The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1912-09-04
LEVERS BILL PASS
AGRICULTURAL e XT e SION
MEASURE IS NOW Law.

HesuIt 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 in
the several states. This measure, TO
which Mr.. Lever has devoted several
years Of study and preparation, COM
pletes an agricultural educational
system which had its beginning with
the passa geof the first Morrill, Act in
1892, augmented by the Hatch Act
twenty-five years later.
Under these eEactments stores Of
agricultural information and facts
have been accumulated, but the one
defect in the national system, until
the 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 dissemination
among agriculturalists Of this accum-
uated knowledge appertaining to ag-
riculture and home economies,
through such agencies as field in
struction, demonstrations, publlca-
tons and the like, will forge the last
link Of the chain in complete sys-
tenn 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
nine years Is provided until the total
tamount Of additional appropriations
will be s3,o00,o0o annually; but that
60 state shall be entitled to any part
OF these additional sums until its leg
islature shall have appropriated q
similar amount for extension work.
AS a matter Of local interest, the
State Of South Carolina, under the
proportion its rural population bears
to the rural population Of the coun-
try, would be entitled to receive an
nually the sum Of 78,600 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 fl to apply to extension work
would be duplicated from the funds
Of the national treasury.
The bill places the disbursement
Of these funds and the control Of the
work to be conducted under It's pro-
visions, under the direction of state
rather than Federal authorities, be-
cause 1t was believed that each state
/ had it's own individual agricultural
problems which could best be work
ed out under local environment. The
system as 1t will work out seeks to
do in a 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. It 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 experiment
station directors. President Taft IN
Ibis address at the Kansas City Con-
lservation Congress strongly support
led the idea, and Governor Wilson In
his speech Of acceptance Of the nom
lination for the Presidency, said:
There is another duty which the
Democratic party has shown itself
tgreat enough and close enough to the
people to perceive, the duty Of the
Government to share in promoting
agricultural, Industrial, vocational
education IN every way possible with
in it's institutional powers" The
| Democratic platform at Baltimore
urges Federal appropriations "for
such training and 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:
''I regard the passage Of this bill
in the House as the most significant
and pregnant event Of my Congress
sional career. My first conception
Of this bill arose some years ago
when I first discovered the fact that
great as were the efforts Of the ma
! tional 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 ! 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 agricultural
colleges and experiment stations
have been and are now doing an ef-
ficient 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 wisest
which, - eing efficient, is most gener-
al This end is the aim Of this bill,
and I regard its passage in the House
as my most signal effort in behalf Of
the vocation from which have come
and for the betterment Of whose con-
twill