The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-02-25
MANNING, S. c., WEDNESDAY. FEBRUARY
LEVER REPORTS BILL
AGRICULTURAL MEASURE CALLS
FOR EIGHTEEN MILLIONS.
Farm Demonstration Work in the
Southern States Get an Appropria-
ton OF SS7S,400.

ton OF SS7S,40O.
Chairman Lever of the House com.
/ mittee on agriculture, Thursday
completed the annual agricultural
appropriation bill. 1t aggregates
s1S,947,OO0, exclusive of permanent
appropriations, an increase of $780,
900 over last years total. The bill
is accompanied by the most compre-
hensive report ever submitted by the
committee.
Many radical changes are propos-
ed, including reorganization Of the
weather bureau and preparation by
the secretary Of agriculture Of plan
for reorganizing and systematizing
department work. The report sets
forth that the department is now de-
veloped to a point where its present
system of bureau organization has be-
come cumbersome, is not as effective
" efficient as it should be-" and the
bill contemplates that existing bu-
reaus should be rearranged to cover
FIVE or six main lines of work, such
as the research. rural organization.
State relations, weather and forest
services.
The bill appropriates $4,000 to
encourage agricultural development
Of the reclamation projects through
demonstrations and advice to settlers.
An increase of $4,000 over the pres
ent appropriation is provided for CO.
operation with States in the protec-
ticn from fire of the forested water
sheds of navigable streams.
The elaborate Mount Weather OBJ
servation station, occupying eighty
four acres in the Blue Ridge Noun
tains of Virginia, which has cost since
1902 approximately s4S3,009, would
be virtually abolished by the bill, the
secretary of agriculture beng en-
powered to sell or lease in whole or
in part, and to maintain there only
an Ordinary" observation station, to
cost not exceeding $1,000 year. The
committee and the department hold
that the special work heretofore car
ried on at Mount Weather can be bet
ter performed in the West.
To increase the benefits from ma
tional forests, the bill would author
ize the secretary of agriculture to
rent or lease to responsible persons or
corporations, for not exceeding twen-
ty years, portions of ground for con-
struction Of hotels, summer resi-
dences, stores or other buildings for
recreation or convenience. The for
est service appropriations would total
s5.s543,265.
Provisions for attention to cost Of
living problems is made in several
items. For investigating the prepara-
tion for market, handling, grading,
packing. freezing, drying, storing and
of poultry and eggs, a
$4,000 appropriation would be
made
Fifteen thousands dollars would be
nrovided for use in educating the peo-
pie on the value Of fish as a supple
ment to the meat supply. and to in
vestigate the handling of food fish.
Oysters and other shell fish also fig
ure, with an appropriation Of $4,000
TO investigate their packing, hand
ling. storing and shipping, in the
United States and border waters.
The controversy regarding board
of experts to pass on pure food and
drugs IS settled by brief provision
esta olishing the right Of the secretary
Of agriculture "to employ and desig-
nate scientific experts to make inves-
LEGATIONS and act as boards or COM
mittees to report to him upon ques-
tions arising in the enforcement OF
the pure food and drug law"
The bill appropriates s37s.4oo for
cooperative farm demonstration
work in the South, an increase Of
$4,000 for the boil weevil, and
100000 for such demonstration
work in sections other than the
South, an increase of s35.0O0.