The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-02-06
UNCLE SAM TO CONTINUE
IN THE SEED BUSINESS
At THE SAME OLD STAND
Fruitless Attempt in the House
to Put an End to Free
Distribution.
REGARDED AS A CRAFT
Solely for the Benefit of Congress
mems observation-disclosures
Gus Speeches.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5.-Mr. Sheppard,
Texas Democrat. one of the youngest mem
bers of the House, made a determined and
persistent effort to-day to bring about a re-
form in the matter of the distribution of
seeds by the government. He contended
that the present system is bad Mr.. Shep-
pard's first move was to have struck from
the agricultural appropriation bill certain
sections providing the machinery for the
distribution of the seeds authorized to be
purchased under the bill. In this he was
successful, his point OF order being sus-
tanned by the chair. but by an overwhelm-
ing vote the House promptly added the sec
tions to the bill by way of amending. Only
three members voted in opposition to the
restoration. Mr.. Sheppards further effort
was to secure an amendment to the restored
sections which would provide for the pur-
chase of rare and untried seeds, but despite
his earnest appeal for this amendment it
failed and the bill was left just as the COM
mittee brought it into the House, so far as
seeds for free. distribution were concerned.
This was the only item in the bill that
aroused serious discussion and with few
minor amendments it was passed by the
House without division. The House adj
journed until Monday.
During the debate on the seed question
Mr.. Lucking, of Michigan. calling attention
to the manufacture and distribution OF
blackleg vaccine by the Agricultural De-
partment said he would offer an amend
ment restricting the number of doses that
may be given away by the government. He
contended that the amount now given away
is detrimental to private enterprise.
Mr.. Sheppard developed to the merriment
of the House, in colloquy with Mr..
Gambler, that the latter had received a re-
quest from a man for hat for himself and
for his wife. Mr.. Sheppard said that when
he first came to Congress he thought the
principal occupation of a new member was
TO send seed to his constituents.
MIR. Lucking made an unsuccessful effort
to secure an amendment to the bill so as
TO restrict the distribution of blaclxleg vac
cine by the Agricultural Department.
During the discussion on the proposed
amendment, Mr.. Burleson CTexas) read the
following extract from the testimony given
on agriculture, relative to the blackleg:
"Blackleg is a disease that affects young
animals, mostly calves. The people had
great difficulty in getting serum that was
powerful enough to treat il. We make it
here for probably one-tenth of a cent a
dose and we send out a million and half
doses a year free to the people, and the
result is that wherever we send ii blackleg
Is disappearing. We are pushing this work
with the theory that IL we can prevent
with rabies If you muzzle every dog in
the District of Columbia and allow no other
dog to come In, the rabies will not come in.
You could not do that The love for the
pup is stronger than the love for man,
woman or child in the District of Columbia
and dogs cannot be muzzled here. That is
the theory which we are trying to expert
ment with blackleg and We are succeeding"