The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1913-09-09
NEW LEVER BILL ON
FARM EXTENSION WORK
Calls For Federal Appropriation
of S3,4S5,OOO Annually.
STATES MUST GIVE SAME.
we Must Encourage Youths to Guilt
vate the Soil Says Congress
man Lever.

The following was taken from
Mondays Columbia Record:
Representative Lever has introduc-
ed modified form of his agricultural
extension bill which It will be re-
membered passed the house unani-
mously during the last session of the
62nd congress and failed in confere-
nee.
The modified bill provides for CO.
operative agricultural extension work
between agricultural colleges and the
federal department of agriculture
along the lines set forth in the origi-
nal bill. This modification has been
made after numerous conferences bet-
ween Secretary Houston. the execn-
tive committees of the agricultural
colleges and experiment stations Mr.
Lever and Senator Hoke Smith. The
original Lever bill has been followed
as closely as practicable and the only
fundamental change is that which
brings the extension work of the
federal government and state govern
ments into closer relationship.
The department of agriculture is
now spending eight or nine hundred
thousand dollars annually in extern
sion work and the pressure for this
character of work is becoming each
day so urgent that II is the oninion
OF those who have collaborated in
FARMING the new Lever bill that a Gov,
dltlon OF chase may eventually de-
Velop unless the relationship between
the federal department Of agriculture
ana the state colleges is specifically
bill. VIC ne"
Under the modified form of the T.e-
yer bill the actual work IS IN ha dono
by the agricultural colleges although
there is reserved to the federal de-
partment OF agriculture the right tn
agree In advance upon the plans of
the work. This makes IL certain that
Ihe lund VIII be used in accordance
WIN the intention of congress. The
coIleseS VIII name the state and local
agents and conduct the work along
the lines mutually agreed upon Inv
them and the department of agricui-
ture. This plan has been thought nece
ssary in order to unity the various
INES or work in the different states
ana at the same time to bring about
more efficiency and economy in the
administration Of the funds.
me bill provides a direct and an
cohdluonal appropriation of ten
ousahd dollars of each state for
hcIu demonstration and some econo-
mic work and an additional sum of
three thousand dollars a wear and an
increasing sum of three hundred
thousand year over the preyious
year Tor ten years, until the total an
preparation shall amount to three
mlIllon four hundred and eighty
thousand dollars annually, this ad-
dltional appropriation however beinp
conditioned upon the state receiving
the Dement'S of the act, appropriatinr
an amount equal to that from the
government under the plan OF dis
trlbution fixed in the bin which is
that the additional appropriations
snail be distributed upon the basis
or rural population in each state TO
the total rural population of the
United States.
Representative Lever, who has
given years of close thought to this
legislation, expresses the opinion
that the bill as introduced meets the
approval OF all parties in interest
ana that IL VIII be passed speedy at
the regular session OF congress next
December. This bill VIII place i'm each
agricultural county In the United
States from one to half dozen troj
ned agricultural demonstrators who
VIII take out to the farmer the infor-
nation which has been accumulatiDp
Tor many years in the department of
agriculture the state experiments
sIations and the agricultural colleges
and make this information ayaila-
ole 10 the farmer I'm practical way
upon his own farm.
IL proposes an additional method
or teaching In that IL Will teach throu
gh the eye rather than through the
ear, and will reach a class of peop1e
who cannot have an opportunity to
take advantage of our agricultural
colleges and high schools. The necess
lty Is so urgent I'm view of increasing
population and relatively decreasing
production, that 1t becomes the duty
OF the government to reach the adult
FARMER at this time with demonstra-
uons OF the best methods of agricul-
ture, but in my judgment this reach
ing or the adult farmer, while it may
TOT the time being constitute the prin
cipal benefit to come from the bill.
ultimately expect to see the timer
ant teachers provided by it devoting
great part of their tiES3 III carry
ing. ing 70 one iarm boy and samn girl the
tnre "a Hu ho oujer." We at agrlcul-
ture ana homsur friend Od that i'm
time the ru-'ui ii'enu' schools
VIII become (ich real