The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1922-06-16

and the price paid This is a straight official let
ter.
Congressman coming more and more to send
their quotas of seeds out not to the voting lists
In their districts but to the school children to
civic organizations, chambers of commerce. banks
and factories for workmen and a great deal to
miners.
with the department opposed to the congression
al seed distribution, and with congress habitually
Tor II, Oliver +. Jones, originally from Cincinnati
VINO Is In active charge of this work has had an
unenviabe job as buffer between the department
and congress for about twenty years He prob
aoty knows all the members OF congress more in
timatey than any other in Washington be-
cause ne Is calling upon them in their offices every
dny In the year. At present he Is getting more
than 200 telephone calls day from them dictates
about 100 letters day to them, and has 20 or 30
of them calling on him in his office each day.
The seed distribution is conducted under the
bureau of plant industry. of which DR. William A
Taylor Is chief. II. A Oakley and j. +. W. Trac,
purchase under contract all the seed that enters
INTO the congressional distribution and SUPERVISE
the mechanical and physical work of filling the
packages and mailing them Mr.. Tracy is in
charge of the seed warehouse located at 339 Penn.
syiVahia avenue, which is not at all modern we'll
ventilated or lighted This building was erected
In 1884 and was the scene of receptions bonouets
and inaugural balls for Andrew Jackson. Martin
Van Buren, and Abraham Lincoln This is not 81
soVerhment-owned building but has been rented
by the department and used as a seed warehouse
for about ten years
Inc hilhg OF the orders of congressman Is an
interesting part of the free-seed distribution Tho
members supply their franks in sheets of fen
Ihey are cut up into single slips and counted into
bundles by expert counters from the bureau AZ
engraving and printing As II member sends in
an "ruer blue slip is made out calling upon the
seeo warehouse To deliver that quantity and this
Is accompanied by the corresponding number ~
franks. The seed packages are either sent 70 rho
ounce oil Tue member of congress If the franks are
not addressed. or are mailed out dirrctly from,
the seed warehouse il they are addressed
These franks now coming in nj tbp r,t, =,
-"'sn or "s,on day, Each member is entitled
10 Oo0 packages of vegetable seeds md 81 mn
packages of flower seeds As each Of thes, n,ri
ages contains five small papers Of seeds. it really
'n''''S "at lloS" papers Of seeds are sent out
10y each member of the senate and houSa
The way in which these seeds are frsf rnt in,,
the small papers and sealed and then put one zach
Of i've different kinds into larger pock.g, orI
sealed. with the members frank pasted an ao,b
package for direct mailing. is an interesting mar,
Of the congressional distribution system 1his
Is done by contract, and this year new contro,,
or is on the job, Frank Clarke OF Waco Tex VIII,
has Speeded up the work by deyiSiug a new rluln,
machine sums
The seed envelopes are filled By pacbfnary
which automatically weighs the contents Of as,b
envelope. Two girls work at one Of these mo
chimes, one filling and the other sealing tho u,,Io
ENVELOPES on a revolving belt. Filling and <aalin,
|o"n OF these little envelopes is considered a ,ooI
days work. The girls get piecework over N n,1
a day V'
Other girls SIT At big tables paSting the cnnrr,s
Si"nat franks onto the Con,ainer on whi,, mr.,
printed the names Of the five varieties ~ va,,,
tables or flowers that are to be placed yi,hin
belt carrier runs beside huge bins into which ~,
small packages of seed have been dumpea A.
toe Eir's nniSh pasting the franks on the biz en-.
velopes they are carried one at time aIorE ,r,,,
travelling belt roadway and in front NJ a M, =.
regular intervals are girls, each Of whom SIMS ~
small envelope. and the container proceeds -
an Inspector and then past another srl. who SooI,
up the package by machinery.