Conservative *
THE SEED FRAUDS AT WASHINGTON
Quo of the reasons given for the selec
tion of the canny Scotchman , James
Wilson , as secretory of agriculture , was
that he was a practical as well as n book
farmer , and that crooked contractors
and congressmen , with axes to grind ,
couldn't fool him. His sponsors seem ,
to have thundered louder , in the index ,
than his record warrants. Secretary
Wilson may know tobacco seed from
turnip seed when he sees them , but if
charges made by the Wholesale Seeds
men's League , are true , the public is
being badly imposed upon in the weight ,
variety and quality of the seeds now
distributed , and the contractors are
being paid double what the seeds are
worth. These are a few of the charges
publicly made at a meeting of the Seeds
men's League , held in New York last
week. In the packages sent out under
the contract for 1901 , all the important
specifications have been ignored.
Instead of named varieties , the packages
are merely marked selected seeds. The
packages are smaller than required by
the specifications. Packages of cucum
ber seed that should run 80 to the pound ,
run 104 to the pound. Onion seed ,
which should run 96 , run 106 to the
pound. Peas , which should run 160 ,
run 804 to the bushel. Sweet corn pack
ages , required to run 60 to the bushel ,
actually run 290 to the bushel. Pack
ages , marked tobacco seed , contain tur
nip and other vegetable seeds instead.
Many cheap seeds , not called for in the
contracts , are included. The contract
was let for $78,000 , which is twice what
the sixteen or seventeen million pack
ages of seeds with which it is being
filled , are worth.
Everybody knew that the seed dis
tribution feature of the department's
work was a costly humbug. These
charges indicate it to be corrupt as well as
costly. It is not to be supposed that Sec
retary Wilson , shrewd Scotchman that
he is , can stand guard over every package
of seed sent out , but he is bound to
stand guard over his corps of inspectors ,
and see that they compel the observance
of plain contract specifications. The
charge of the Seedsmen's League are of
so direct and specific a nature that Sec
retary Wilson is in duty bound to in
vestigate them , and , if well founded ,
bring rascally contractors and negligent
inspectors up with a round turn. It is
not Secretary Wilson's fault that con
gress has passed laws providing for a
costly distribution of seeds , which fail
to be of any public benefit , but it will
be his fault if contractors , are permitted
to cheat the government in the quality
and quantity of the seeds furnished. If
Secretary Wilson is fit for his place , he
should be able to prevent costly frauds
of this nature. Philadelphia Times ,
April 18 , 1901.
Free Seed Contracts.
; ' 'Pursuant to an act of congress , ' the
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agricultiiral department contracted for ,
and is distributing free , among the people
ple , flower and vegetable seeds. It is
alleged that these seeds are distributed
for experimental purposes , in order to
determine the varieties that will do best
in certain localities. Many regard this
as an official fiction , to cover a totally
different object , namely , a cheap and
easy method for some congressmen to
retain the good will and votes of a portion
tion of their constituents.
The character and quality of the
seeds distributed by the government
have often been called into question ,
and many go to the length of terming
the varieties both cheap and worthless.
A correspondent , whose communication
appears in another column , declares
that there is evidence of loopholes in
the specifications of the contract for
these seeds , by which the contractor , if
he wishes , can make use of the cheapest
and commonest varieties to be bought
in the market. According to the speci
fications , the particular varieties of each
sort of vegetable seeds to be used and
the number of packages to be put up
are distinctly stated , as , for example ,
an equal number of pounds of six varie
ties of table beet , four of cucumber , five
of lettuce , and so on through the list ,
in all , 13,986,000 packets of vegetable
seeds. According to the correspondent ,
a number of packets distributed under
the contract , simply bear the specific
name of the vegetable , and the words ,
"a selected variety. " This appears to
be a direct violation of the terms of the
specifications , or , if not , it certainly
would indicate the existence of a loop
hole by which the contractor could
evade the spirit of his contract and reap
an extravagant profit. Examples are
given by which the contractor , under
this term of "selected" variety , could
go into the market , and , by purchasing ,
at current rates , effect a saving of $20-
999 on vegetable seeds alone.
It is claimed , also , that there is a
great variation in the amount of seeds ,
of the same sort , in different packets ,
and a decidedly less quantity in nearly
all cases examined , than the specifica
tions call for , amounting , in some cases ,
to 40 per cent. This is a serious allega
tion , and it is one which calls for
prompt investigation by the depart
ment of agriculture. Protests have
been made from all parts of the country ,
against the practice of government free
distribution of seeds. At least one sec
retary of the department of agriculture
has recommended a discontinuance , but
congress has refused. It has done
worse ; it has ordered an increase in the
annual output. As congress has seen
fit to do this , it is the duty of the de
partment of agriculture to so draw the
specifications , that the contractor must
live up to them , and furnish for distri
bution , the best quality of seeds obtain
able , and give full weight. Philadel
phia Public Ledger , April 18 , 1901.
Governmental Free Seed Farce.
To the forty-two members of the
Wholesale Seedsmen's League , and
others interested :
The fraudulent practices , so generally
talked of the last two years , in connec
tion with the details of the congression
al free seed distribution , have been
eclipsed this spring of 1901 , by the
course of the department of agriculture ,
in sending out flat packets bearing only
the imprint of the family name of the
vegetable ; no specific name , simply a
statement that the packet contains a
selected variety , such as radish , lettuce ,
melon , cucumber. The result of this is
to afford the contractor and department
employees interested in supplying and
putting up the seed , an opportunity to
put in something cheap , and , consequently
quently , to make an enormous profit ,
quite thirty per cent. , over the normal
and legitimate profit which might be
expected upon an honest transaction.
The specifications for furnishing the
seeds , issued the 27th of January , 1900 ,
by the department of agriculture , called
for fixed quantities of designated
varieties and sub-varieties , and the
various bidders based their estimates on
the cost of the respective quantities and
special varieties so named in the printed
list of specifications , but the secretary
of agriculture has permitted the con
tractor to print seed packets , and to fill
these packets with sorts of seed not
mentioned in the specifications , and ,
undoubtedly , very common and very
cheap sorts. And this fraud does not
stop with the putting in of unnamed ,
common , and cheap seeds , but the fraud
extends to the shaving down of the
weights in the packets , as designated in
the specifications , a curtailment ranging
from ten per cent to forty per cent. This
represents that much profit in itself.
How are these illegitimate profits
divided ? Who are the scoundrels ?
Those other bidders who failed to be
awarded the contract , certainly cannot
otherwise conclude that they have been
badly deceived by the secretary of agri
culture , while on the other hand , those
agriculturists who receive the diminished
quantities of unnamed seeds , are not
given any intimation whether the seeds
are of varieties , late or early , large or
small.
Was there ever a transaction , in any
department of the government , to sur
pass this ? Certainly the seed section of
the department of agriculture is very
weak , and its administration is a dis
grace to the agricultural interests of the
nation. The entire department of agri
culture has for years been best known
by the designation of "The Government
Seed Shop , " a bad enough reflection
upon what should be a department as
