The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1917-05-03
ALL0TS $lO,OOO,OOO
TO BUY FERTILIZER
Nitrate Bill Passed ID. Senate. hooks
To Doubling south t"i'ii .sn:
Cotton Crops.

Washington. May Aupropria-
ton Of SO. uoo.0nh for purchase BY
the Government of nitrate:s for ferIl-
liZing purposes and their di~tIiDu-
ton at cost 10 farmers oi the Allan
tic seaboard would be authorized b!
a bill passed today by the Senate, o.
to s. Increase in production OF food
crops, mostly in South Atlantic
States, is the object sought. The bill
provides for transportation OF mira
ties from Chile in Government yes
sells and THEN sale by Federal au-
thorities to farmers.
Many Southern farmers and agri
cultural organizations inGcrsed the
measure Senators Smith. OF South
Carolina. and Smith. of Georgia told
the Senate that the Government
could buy nitrates now stored in this
country, sell them to the farmers,
and later replace them by bringing
in more from Chile. Several Sena-
tors who expressed fear that nitrate
supplies needed for manufacture of
powder might be depleted were told
that present supplies We're sufficient
for two years.
The South Carolina Senator said
that by making nitrates available at
reduced prices the corn and cotton
crops of the South Atlantic seaboard
could be increased from so to 100
per cent. The proposed appropria-
ton, he said, had the approval OF
Secretary Houston.
Senator Simmons, of North Caro-
lima, declared middlemen's profits
and lack of transportation facilities
from Chile were responsible for eX-
orbitant nitrate prices at present.
Senators Smoot, Townsend, Frel-
inghuysen. McCumber, and other Re-
publicans opposed the bill as unnec-
essary. Senator Smoot declaring
Chile's total annual exports could be
bought for the s10. goo appro-
priated under the measure.
To make available quickly an ap-
preparation for a food survey, the
Department of Agriculture today
asked, and the Senate and House Ag-
ricultural Committees agreed, to
have the Administration food control
legislation reintroduced in Congress
in separate bills.
One measure, expected to pass
without delay. will carry a $4,000
900 appropriation for the survey and
will provide for enlarging the de-
partment's staff. to permit supervi-
sion of seeding operations; another
will include provisions for licensing
and controlling storage and dlstrlbu-
ting concerns. The latter probably
will meet with considerable opposi-
ton.
Both the House and Senate COM
mittees continued hearings during
the day. Secretary Houston, before
the House committee, urged prompt
action on the legislation proposed
and outlined the Governments price
fixing measures, to be written later.
The Senate committee heard Gov
efnuc Frazier, of North Dakota, who
declared he believed farmers of his
State would not oppose minimum
price 6xing. Prices had been set By
gamblers, he said, and farmers, he
thought, would not object to the
Government fixing them if prices
were made fair and equitable.
The Federal Trade Commission
again today heard representative OF
State Food Boards on food conditions
throughout the country. Most OF
the delegates blamed high prices on
middlemen Some said a labor shor-
tage had much to do with short
crops, and suggestions were made
that OrientalS be imported for farm
labor.
The food problem will be taken
up tomorrow at conference with
representative of State Defense
Councils with the National Defense
Council.