Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-03-13
LAST CONGRESS
AIDED FARMERS
Representative Lever, of
S. c., Pleased by Wheat
Price Guarantee
COTTON RAISERS AIDED
Senator Hoke Smith Says
They Will Be Greatly
Benefited
COTTON RAISERS AIDED

Washington, March 13.-"The most
important thing that the last Congress
did for the farmer was to make good
the governments guarantee of mini
mum price of s2.S2 for wheat. including
spring wheat of 1919, and appropriate
81 900, ,000, 900 to carry it out" said Con-
gresham Asbury, F. Lever, OF South
Carolina (Democrate), chairman Of the
Agriculture Committee, in discussing TO-
day the agricultural legislation before
the last Congress.
I'VE advanced by from s15,ooo,o00 TO
s25,ooo,oOo the value of the cotton new
held by the farmers in the South when
the passage Of the amendment to the
cotton futures act was obtained, con-
tinued Mr.. Lover. This amendment,
which was passed as a part of the wheat
price guarantee bill. does away Win
some of the lower grades OF cotton ana
will undoubtedly advance the price or
cotton now held by. the southern farmers
by from SO to $5 bale"
Mr.. Lever came very close to being
elected a United states Senator last
summer, and would without doubt be
a tnember Of the Senate now had he not
listened to the appeal Of President Will
SON and withdrawn from the race
against the late Senator Ben c'Pitch-
: fork BENZ Tillman.
Took Field Against Tillnan
Mr. Lever, who came to Congress
when he was twenty-five years old and
has been here eighteen years continu-
ously since, threw his hat in the ring
last spring for the United States Senate
against Tillman. Senator Tillman was
very old and feeble and had been able
to do little for his district for several
years Mr. Lever was making good
progress with his candidacy and the
South Carolina politicians agreed that
he would defeat Tillman.
Then President Wilson made per-
sonal appeal to Mr.. Lever 10 withdraw
from the race on the ground that Sena-
tor Tillman had staunchly supported the
administration: was an old Confederate
veteran, and had been OF great as
sistance to the administration as chair
man of the Senate Naval Committee,
Mr.. Lever withdrew. A few weeks
later Senator Tillman died suddenly
Lever attempted to get back in the race
md the President was anxious that lie
-hould and offered him his strongest
support. But the time for making NOM
nations in accordance with the South
Carolina election laws had passed by
'ust two or three days, and Lever could
rot again enter the lists. 1t was gen
orally agreed in South Carolina that
Lever could have defeated Ben Tillman
and could easily have won out over the
other candidates William p. Pollacls
was elected to the Senate to succeed
Tillman and Lever was reelected to the
House.
Filibuster Held Up Farm Project
VERY material increases in the
amounts appropriated for agricultural
cxtcnsion and farm demonstration work
wnre made in the annual agricultural
appropriation BILL but it's passage was
defea ed by the Republican flibuster
in the Senate" continued Congressman
Lever. The House allowed an increase
of s1,5o0,OO0 over the normal appropria-
ton and the Senate added another
s3o0o,Ooo to It. Then it all failed wher
the Senate Republicans filibustered
against It.
The appropriations for federal assist
ance to every kind of farm activity such
as farm demonstration work and the
fighting of all pests and. animal, vege.
table and fruit disc were made veiy
liberal In the bill considered by the last
Congress and passed by the House. For
instance, there was 100000 in the bill
to eradicate the corn borer and similar
sums to fight all the other pests"
Hoke Smiths Activity
Senator Hoke Smith, Of Georgia. a
member of the Senate Agriculture Com
mittee, expressed his belief that the in
creased appropriations for farm demon
stration work in all the states was the
greatest thing done by the last Congress
for the farmers. Senator Hoke Smr,h
comes from an agricultural Section and
takes great interest in all farm matters
before Congress.
He was, with Congressman Lever the
Joint author Of the Smth-Lever bills
passed during the last six years for agr..
cultural extension. vocational education
and vocational education and rehabilita.
ton. Smith and Lever were also the CO.
authors of the amendment to the cotton
futures act eliminating several of the