Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-12-23
FREE SEEDLE:G|OV
FACING ANOTHER
BATTLE IN HOUSE
Atlanta Journal News Bureau,
408 Evans Building.
IOU LVdIIS IUI1UIIIBs
BY THEODORE TILLER

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22.-Again
the free seed legion" of the house
of representatives is threatened with
| defeat. The annual battle in the
| house over free distribution under
| congressional frank of vegetable and
garden seed was scheduled for We'd
nesday afternoon. BY mutual con-
sent it was postponed and mean
| while representatives believing in
such free distribution We're getting
| their voters in fighting formation.
Brigadier General Lord, director of
| the budget, is the archenemy of
the free seeders." The budget
statement he sent to congress car
| ried on estimate for the congress
| sional distribution of 'free garden
seed" and members of congress
| from the rural districts have or
| ganized a revolt.
Slashing through the department.
al estimates and welding his carv-
ing knife, Director Lord shipped off
the item of 100000 for free seed
distribution, although he attached a
note to the estimates stating that if
| the congress desired to appropriate
for further seeds, that figure, which
is the same as last years, would
provide the necessary supply.
1t is only proper to say, however,
that General Lords financial sur
gerry had the approval Of the depart
ment of agriculture. The bureau
of plant industry, perhaps from
force of habit, included it, in the
estimates for the department of agri-
culture, but it did not get by the
final arbiters of the budget.
Campaign Material
The memory Of the average mem
Der of congress does not go back to
the time when the body did not ap-
propriate for the distribution of vege-
table and flower seeds under the
congress frank. Members have been
reelected to congress because they
sent thousands of packages Of free
seed. Members have been defeated
because they overlooked certain con-
stituents in the distribution or be-
cause the supply ran out.
Now Director Lord proposes that
"nary a seed" shall be distributed
by the department of agriculture on
frank lists furnished by the con-
gressmen from the rural districts.
But this doesn't necessarily mean
anything. Budget Director Dawes
did the same thing last year, but
succeeded in hating the free seed
forces only for moment. Then the
latter took the offensive, and when
the appropriation bill for the depart
ment Of agriculture finally went to
the White House, the seed distribu-
ton appropriation proudly held its
old-time place.
For some years the 'free garden
seed graft"-as its opponents have
called it. has been in jeopardy. In
the last administration, Edwin 7.
Meredith, then secretary of agricul-
ture, boldly initiated a movement
to stop it, but congress Immediately
overrode him and put the item in
the bill.
Free Seeders to Win
into effect, opponents of the dlstrl-
button policy saw a better opportu-
nifty to defeat it, and Director Dawes
became the generalisimo of the
forces opposing the item. NotWlth-
standing his record as warrior,
| however, the free seed cohorts"
drove back General Dawes just as
the Yanks drove back Won Hinden
burg, and the agriculture approprla-
ton bill emerged from congress
with the customary appropriation
for seed distribution.
Henry C. Wallace, secretary OF
agriculture, will support General
|
seeds in the contention which prob
ably will be waged on the floor of
! the house today or tomorrow. Mr..
Wallace says that the department
thinks the congressional distribution
of free garden and flower seed
can be abandoned and without ma
| terial detriment to the agriculture
of the country"
Notwithstanding the combined
opposition of the budget bureau and
the department OF agriculture, how
ever, the prediction, based on all
past dope, is that the $36O,OOO free
seed appropriations will go in the
bill. In years past rural members
have figuratively wept while defend
ing garden seed appropriations.