL
leges, have reached only limited
numbers in proportion to the total
rural population; and the passage Of
the Lever bill. having as its main
purpose the direct discrimination
among asriculturalists of this accum-
uated knowledge appertaining to as-
ricuIture and home economies,
through such agencies as field in
struct!on. demonstrations, pub!ica-
tioas and tie like, will forge the last
link Of the chain IN a complete sys-
TEN OF national agricultural educa-
ton.
| Under the appropriation section OF
the Lever bill it is provided that an
initial sum Of $4,000 per year shall
90 to each state Internationally: an
additional appropriation OF 100000
is appropriated for the first fiscal
year and an annual increase of this
appropriation Of 100000 year, ov-
er the preceding year, for a period OF
cine years is provided until the total
amount Of additional appropriations
will be S3,000,OOO annually; but that
re state shall be entitled to any part
OF these additional sums Until its leg
islature shall have appropriated a
; similar amount for extension work.
AS matter Of local interest. the
State Of South Carolina. under the
proportion its rural population bears
to the rural population Of the coun-
t-v, would be entitled to receive an
nually the sum Of 7S,600 from the
Federal Government: conditioned. OF
, course, upon the appropriation OF a
like sum by its State Legislature for
agricultural extension work. Any
lesser amount the legislature might
see fit to apply to extension work
would be duplicated from the funds
. Of the national treasury.
: The bill places the disbursement
OF these fund2 and the control of the
work to be conducted under its pro
visions, under the direction of state
? rather than Federal authorities, be-
cause It was believed that each state
had its own individual agricultural
: problems which could best be work
. ed out under local environment. The
system as it will work out seeks to
do in larger measure what is now
being accomplished in sections
through the farmers cooperative
: demonstration work.
. Possibly no measure this session
, certainly none of an economic ma
ture, has become more generally dis
: cussed or more widely advertised
, than the Lever extension bill. 1t has
been enthusiastically supported by
: leading agricultural thinkers in ev'
, cry section of the United States. the
) rural press, business organizations
! agricultural associations, agricUltur-
. al college presidents and eSperim ent
, station directors. President Taft il
| his address at the Kansas City Con.
servation Congress strongly support
ed the idea, and Governor Wilson IN
his speech Of acceptance Of the nom
: ination for the Presidency, said:
There is another duty which the
Democratic party has shown itsell
great enough and close enough to the
, people to perceive, the duty Of the
Government to share IN promoting
agricultural, Industrial, vocationa.
education in every way possible with
IN its institutional powers. The
. Democratic platform at Baltimore
, urges Federal appropriations fol
! such training ard extension teaching
in agriculture IN cooperation with
the several states. Mr.. Lever, OF
course, Is enthusiastic over the out
come of his long and continued ef-
. forts in perfecting and working for
the masses OF this measure. When
seen Thursday afternoon, he said:
81 regard the passage Of this bill
in the House as the most significant
and pregnant event Ct my Congress
sional career. Ny first conception
OF this bill arose some years ago
when I frs. discovered the fact that
great as were the efforts Of the na-
sional Government in behalf Of agri-
culture they were not as far-reaching
as they ought TO be into the actual
needs of the rural population. Hence,
as I have so often said. the purpose
of this bill is to reach the farmer on
his farm with known agricultural
truths. but showing him their pecul-
lar application to his individual and
particular needs. The agriculture!
1colleges and experiment stations
have been and are now doing ar! eff
acient work In the accumulation of
this agricultural knowledge, but
true progress among our rural
classes will follow the wisest educa-
ton, and that teaching is wtsest
~hich, - eing efficient. is most gener-
al This END is the ain Of this bill,
and 7 regard rs passage in the House
as NY most signal effort in behalf Of
the vocation from which I have come
and for the oetterment OF whose con-