The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1913-08-14
CONGRESSMAN LEVERS
MESSAGE TO THE FARMERS
The New Chairman of the House Committee
on Agriculture Writes Interesting to
the Progressive Farmer.

him to produce at the least cost We
have taught him productive ability;
we must now teach him selling abil-
ity. 1t will do him little good to fill
his barns with crops for which he can
find no sale, or which at the best he
must sell with no margin Of profits.
To my mind the problem of mar
keting, the reduced cost Of distribu
ton of farm products from the pro-
ducer to the consumer, is the biggest
problem for solution. The best au-
thorities prove conclusively that the
farmer receives only so per cent of
the price paid by the consumer for
his products. Just what plan will
be. worked out to reach this problem
cannot be foreseen at this time.
had inserted in the last appropria-
ton bill a provision to study this
whole subject with view to reach
ing some conclusion which might be
taken to the farmer in the way Of
practical demonstration. The work
is now organized, and as Chairman
of the Committee, I shall encourage
to the extent of my ability the work
of the Department as outlined by
Secretary Houston in securing: first,
better methods of marketing; second,
better rural credits; third, better
! schools for the farmer.
But the Government Will Only Help
You to Help Yourself.
But the most vital element in the
problem is not to be overlooked. The
! farmer must not get the idea that he
is to sit down and wait for things to
be handed to him on a silver platter.
! The Government does not propose
to run his farm for him. 1t is only
willing to help those who help them
selves and acts upon the assumption
that the farmer wants to do things
for himself and only needs little
guidance Unless he will give his
cooperation to the Government and
to his brother farmer and to his pm-
munity, the work of the Government
will be worse than wasted. The spir-
it of self-help and community COOP
Grafton is to be the cap-stone of the
archs
In the improvement of farm condi-
tions the ideal canot be reached
until a firm grasp is had upon the
practical side of life. The enthu-
siast will find little encouragement in
bringing about the ideal farm condi-
tion-the educated BARN boy and
girl; the we'll arranged, carefully
sanatized farm home; the front yard
filled with blooming roses, the
parlor a-throb with inspiring music,
the walls alive with historic paint
ings, and all those things which we
would like to see-until he has
brought about the financial indepen-
dence of this same farmer. We would
make a mistake to get the cart before
the horse. It is we'll to look to the
ideal, but it is wise to look to that
end in a practical, sensible way, by
teaching better marketing methods,
by standardizing farm products, CIV
ing to them a community character,
by developing a system of rural cred
it's and rural cooperation by which
the farmers may secure long loans
at low interest. We shall increase
the bank account of the farmer, re-
lieve him of financial dependence and
assure to him a few moments away
from drudgery in which he may look
with hope to the aesthetic and better
side of life:
"A Big Work"
The Department of Agriculture un-
der it's new leadership and the Com
mittee on Agriculture as now con-
stituted, have set for their purpose
the big constructive work of bring
ing about those conditions which
make for the ideal in farm life. In
this mighty task they ask the sympa-
thy and help of all agencies seeking
the real good of the great mass OF
our people, And not the least pow
erful among these forces stand those
strong and fearless papers-such as
The Progressive Farmer-Whlch
sound the note of encouragement