The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1917-07-25
TILLMAN TO HELP
ON NITROGEN BILL
Nitrogen Amendment to Food Bill
Important.
GOES TO CONFERENCE
Objection Anticipated in the House,
But South Carolina Members
May Win Out

Washington, July 22.-One of the
most interesting political moves seen
here in years was put through when
the senate yesterday passed the Till
man amendment to the food bill in
cooperating the original E. D. Smith
resolution providing that $10,000,000
be appropriated to obtain nitrogen
and sell it to farmers ut cost.
1t will be remembered that the
house appropriations committee some
time ago refused to sanction the
Smith resolution after Secretary
Houston had opposed it, Congressman
Byrnes of South Carolina is men,
Der of this committee and for it's di-
verse action he was severely CRITICS.
ed. Smarting under this criticism he
saw his chance recently to make good
He thereupon wrote Senator Smith,
while the latter was at home, regard
ing the matter and at the same time
had Senator Tillman agree to offer
the resolution as an amendment to
the food bill. This was done and it
was yesterday passed. The bill is now
in conference.
Byrnes and Lever Alert.
Here is where the interesting part
comes in. Senator Smith had the bill
passed by the senate, and, as stated,
the house appropriations. committee
,,tN,,1I cto
man got it through san amendment.
1t will be protected in conference by
Congressman Lever, one of the house
conferees, and it will be brought on
the floor. If it passes there all of the
South Carolina men named will have
credit for it. If it is killed by some
member, probably congressman Fitz-
gerald Of New York, Mr.. Byrnes will
have the credit Of having got it
sqIarely before the house for a vote
by initiating the Tllm-n amendment.
and ii that body kills it, it will be
the fault Of no one from South Caro-
lima. In a nutshell, the South Caro-
iniGns have placed themselves where
no one could in any way charge its
defeat to them if it fails to get by
the house yet. On the other hand, all
four mentioned will share its credit
if it goes through.
In debating the matter on the SEN
ate floor Senator Tillman said:
"Owing to the condition in which
the senate now finds itself, I desire
to say few words in regard to the
amendment which l have offered, and
which l shall later ask to have read.
"rhe amendment to which I have
reference has already passed the SEN
ate as a joint resolution by vote of
81 to 8. 1t ought to be adopted as an
amendment to this bill by unanimous
vote, for these reasons: Fertilizers are
necessary in a large part of the South
to make corn or cotton either. Soils
once fertile have been worn out and
washed away by bad farming, and the
boil weevil, starting in Texas, has
travelled eastward until it has reached
Middle Georgia and is already getting
read yto cross the Savannah River
from Georgia into South Carolina.
Fertilizers Necessary.
"Southcrn farmers in the other
States have to have fertilizers to
make any kind of paying crop, and
the most important ingredient in our
fertilizers is ammonia or nitrogen.
They are the same thing under diff
fcrcnt chemical conditions. Cotton
seed meal, dried blood and tankagc
and nitrate of soda supply these two
vitality necessary ingredients. The
price Of all four are now nearly pro-
hibitivc, and nitrate Of soda can not
be had in sufficient quantity at any
price. This amendment merely au-
thorizcs the president to buy or pro-
cure, in whatever way he thinks best,
ships and send to Chile for the nitrate.
These ships could carry coal as far
as Panama and deposit it there, un-
load, pass through the canal and in
a short time reach Chile, load with
nitrate, and come on back, thus hav-
ing load both ways, reducing the
cost to minimum.