Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The Conservative (Nebraska City, Neb.) 1898-1902 | View Entire Issue (May 9, 1901)
* * * * ' " ' V'i&i : 12 Conservative. BURLINGTON LETTER CONTEST. The Burlington & Missouri Eiver Railroad has opoiied a contest for letters about Nebraska. The total amount represented by the awards is $500. The letters are to be confined to 1,500 words in length and will be published in The Corn Belt , issued monthly by the company. They should be mailed to J. Francis , general passen ger agent , Omaha , Neb. , so as to reach him not later than May 81st , 1901. They have received a great many con tributions , but can make use of twice as many more. In view of the fact that the first prize is a free trip to and through Yellowstone National Park , and that there are nineteen other prizes , many of them almost as valuable , they feel warranted in expecting a very gen eral response to their offer. The contest is still in progress , the prizes are well worth trying for , and details may be had by addressing the office of J. Francis , Omaha , Neb. OKLAHOMA OPPORTUNITY. HOMES FOR THOUSANDS IN THE KIOWA , COMANCHE AND APACHE RESERVATIONS Which are to be opened for settlement in 1901. S THE GREAT ROCK ISLAND ROUTE 1 is the only line running to , through or near the * > ! RESERVATIONS. "OKLAHOMA OPPORTUNITY , " A book describing these lands and con dition of entry , SENT FREE. . 1 Address , JOHN SEBASTIAN , Q. P. AT. A , , CHICAGO , ILL , E. W. THOMPSON , A , G , P , &T.A , , TOPEKA , KAN , THE CONSERVA- FREE SEED TIVE calls attention AGAIN. once more to the venerable swindle of gratuitous and promiscuous distribu tion of seeds at the expense of the general government. In the present issue will be found comments upon the swindle from high republican authority , like the Philadelphia Ledger , together with criticisms from other sources upon the charges made against the Depart ment of Agriculture. The Wholesale Seedsmen's League , through its Secretary , Burnett Landreth , has filed four specific charges with the Controller of the Treasury , and the Disbursing Officer of the Department of Agriculture at Washington , protesting against the payment of any money oh the vouchers of the contractor. The Plorists Exchange , which is exclusively a trade paper , published iu the city of New York , in its issue of Saturday , April 27th , makes some very sharp criticisms. The Florists Exchange declares : "It is believed that there is sufficient evidence in the hands of the Seedsmen's League to substantiate the charges pre ferred. "With respect to charge No. 2 , to the effect that no varieties are named on the printed packets , only the words 'a selected variety ; ' while this is correct in the great majority of cases , there is , apparently , no arbitrary condition expressed by the wording of the govern ment's specification calling for the nam ing of varieties contained in the packets distributed. The stipulation relative to this matter sent out by the Secretary of Agriculture , and accompanying the specification , is as follows : 'The seeds , together with all material necessary to make them ready for distribution , and all labor connected therewith , the necessary printing on seed packets rela tive to variety , culture , etc. , also the place of conducting and carrying on the work of distribution are all to be at the expense of the contractor. In other words , the seeds are to be furnished all ready for mailing in packages of five or more packets each , as may be required , each package to show the kind of seed contained therein , and delivered in United States mail sacks at the nearest postoffice , or to the mail carriers of the Senate and House of Representatives. ' "Those responsible for this year's distribution of seeds have taken advan tage of the loophole afforded by the astonishingly indefinite language of the stipulation in question , rendered so by the effort to give it greater perspicuity , to use the words 'a selected variety. ' "On the other hand , the object of the free seed distribution is to furnish the farmer and cultivator with such seeds as will be beneficial to him , and how is he to know for future npo t n variety hoJiaB been favored with by thu govern- ment , and is growing , unless its name appears on the package ? Of what help is it to the farmer to be thus kept in ignorance ? Why should he be asked to plant something regarding which he knows absolutely nothing ? "All reputable seedsmen are not afraid to call a 'spade a spado. ' They name the seeds they sell to their clients ; that name appears on the seed packet , and the naming takes the form of a surety to the purchaser that he is getting that for which he pays. The United States government has bought certain seeds ; these are desired and required of varieties named in its specification. Why should the firm supplying the government with such seeds depart from trade usages and dub the seeds furnished 'selected variety'which means anything or noth ing ? Is the name of the 'selected variety' unknown to them ; if so , why this ignorance ? "It will be seen that to allow of this being done at once opens up an avenue for substitution and irregularities of the worst kind. An explanation of what is certainly an unnecessary proceeding where the ordinary and correct methods of business are in vogue should surely be demanded. "It appears to us that the time has arrived when Congress must take some action in this matter. Our lawmakers are responsible for what has been rightly termed , 'one of the most farcical and ridiculous pieces of extravagance that the American people has ever indulged in , ' and if into the enjoyment of this extravagance corruption has entered , the Government should at once abolish and forever that which can only bring it into disrepute , besides bringing to book those who are profiting by such corrup tion. At any rate , the charges under consideration , coming , as they do , from a body of men who know what they are talking about , Congress , or those repre senting it , on whom devolves the faith ful and honest performance of one of its enactments , cannot afford to ignore. The standard of farming in the Union , through irregularities of the nature charged , will suffer rather than be promoted meted ; and the time may not be far distant when , conducted on the lines along which the present carrying out of the seed contract is alleged to be con ducted , the gratuitous distribution of common seeds by the Government will lose votes , instead of winning them , which latter is its only virtue , and by reason of which it is allowed to exist , to the nation's everlasting shame and financial loss. "Seedsmen and all florists who sell seeds should at once call the attention of their respective congressmen to the sub ject , so that an investigation of the fore going charges be made forthwith. "
