The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-04-25
THE CONGRESSIONAL
ALLOWANCE FOR
FREE SEED
Appropriation for Free Seeds
Will Be Either Cut Out or
Allowed Soon.
BY E. C. Snyder.


Washington, d. c., April 25.-Within
few days the house will be confront
ed with the proposition of whether or
not it will stand by the recommends
lions of its committee on agriculture
and abolish the Congressional Free
Seed Distribution" It is somewhat
surprising that there should be any
doubt as to the action of the house,
and yet the committee fears. that it's
recommendations will be disregarded
and that the appropriation will be vot-
ed back into the bill. If this is done
in the house 1t will be in direct opposi-
ton to overwhelming public senti-
ment. Secretary of Agriculture Will
son is on record as firm in his opposi-
ton to this indiscriminate distribution
of common garden seeds such as
onion, turnip, radish and beans. The
National Grange, aroused by the in
sulting charge that the distribution is
only continued because "the farmers
want the Seeds" by resolutions adopt
ed at its convention. through it's pre-
siding officer. N. j. Bachelor, of Con-
cord, New Hampshire, through it's
legislative committee and in the COL
umns of its official organ. the Nation
al Grange Bulletin, has unsparingly
denounced the practice and has re-
sented the imputation that the farmers
want these cheap seeds. Postmaster
General Cortelyou would be glad to
see the distribution abolished because
the seeds clog the mails and his de-
partment is compelled to bear the cost
of distributing them as we'll as the
loss of revenue from the postage which
would be paid il the seeds were sent
out by the seed merchants. The press
is a unit against the distribution and
thousands of letters against it's con-
tinuance have been received by men,
bers of the house from their constitu-
ents.
The common vegetable seeds of the
last distribution cost 100000, so that
each of the fort ymillion packets dis
tribtued was intrinsically worth less
than a quarter of a cent-222-1OOths,
to be exact. AS these are put up in
five packets each. the total value of
the seeds to the recipients was slight
ly less than one and quarter cents.
To distribute these seeds costs the
government comparatively enormous
sum. 1t costs $4,000 in the DEPART
ment of agriculture alone, for the
packeting, the clerical force and the
purchasing of the seeds. The rail-
roads receive about $50, 900 a year for
carrying them, while the value of the
time of the postoffice clerks railway
mail clerks and carriers. both city and
rural, consumed In distributing them,
is estimated at certainly not less than
100000. The loss of revenue to the
postoffice department is estimated at
from $23S,O00 to $36O,0OO, so that there
is total loss to the postoffice depart
ment of at least half a million dol
lars.
In order to approximate the amount
of mail matter sent out by the various
departments under frank, inquiry was
recently made of each department in
the city. The treasury department re-
ported an average OF seventy-five
sacks per diem, which, at 300 letters
or parcels to the sack would amount
to 22,500 day. The pension Office
sent out last year 1,795,0O0 pieces and
the department of justice averages six
sacks per diem, or about 1900 pieces,
estimating 800 to the sack. The other
departments reported that no figures
We're available. AS the distribution of
free seeds" amounts to 100000
packages, the average is $4,000 pack
ages day for 300 working days,
which is many times that of the de-
partment of justice, about three and
half times the entire mail from the
pension office with million pension
ers, and greater even than that of the
treasury department, which collects
the revenues of the government and
which is supposed to have the heaviest
mail of all the departments
Should an attempt be made to re-
store the appropriation in the house,
as it is expected there will be, the
fight against it will be led by Repre-
sentative Wadsworth, of New York,
chairman of the committee on agricul-
ture; Representative Cocks, of New
York, from President Roosevelt's
home district, who proposed the mat
ter in the committee; Representative
Tawney, chairman of the committee
on appropriations; Representatives
GrosvenOr and Dalzellof the commit
tee on rules; Representative Over
street. chairman of the committee on