The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1916-07-25


man Lever for publication in the
South Carolina papers. He is one OF
the most useful men the State has
ever sent to Washington and deserves
well of the country and particularly
of his own people who should be full
" advised of the high mark he has
made for himself and for them By
his faithful and intelligent service as
their representative in Congress.
This is what the Hon. David F. Hous-
ton, Secretary of Agriculture said
to me the other day and is repeate4
here in explanation of this article.
Mr. Lever was forty-one years old
last January. He was elected to Con
gress before he was twenty seven
years of age and is now serving his
seventh regular term from the Seven
tn District in addition to the unexpir-
ed term of the late J. William Stokes,
whose private secretary he was, and
whom he succeeded without opposi-
tion. He will be reelected to the next
Congress-the sixty-Fifth-without
opposition, much to the qualification
Of those who know how admirably he
has discharged his duties here and to
his colleagues OF both political parties
whose respect and confidence he has
won by his wisdom in counsel, his
fairness in debate, his integrity OF
character and his uncommon common
sense in dealing with all problems OF
constructive legislation and especially
with those that have been referred to
his Committee for solution-The
House Committee on Agriculture, OF
which he is Chairman.
This Committee is regarded by many
as first among the big committees OF
Congress because of the vital impor-
tance OF the issues with which it must
deal and the steadily broadening life
of all the people which is based upon
the soil, and it will be conceded that
in its work this committee has never
been more effective than under the
unselfsh guidance and direction OF
this modest South Carolinian.
The Committee of Agriculture deals
with such questions as these:
The eradication of diseases OF
plants and animals; the legislation
necessary to assure the enforcement
of the pure food and drugs act, anu
the meat inspection laws; the Wae
against the boil weevil, the destruc-
ton of the Southern cattle tick; tho
demonstration of improved farm
methods; the improvement of farm
management; the development OF
marketing facilities; the standardiz-
ing of staple products; the regulation
of prices; the application of approved
business methods to the business OF
farming, and the accomplishment OF
all these desirable and necessary
things without infringing upon the
natural rights of any of the other ele-
ments of the industrial life of the ma
ton. Some idea of the steady grow
ing importance of the Committee on
Agriculture may be gained from the
simple statement that whereas the
Agricultural bill for 1907 provided for
the appropriation of $685., $40 for the
work of the Department of Agricult-
ure, the bill for 1917 carries appropri-
ations amounting to about $24,000,OG0
and every dollar of this immense sum
is to be devoted, under the most strin-
gent regulations, to the improve
ment of the agricultural conditions OF
the country and the living estate OF
the people-millions for the people
and not one cent for the politicians.
This is Levers Committee, and it
goes without saying that the man who
has the energy and brains to sit az
the head of such committee has a
tremendous influence in Congress
which is. not measured by the work in
which he has specialized alone Dut
which extends as well to the larger
questions with which Congress must
deal in other fields of constructive
legislation. He must be far more than
the spokesman of the dominant party
in matters relating to agriculture; ne
must be, in fact, the representative of
the whole body of public sentiment OF
the country touching all matters af-
fecting the industrial world, man Of
wisdom and understanding, of broader