The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-09
THREE WORD FIGHTS ALWAYS OCCUR IN HOUSE EACH YEAR Free Garden Seed Battle For 1914 Has Already
 Been Staged BATTLESHIP FIGHT
 ALWAYS ON HAND Mileage Grab for Congressman Is An other Subject Always Discussed
 But Never Changed By
 Beneficiaries
Ky c. E. STEWART

Washington, April c.-(Speclal. )-Three verbal battles, always on the same sub ject, take place annually on the floor of the House of Representatives. As regu- larly as the three big appropriation bills for agriculture legislative and executive and the naval appropriation. bills come Up in the House, just as regularly does this same bitter verbal contest begin, passes these bills. In the agricultural bill, the fight is over garden seed, in the legislative and executive appropria- tion bill, the fight is on mileage, and
 in the naval bill, it is battleships.
 The garden seed scrimmage for 1914 has already been staged, and as usual, the members of Congress retained in the agricultural appropriation bill the pro- vision authorizing them to continue 10 distribute free to their constituents pack ages of seed furnished by the department of agriculture. The advocates of free seed are always victorious, but that makes no difference, every year they must fight the same old battle over agair. The debate over free seed is all ways heated and frequently amusing The opponents of the distribution of seed declare that it is a petty graft" and that seed distribution is nothing more than vote catchingv scheme
 Representative Heflin and Representa- tive Ezekiel Chandler of Mississippi, are strong defenders of the practice of seed distribution and ably contended that the practice was of great benefit to the far iners of the country.
 Would Sion ITsing Franks
 In the fight over the last appropriation MT Summers of Texas, wanted to strike out the clause permitting members to send seed under their franks. He pro- rosed that the department of agriculture might continue the work of testing, propogating and distributing valuable seed and plants, but asserted that the practice of distributing seed under con- gressional franks was asused and ought to be abolished.
 Representative Page of North Carolina. declared that for five campaigns in my district I have made it an issue and frankly stated to my people my opposi- tion to this graft There is not newspaper in my district that is not op- posed to this congressional graft"
 Representative Martin Dies of Texas, who has won fame as consistent oppo- nent of pensions, took the opposite view
 q am in favor of tie farmer and his sons and daughters getting their usual sTlotment of seed unoer the frank of their congressman" said Mr. Dies. q know that there are smart people all ever the country who poke fun at us because we send seed to our farmer constituents, but am not dismayed be- cause eeery mail brings me some ac- knowledgement from a little boy or girl or some humble farmer thanking me for the seed.''
 Closing the debate for free seed ad- vocates Representative Ezekiel Chan dler of Mississippi, known as ."Tom- bigbee' Chandler because he is always boosting the Tombigbee river, called rpon the shades of Patrick Henry, Ben jamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson An drew Jackson and if no others famous to history it was because MT. Chandler could not think of them at the time, in support of his argument.
 Franklin, declared the Mississippi con- gressman, sent home silk worm eggs and cuttings while he was in Eng land as agent of Pennsylvania; Jefferson sent back bulbs and seeds when he was minister at Paris; Patrick Henry, Jack son and others encouraged agriculture The seed advocates won by vote of 96 to 36. The House could not afford to re- pudiate the record of Franklin Henry, Jefferson and Jackson, and refused to do so.
 Fight Over Mileage Allowance
 Second in intensity to the fight over garden seed is that centering in the an- nual proposal to abolish the mileage al- lowance of senators and congressman. The