Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1912-12-24

Tie southern farmer now TO make the
most of his farm. We found a man
IN each county best fitted to direct
this work. He knew where the need
was greatest and could drive about
from place to place showing his neigh
bors what ought to be done. The
south isn't one-crop country any
more
/ Then we saw that there had to be
some animals on that land; that we
should have to look 10 the south
pretty soon for beef The homestead.
ers were taking up the land Of the
great western cattle ranches and the
ranchmen were beginning to give up.
So we tackled the pasture question,
and helped the southern farmer about
/ his hogs and cattle
Secretary Wilson also talked upon
what has been done and what he
hopes may be done further In the
way of putting demonstrators on the
farms in all the states of the Union.
There are no postgraduate insti-
tueions to supplement the agricultural
i colleges" y. said he. I'VE have to train
our own men In many branches. Con.
/ gress has not permitted us to pay
the salaries that would keep them
with US in all cases. and these train.
ed men have sometimes been taken
away from US But we keep on train
/ ing EN- just the same 1t is the same
about road building; the technical in
situations turn out civil engineers, but
/ they do not teach them practically
how to build roads. We are training
road experts. We should like to
train a half-dozen superintendent for
New York state.
Another thing I like to talk about
is what we did to redeem the dry
belt west of the Tooth meridian The
soil is good but there is little rain.
fall. There were great tracts of al.
most useless land, given over to half
wild animals. We visited the deserts
of the old countries in search of the
plants and grain that could be grown
in soil like that and learned the ways
Of cultivating them. Do you know
about Durum wheat? We are grow.
ing 75.00O,00O bushels OF it year
now, and last year we exported 30.
100000 Then we had to have legumes
for that land-the plants that take
nitrogen from the air and put 1t In
the soil. We sent four times to Asia
and Africa in this search. We brought
over the yellow-blossomed alfalfa
and installed it where it would do
the most good"
Pensions for Es-fresidents?
When Andrew Carnegie proposed
his plan to pension ex-presidents
Of the United States at the rate
Of $4,000 a year in order that
they might take life easier and lend
their counsel as private citizens to the
lawmakers of the Union, it was strong
Iy suspected that the Scottish-Ameri-
can philanthropist had no thought that
the pension plan would be accepted,
but that it's suggestion might stir con-
gress to take action looking to the
care of ex-presidents and their FAM
lilies.
The argument in congress against
pensions for ex-presidents Is an old
one, and in many respects, apparently,
a perfectly proper one, that we should
have no civil pension list 1t has been
held thai If this country once begins
to give pensions to men who have held
| civil Jobs under the government, there
will be no end to 1t, and also that the
pension giving might be much abused
1t always has seemed to be the fear
of congressman that some men with a
pull or personal popularity who have
held some kind of government jobs for
awhile might by their influence induce
congress to give them pensions. There
are some civil pensions granted by the
United states, notably those given by
special acts of congress to the widows
Of presidents. AS a rule, however,
civil pensions have stopped at this
point. and while 1t seems probable now
because of the agitation that some
plan may be evolved to pension ex
presidents, probably long time will
elapse before anything like a plan for
general civil pensions win be sanctions
ed by the congress of the United
States.
Plan Tariff Hearings.
The Democratic members of the
WAYS and means committee already
are mapping out a scheme for tariff
hearings in order that revision bills
may be presented to the hous as soon
as the extra session which Is to be call
ed by President-elect Wilson opens II
can be said on good authority that the
wool schedule will be given first at
tention at the hands of the commit
tee. and probably viii be the first OF
the tariff bills to be passed by the
house in next springs extra session.
Congress has not been long in SEES
sion. and yet already Speaker Chang
Clark has broken two gavels By VIC
lent use in making attempts to bring
representatives to order. There has
been no actual disorder in the house
but only an overplus of enthusiasm
when popular leaders and popular re
| elected members generally have en-
tered the chamber. The speaker feels
that it is his duty to check boisterous
| enthusiasm, and SO 1t is that two CAV
els already have been broken.
viii Uurge Child LABOR Law.
has special plank let into it which
receives the blows Of the gavel. This
plank has to be replaced at the be
ginning of every session, for it always
found to be sprung and splinteret
under the heavy blows which 1t has
endured during the seasons ses
sion