The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1914-02-26
TO PROVIDE COTTON TEST
APPROPRIATION MADE FOR LIE
VER'S BILL.
Work to Follow Will Mean Great
Saving to Farmers Of the
South.

| tative Lever is we'll pleased with that
feature of the agricultural appropria-
| ton bill just reported to the house
| from his committee, which provides
| in substance the features of bill in
| troduced by him on January 19 of
| this year to enable the secretary Of
agriculture to investigate and deter
| mine the relative spinning values of
cotton as standardized BY the govern
ment and for demonstrating the re-
suits of such tests and carrying an
appropriation of $780, 900 for this pur-
pose.
Speaking of this item of the bill,
Mr.. Lever said to-day.
"When the appropriation bill for
! the agricultural department was un-
der consideration for 1913 in the
senate, my colleague, Senator Smith,
! inserted in it provision for testing
! the waste, tensile strength and
bleaching qualities of the different
grades of cotton as standardized by
the government and secured a small
appropriation to begin work which
has progressed very satisfactorily in
the department. Senator Smlth's
work in this respect is to be most
heartily commended by those &C
quainted with the conditions of the
cotton trade. My bill, which in ef-
feet, is carried in the annual appro-
priation bill which I have just re-
portedi seeks, first, to provide SUI
fcient money to test the tensile
strength, waste and bleaching quail
ties of all grades of cotton as stand
ardized by the government, and at
the same time goes step further
and provides the authority and the
necessary funds for conducting ex-
detrimental demonstrations to the cot
ton trade, especially the producer OF
the value of this work.
Upon inquiry at the department
I ascertained that the present appro-
priation for this work was entirely
inadequate for an expeditions COM
pletion of it, and that the present
funds have permitted tests of only
one length of staple, namely, one
inch INLAND cotton.
Will Bring Tests.
The appropriation provided IN
my bill and inserted by the commit
tee in the appropriation bill, would
permit similar tests on 5-8 inch, 3-4-
inch, 1-inch and l 1-2 inch, and
make it possible to demonstrate the
results of these tests in various cot
ton centres of the country. The work
provided in this item will go far to-
ward determining the most lmpor-
tant elements involved in the deter
mination of the intrinsic value of the
different grades of cotton, and at the
same time make it possible to bring
this information promptly to the at
tention of cotton producers and to
the cotton trade generally.
"The appropriation will enable the
department also to extend this work
to all of the standardized grades
whereas the present appropriation
has permitted this to be done with
respect to only five grades and that
with only 1-inch length staple.
1.-THE time has come when we must
take into account the very important
matters of seeing to it that as far
as possible the farmer should receive
the intrinsic value of his products.
Farmers Are Losing.
81 have no doubt that the South
ern farmers are losing anywhere
from s1OO,0OO,00O to $3.50, 100000
on their annual cotton crop, because
they have not been taught to know
as these tests and demonstrations
Will snow, CHdC lllS ulliCi ohNN AH -
marked value of low grade and hlsh
grade cotton is intrinsically ana
comparatively small.
THE work of the department IN
making the tests Of Inch upland
staple should be extended as expe-
ditiously as possible to all lengths
and to all grades of cotton, and when
the results have been secured they
should not be allowed to be locked
up in Washington, but should be
made available in the most practical
way to the cotton producers in the
country. I am extremely gratltied
that the committee, of which am
chairman, was kind enough to allo"
this item to go into the bill.
These demonstrations must re-
suit inevitably in so arousing the cot
ton producers of the several States
that the legislatures thereof will be
forced, as they should be, to provide
officially cotton grades in every cot
ton market within them.
i