Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-04-11
NATIONAL CAPITAL BUDGET
A Firm of Chicago Seed Dealers Pre-.
fcrs Serious Charges Against
Secretary Of Agriculture.
SEC. MORTON MAKES AN EXPLANATION
House Was Only Branch of Congress
in Session To-day - Momentous
Subject of Filled Cheese En-
crossed Attention of fSolons.

Washington, April 1.-THE closing of
the contract for furnishing seeds for gem
eral distribution by the government has
resulted in the filing of charges at the de-
partment of agriculture by Breslan, Good
win & Co., Chicago seed firm, against
Secretary Morton.
The allegations are that their bid,
though the lowest, was refused because
tho firm urged the passage OF the resolu-
iion providing for the riyival of the dis
tribution of seeds, notwithstanding Sec
retary Morton's protest; that the reports
furnished by the officers OF the depart.
ment to Secretary Morton, Senator Proc
tor, of Vermont, chairman of the senate
committee on agriculture, and Mr.. Wads-
worth, chairman of the house committee,
had been manipulated in order to show
that the firms seeds we're below the stand
ard; that Assistant Secretary Dabney had
insisted on the company, in case 1t re-
ceived the award, using the machines of
the Brown Bag Filling Machine company,
and that Dabney decided against the COM
pany because of its refusal to do this. 1t
is alleged furthermore that the secretary
and assistant secretary falsely stated that
the company had refused to put it's name
on the seed packets.
Secretary Morton and other officials of
the agricultural department make an alb
solute denial Of these charges and say
that the award of the seed contract was
based on the percentage Of purity and
germinative power of the seeds tested by
the department last year at the time when
there was no prospect of further distribu-
tion.
SECRETARY MORTON EXPLAINS.
Secretary Morton said to-day that he
asked Senator Proctor and Representa-
tive Wadsworth to go over the seed bids
with him and after careful and deliberate
consideration of all the bids and the
records kept by the department it was
decided, Senator Proctor first making
the suggestion, to offer, Landreth & Co.,
81 Philadelphia, the lump sum of $4,000
to furnish the vegetable seeds and l.. L.
May, of St. Paul, Mimi, $4,000 to furnish
the flower seeds. Landreth's original bid
was $4,000. May bid half a cent per
paper for flower seeds. The two firms
we're CALLED 10, the offers accepted and
the contracts signed. This made $11 600
more than the bids of the Chicago Arm,
but the action, the secretary said, was
based on the reliability, fairness and es.
sential ne ,rness to Washington of the
Landreth company.
PURE FABRICATION.
The report that Secretary Olney had
addressed a note to United States Min
lister Taylor in Madrid, suggesting media
ton, is pure fabrication.
NOT AssAssINATED.
dispatch under to-day's date was re-
ceived at the state department from the
United States consul, Williams, at Hava
ma, thus effectually disposing of the rumor
that he had been assissinated.
SESSION OF THE HOUSE TO-DAY.
The house was the only branch of con-
gress in session to-day. When the filed
cheese bill was taken up for amendment
under the five minute rule, Mr.. Cannon,
Republican, of Illinois, offered an amend
ment to reduce the annual license to be
paid by the manufacturer from $400 to
800.
Mr.. Grosvenor, in charge of the meas
ure, refused to accept the amendment.
He thought that the manufacturer could
easily pay $4O0.
Mr.. Cannon, in support of his amend
nfent, said that, while this was ostensibly
bill to raise revenue, it's purpose was to
prevent the sale of bogus cheese in CON-
petition with the genuine dairy product.
Mr.. Terry, Democrat, Of Arkansas, Of
fered as substitute for the whole meas
ure, bill providing that every manu-
fscturer of an article intended for inter-
state commerce, who shall sell or ship
low grade goods, pretending by their
brands to be higher grade, shall be guilty
of fraud and liable to fine of $1,000.
Mr.. Cannon's amendment was voted
down by 38 to 76.
Mr.. Cannon then moved to reduce the
tax on wholesale dealers from $3.50 to $50.
This amendmen was also lost.
ARMoR PLATE CONSIDERED.
The senate committee on naval affaire
had a secret session to-day for the pur-
pose of considering the testimony 10 con-
nection with the armor plate investiga-