The Bamberg herald. (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, August 11, 1910, Page 2, Image 2
CONGRESSMAN J.
AN
Feeling that it will be impossible for me to see every one
of my constituents between now and the day of election, and
desiring that every voter in my District shall be fully informed p
as to my record as his Representative in Congress, I take this p
method and opportunity of rendering an account of my steward- tl
ship. n
c<
Public Building at Aiken. "
SI
During the first session of my first term in Congress as ^
your Representative, I introduced a bill providing an appropria- ti
tion for a site and public building for the City of Aiken. I se- s<
cured an appropriation of $10,000 for the site and continued ^
my efforts in behalf of my bill carrying an appropriation for J*
a public building, and on May 15, 1908, during my second term
in Congress, I secured an appropriation of $50,000 for the public
building which is to be completed within a year.
It is a rule of the Committee on Public Buildings and
Grounds not to report favorably any bill carrying an appropria- a
Pi
tion for a site or public building for any city which cannot meet
the requirements of the Post Office Department for city free de- ^
livery of the mail; that is to say, the postal receipts, exclud- ^
ing box rents, must be at least $l(),UUU a year or sucn city must tJ
have a population of at least 10,000 inhabitants. At the time 1 si
secured the appropriation for the site during my first term of r<
Congress, and the appropriation for the public building during my a
second term of Congress, the City of Aiken could not meet the re- E
quirements for city free delivery. I feel, therefore, that I am due T
unusual credit for securing these appropriations against such t<
great odds dnd obstacles. The people of Aiken realized the diffi- s<
\ - culties under which I labored and the great odds against which S
I had to contend and I very highly prize the resolutions adopted f(
by the City Council on the 13th day of July, 1908, as follows: ^
Whereas, Congress has appropriated the sum of fifty thousand ($50,000)
dollars for the purpose of erecting a public Federal building at ^
Aiken, S. C., and p
Whereas, the said action on the part of Congress was almost entirely Si
due to the efforts of our distinguished Representative in that body, the ^
Honorable J. O. Patterson.
Be it resolved, By the Mayor and Aldermen of the City of Aiken in s
Council assembled and by the authority of the same: That the City &
Council of Aiken feels most grateful and thanks the Hon. J. O. Patterson
most sincerely for the manly fight he has made and for his untiring and
ceaseless efforts to get through Congress this appropriation for the City
OI A1KCI1.
Be it further resolved, That we recognize that the Second Congressional
District has in the Hon. J. O. Patterson, an able, earnest and
zealous Representative, always active and vigilant to assist his constituents
/ , and to guard and protect their rights.
Be it further resolved. That these resolutions be spread on the minS
utes of the Council and that a copy thereof be sent to the Hon. J. O.
Patterson.
Done in Council this 13th day of July, 190S.
V0VJ Attest: J. B. SALLEY,
(Seal) J. L. McCARTER, Mayor of Aiken.
City Clerk and Treas.
The following is a copy of an article which appeared in the
0, v Journal and Review, Aiken, S. C., Julv , 1908:
On Friday Mayor Salley received a telegram from Washington, stat
ing that the Public Buildings Appropriation bill had been passed by the
House of Representatives, and that Aiken will get $50,000 for a government
building. Congressman Patterson has been working hard for the
appropriation for Aiken, for the last few years, and he is now being congratulated
upon his success.
At the last meeting of City Council, Council was asked by a committee
from the Board of Trade to make some effort to have the amount
increased if possible, realizing the fact that Aiken would be a bidder
some day for a federal court to be held here. Acting upon the action
of council in instructing him to write in regard to the matter. Mayor
Salley wrote the authorities. Saturday he received a letter from Congressman
Patterson, stating that he would do all in his power to have
the appropriation raised, but that such efforts are likely not to be successful,
owing to the fact that Aiken's populaion, postal receipts and requirements
for a public building are considerably less than many cities
that are asking for much less amount than Aiken wanted. Congressman
Patterson's first action was in asking for the sum of $125,000, but this
amount was cut down to $50,000, and he thinks that it will not be likely
that he can have it increased, though he intends to continue his efforts
in that direction.
City Free Delivery for Aiken.
i > - '
During all this time, when I was bending every energy and
effort to secure these appropriations, I was also doing all in my ^
power to secure free delivery of the mail for the City of Aiken, r
but was met with the same statement from the Post Office De- c
partment, that the City of Aiken could not meet these require
ments.
I did not stop my efforts along this line, however, and just
as soon as the receipts of the post office at Aiken were sufficient
to meet the requirements, I secured an order for the es- .
tablishment of City Free Delivery, and had an Inspector sent ^
by the Post Office Department to investigate the matter. The
Inspector found that the City Council had not met the require- ^
ments of the Post Office Department, in that street signs had ^
not been erected nor had the houses been numbered, but this j
has now been done and the City of Aiken will be very soon en- ,
joying the benefits of City Free Delivery.
Working for Other Public Buildings.
I have introduced bills providing appropriations for the :
erection of public buildings at Edgefield, Bamberg and Beaufort. <
I appeared before the Committee during the last session and ]
urged appropriations for public buildings at these towns, but ]
I was met with the same statement from the Post Office De- <
partment that neither the population nor the postal receipts '
would warrant the erection of public buildings at these towns, i
T mr.tr offnrfe olnnrr fViie lino on/-l orm rlr?rr oil in 1
J. dill V;UlltlllUX115 111J V/liVl I/O aiVAlg, tllitj AlliV U11U C4J.11 UVJJJ5 C4XA AAA J
my power to secure public buildings for the above named towns. :
0. PATTERSON
ACCOUNT OF HI
Soil Survey for Saluda County.
I have secured a Soil Survey of Saluda County, and the reort
and map are now in the hands of the Public Printer for
nblication. and I have the assurance of the Department that
lis work has been placed ahead of all other work the Departlent
is doing along this line; but in view of the fact that the
infracts for the lithographic work are let out to lithographers
1 different parts of the United States, the maps and report will
ot be ready for distribution until later on in the summer. A
lil survey is a chemical and physical analysis of the soil to dejrmine
wherein it is lacking in food supply and what ferlizers
will produce the best results and are best adapted to the
lil. This soil survey is of great benefit to the farmers and
11 1-1 - -?-i u?n+- v.QCMilfe fvAw fVioir 15?nHa hv +ViP
'Ill enauie niem tu get cue ucot icounc num ^aw*. w ~j
se of the proper formula of fertilizers. I have the promise of
le Department to make soil surveys of the remaining Counties
f my District.
Flood Sufferers of Savannah River Valley.
I do not think it is generally known what my efforts were
nd what I accomplished in behalf of the sufferers from the ef3cts
of the flood in the Valley of the Savannah River in those
bounties of my District adjacent to the River just after the
ood of 1908. As soon as I learned of the disastrous effects of
lis flood, I immediately took the matter up by telegram with
:ie War Department in Washington, knowing that there
hould be a contingent fund for such emergencies, and I urged
elief from this source; not receiving satisfactory replies, I made
visit to Washington at my own expense and appeared before the
department in person and pleaded the cause of my constituents,
'he Department promised to send an army office to my District
i look into the situation and report, and accordingly, one was
ent and I met him in Augusta, Ga. We visited the scene toether
and saw what great damage the flood had caused, and
iund that many families had been rendered homeless, and were
dthout food and clothing, their crops, live stock and provisions
pcfrnvpd. T remained uDon the scene, organized committees of
he most reliable men of their respective communities, who were
laced in charge of the work, and inquired into the needs of all
ufferers, and submitted their reports to me and to the army ofcer
in charge, and made requisition for such food, clothing,
hoes, bedding and supplies as were necessary to their needs,
mounting to several thousand dollars.
i 1 WBHBIHllI 111"11 I IH
Rural Mail Carriers.
One of the first bills introduced by me was that to increase
he salary of Rural Mail Carriers to $1,200 per annum. The saliry
has been increased since I have been in Congress, but in
dew of the greatly increased cost of living within the last few
rears and the heavy expense incident to this employment, I am
convinced that the salary is still inadequate, and I have been
continuing my efforts all along to have the salary further increased.
There is a strong sentiment among the Representatives
n Congress favorable to a further increase, and I am confident
;hat it would have been done during the last session of Conpress,
if the Republican party had not stood in awe of the great
vave of sentiment now sweeping the country, promising that
;he next House of Representatives will be largely Democratic.
[ expect to continue my efforts in behalf of the Rural Carriers
md confidently believe that their salaries will be again increased
it the next session of Congress.
Rural Routes.
I have secured the establishment of a net work of rural
routes throughout my District. These routes were not establish^
iimvL- qtiH pffnrf on mv Dart. Under the present Re
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publican Administration, if any funds are lacking for this purpose,
(as there have been during the past year, causing great
delay in the establishment of many routes,) Southern Democratic
Representatives are made to suffer on account thereof. , I am,
therefore, compelled as a matter of duty to my constituents, to
keep these matters before the Department and to demand recognition
from them as your Representative in Congress.
GIVES
V
IS STEWARDSHIP
'm
I have secured what is known as a Complete County System
of rural free delivery for Saluda CoOnty and would have secured
the same service for the remaining Counties of my District
but for the fact that the Post Office Department, before
establishing such a service, requires the County officials to supply
the Department with a Road Map of the County. Two years
- .... ..in 1-1 j.__ n-T 4.1.11 '
ago, 1 took tms matter up witn tne uounty oupcx viouia w mc
counties comprising my District and urged the importance of
supplying the Post Office Department with these Road Maps, but 1
Saluda County has been the only County so far to meet this re- >
quirement. The County officials of Aiken County have ordered >>
such a map made, and I hope to secure this complete service
for Aiken County j ust as soon as this map is completed. The <
remaining Counties of my district are now well supplied with
rural delivery service, but this complete service would mean the
1 - "1? J wnil +a Airninr -PowiiItt in oonVl PrtllTltw TV'Vin
Odliy UC11VC1 J' UJ. l/UC man tu c v ci j lamn v in tavu vvunvj nuw
could be possibly reached by this service. I, therefore, again ;;
urge the importance to each County of having this road map 1
made in order to secure this complete service.
Good Roads.
Another of the first bills introduced by me was a bill providing
for the establishment in the Department of Agriculture
of a bureau to be known as the Bureau of Public Highways, and to
provide for national aid in the improvement of the public roads.
,
I made a speech in Congress in behalf of this bill on the 26th
day of May, 1908, and during the same year I communicated ;?(
with all the County Supervisors of my District and advised them
of the establishment in the Department of Agriculture of an office
known as the Office of Public Roads. I further advised them that
tests are made in the laboratory of this office to determine among ;
the materials available the one best suited and least expensive to a .,
particular road. I advised further that no financial aid could
be given by this office in the construction of roads but that 1
could procure the services of a supervising engineer from this \
office to give a practical demonstration in road building. When
this office finds it practicable to do so, they will supply the necessary
machinery, but the local authorities must furnish all ma- ^
terial, labor, teams and fuel. I also had this letter published in ;
the County papers. I am prepared now, as I have been at all /JP
times heretofore, to secure the services of a supervising engineer
to give personal instructions and supervision as to the /1:J
best methods of improving and constructing public roads.
Good roads is one of the crying needs of our country to- ' Ij
day and I am very much pleased to see that an interest has been
awakened in the construction and improvement of our roads. J
Navy Yard at Port Royal. v||S
As is generally known, the Navy Yard at Port Royal was
moved to Charleston before I was elected to Congress, but many
valuable buildings and grounds were left there in the posses- 0A
sion and ownership of the U. S. Government. Ever since 1 thave v^J
been in Congress, I have had a fight against great odds to keep
the Government from abandoning this property altogether, as v j
the Navy Department has been disposed to do all the time.
About three years ago, an order wras issued transferring the \
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near Savannah, Georgia. I have had this matter held up dur- ||
ing all this time and nave only recently been called upon to
prevent the execution of another order transferring this Garri
son as aforesaid.
On the 15th day of last June, an order was issued by the
Navy Department to transfer Martin's Industry Light-vessel
from its present anchorage to a position five miles nearer Savannah,
Georgia. As soon as I was advised of this action cn the
part of the Department, I immediately called upon the Chair- v
man of the Light-House Board and had the matter held up until
a showing could be made by the pilots and others interested. ^
This matter is still being held up at my request for the purpose
of allowing those interested to file their grounds of protest, and
I feel confident that I will be* able to prevent the removal of this
Light-vessel from its present anchorage.
There is now established at Port Royal a training school
for marine officers, but the Department has been disposed for
some time past to remove this training school, and only recently
I had occasion to call at'the Department to file my protest against
its removal. I am now assured by the Department that this
training school will be retained at Port Royal.
The Navy Department decided a short while ago to estab
- - *1 j >m
lish three or four of what are Known as Aavanceu x>a?e ctuwio. >
As soon as I learned of this intention of the Department, I called
in person to urge the establishment of one of these schools
at Port Royal and I am satisfied that I will secure the establish- 'i
ment of one of the schools at Port Royal. This school of Advanced
Base will bring several hundred thousand dollars to Port 1
Royal in naval supplies and a large number of marine officers
and will, therefore, mean a great deal to Port Royal.
Bills Introduced and Passed During Present Term.
During the present term of Congress, I have introduced and
worked for the passage of eighty-one bills, forty-two of which
provided for the payment of claims of individuals for the seizure
and destruction of property during the Civil War amounting
to more than 300,000 dollars. When the prejudice' and dis- f
crimination which prevail against the south, ana, especially
against these claims for property seized and destroyed by Yankee
soldiers, is understood, as well as the fact that in all of these
claims Loyalty to the United States Government and sympathy
for the Union during the Civil War must be established by
competent proof, it will then be known why I have not been
more successful in securing the passage of these bills. I have
secured the passage of some bills where the question of loyalty
has been established. I have introduced and worked for the passage
of a bill repealing the loyalty clause in the statute on this
subject.
I have introduced and secured the passage of a number of
bills providing pensions for old soldiers and the widows of soli
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