Omaha daily bee., 1896-01-26
END OF The FREE SEED MILL
Closed by Secretary Morton as a Useless
Extravaganza,
HOW THE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN WORKED
old stocks Sold mt Outrageous Figures
TO the Department of Agricul-
turc to lie Distributed to
the Farmers.

fectually killed during the present session uf
congress lie is moving in this matter be-
couse OF the strong support he Is receiving
from the press throughout the United States.
A supplemental letter to the one he offered
TO the joint meeting of the senate and house
committee agriculture January Is, has
been issued, in which the secretary goes to
still greater lengths to show that this free
seed distribution which has been recognized
as factor Of the government ever since Its
creation in 1s39 Is subject to no end Of
chcanery and fraud.
To show how the dealers worked the de-
partment for seeds, the secretary offers in
evidence number of bids for seeds from the
various seed houses OF the country. j. G.
Vaughan Of Chicago seems to have been par
ticularly pernicious in bidding at figures be-
yond all reason for the commonest seeds used
In horticulture. He offers "a number Of rare
and useful seeds, to quote the language Of
the bid. and three varieties of vegetable
seeds. The flower seeds, according to the
secretary OF agriculture, include such things
as giant Paris pansy,' at s35 per pound;
as giant Paris pansy" at S25 per pound ;
double morning glory" $40 per pound; 'pe-
tunia, white star" s65 per pound white
branch aster." $36 per pound; Chinese prim-
roses" $50 per pound, and "chabaud ca
iho'n az |iNo pei pouHu' ne DUdTu, IL ID
needless to say, promptly decided that the
flower seeds at these prices were not adapted
to general cultivation, and to promote the
general interests Of horticulture and agricul
ture In the United States. 1t would seem as
TX the prices had been propagated at the
expense Of the flowers themselves.
OTHER BAD CASES.
This bid was deficient in the quantity of
each that could be supplied and a number
OF other bids which the secretary has offered
IN evidence show the incompetency and in
direction Of the bids just as high priced and
in some cases as humorous as anything Mark
Twain has ever written, the bid of Messrs
j. M. Thornburgh G. Co. of New York being
particularly comical. including, 1t did,
variety Of vegetable and only three speci-
mems of field or farm seeds, namely, Havana
tobacco seed, Bermuda grass seed and
twenty-five bushels of No. 1 wheat "by par
entase one-half wheat and one-half rye, 50
per bushel."
In 1899 an appropriation Of 81, 900 was made
for the purpose OF collecting and distributing
rare and improved varieties OF seeds and
down to the year 1865 the seeds were pur-
chased out of the general fund. so that there
Is no accurate information at hand with re-
gard to the amount used for this purpose
prior to that year, but since 1854 separate
appropriation has been made annually for the
purpose Of buying and distributing seed and
from 1865, when an appropriation OF $6l 900
was made. down to 1896, $2,5S1, ,674S1 have
been spent in twenty years for the purchase
and distribution Of seeds.
WENT TO BOTH EXTREMES.
In the three years Of his term Of office
Secretary Morton has distributed to members
OF congress nearly 100000 packages more
than did his predecessor In office, in the
doing OF which he believes that he went to
the utmost limit of the authority given him
under the statute, but he has determined TO
wipe this feature of the Department OF Agri-
culture off the books and he seems to make
out an exceedingly strong case in showing
that the government has been a junk shop
for the deposit of old seeds OF which dealers
could not in any possibility unload them
selves for love or money. 1t has been a
fruitful source OF revenue to INSCRIPTIONS
dealers and any reform in this matter, after
the people of the United States thoroughly
understand it, will undoubtedly be hailed
with considerable satisfaction
CAUSED A POSTMASTER TROUBLE.
There is a big row on at Moulton, Ia, over
an attempt of Postmaster Killien and thirty
or forty citizens of that town to remove the
postofIice from its present site. The petition
and protests have been filed with First AS
sistant Postmaster General Jones' who mas
about decided to let well enough alone in view
of the fact that change in location would
increase the present rental $50 per month.
Congressman Meiklejohn will leave next
week for Nebraska to participate In the con-
vention devoted to the sugar interest to be
held at Fremont. From letters received Mr.
Meiklejohn looks for most enthus astc meet
ing.
Senator Allison, who is wearing seven by
nine smile since his return from Iowa, VIII
on Monday call up the urgency deficiency
bill from his COMMITTEES and seek to secure
it's passage, with provision for carrying on
United States court affairs and providing for
paying United States marshals. In many
cases courts have been permitted to run
along money advanced by outside inter-
ests, and it is for the purpose of reimbursing
these persons that the bill will be rushed
through.
LAND CONTESTS DECIDED.
The secretary of the interior today rem
dered decisions on tho following land con-
tests from Nebraska and South Dakota: Ne
braska-George Timpson against Julia A.
Longnecker McCook district commissioner S
decision reversed contest dismissed and de-
PENDANTS final timber culture proof to be
considered by the Board of Equitable Ad-
Judication. Isaac d. Long against France
White, McCook district: motion for rehear-
ing denied, Mrs. Whites entry held for can
collation.. William II. Fitch. ONeill dis
trict; application for certificate denied. Com
mssloner's decision rejects the protest
against allowing the agricultural entry CT
Austin and Prayer to stand. South Dakota
John Layton, ex parte. Mitchell district
case remanded to commissioner for decision
Minnie Stanley, ex parte, Mitchell district;
motion for review denied and application
to make entry rejected. Edgar M. Jessup, ex
parte, Huron district; decision affirmed; ap-
plicaton to make final prof before court in
Los Angeles. Cal, denied.
The following army orders are promul-
gated A general court martial Is appointed
to meet at Willet's Point, N Y, January
2S. Captain Theodore A. Bingham. corps Of
engineers president; Second Lieutenant
Charles w. Kutz, corps Of engineers, judge
advocate.
Captain James b. Aleshire, assistant quar-
termaster. Is ordered to Nashville, Tenn,
Danville. KY, ST. Louis and Chicago on busi-
ness pertaining to the purchase of cavalry
horses
Leave OF absence granted Major James
II. Gagely, Twentieth Infantry Department
of II Platte, is extended one month
Captain q. NJ. Carter. corps Of engineers.
is ordered to Savannah. Ga. on important
duties connected with his branch Of service.
Upon the completion Ct the leave of Sec
ond Lieutenant Jacques Del LATTE, Eighth
infantry, he is ordered to proceed to Baton
Rouge, La, for duty with the National
Guard.
Captain Harry F. Hodges. corps of en-
gineers. is ordered to turn over the works
now in his charge to the temporary charge
Of Lieutenant Colonel William A. Jones and
take station In New York City as member
and disbursing officer Of the board Of en-
gineers.
fnr nd