Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-04-17
URGES REMOVAL.
Assistant Attorney General Colby's
Report on the Weather Bureau.
REFORMS RECOMMENDED.

!
| Secretary OF Agriculture said to a STAR re
! porter today that he would take the repor. an,
mass of testimony under advisement. and rem
der his opinion upon what action should b
taken as soon SIS possible.
The other charges upon which the secont
portion OF the investigation will be based viii
be prepared by Gen. Colby this afternoon. bu
| as Mr.. r, Ross Perry. the attorney for Prof
Harrington. will ask time TO look them owe,
and make some preparation it will probably b,
the latter part Of the week before thi
part of the investigation is entered upon
The report of Gen. Colby is in effect tina
which was indicated in Saturdays STAR.
The text Of the report is as follows:
Sir-I have the honor 10 report that pur-
suant to your directions. | have investigated
the matter OF the charges of the fraudulent and
illegal disposal OF property belonging to the
government by officers and employees of the
weather bureau. Twenty-Seyen witnesse.
were examined under oath during such inyesti.
cation. Tho testimony was taken down bv a
stenoSrapher. and his Typewriter report
thereof. with ill papers. communications and
documents relating thereto, is returned here.
with for your information.
The evidence slows that during the month
of February, 1898. John Robinson. an employe
! OF tbs weather bureau, took therefrorn withou,
permission or legal authority a valuable roll
OF linen for the purpose of converting
the same 10 his own personal use. That
he was thereafter arrested. but a nolle proseGui
was entered. The linen has not We. been re.
turned 20 the department or paid for
That in she month of FebrUarv 1893 a num-
Der of brass and iron mods. exceeding $50 in
value. with 4 brass kettle and other implements
used In casting composition rollers in the
printing Office. all in good servicoab!e cordi-
Sy,E,l ~ 81, 100 len
non. captain of the watch. without legal au-
thority, and 10 account or return made there
for.
Tha. in the month of October. 1892, a MINI
Der of yards OF Garnet belonging 20 the govern
ment were disposed of by said Z. T. Brannon
20 AirS. Fannie Alien. a ciIarwosnau employ ed
III the bureau. and no returns made therefor.
lndt III the month OF Scptember. 1882 the
said i. J.. Bran on sold or disposed of w;thoa;
legal authority. a quantity OF wood or lumber.
belonging to the government. and made nc
returns therefor.
I hat John ). Ryan. an empioye a. the bureau.
had IN the cellar OF has resi- fence III February.
1898. shown by the testimony Of Lewis Hop
fenmaier. quantity OF new government crop
ertv estimated 10 De worth from 100 800 con-
siE:ing Of pencils. peUs. envelopes aud other
stationery supplies. in unbroken packages
and boxes. taken from the weather
bureau and cfered TO sell the came
this, but the statement of Horfen1naier are cor
rcborate1 by the facts and circums;anc tes-
titled 20 by witness Richard z. Weldon and
Others who visited tins premises afterward.
I hat in June. 1892. block % granite. the
property Of the government, was taken and
legal authority, by Charles ". steers.
an employo of the bureau. The
proceeds OF snch sale we're at the time returned
TO Israel W. Stone, assistant discussing officer.
but not accounted FOR by Tim till the facts were
disclosed In this Investigation.
That large new pieces CT llno!eum procured
fo- use in the bureau WERE during the wear
1892. taken there.roLl and disposed of by en-
ployes Of the government. without authority
ard no returns made therefor
That on December II, 1882. six or seven
cases OF type We're, without authority, taken
from the bureau and disposed OF
by employees of the government and
able to give the names of the empioyes who
disposed of such linoleum or type with Ger
ta!ntv. by reason Of conflicting testimony.
That many other articles OF property be-
longing to the government such as stationery,
office supplies. furnitUre, bound raco:d books.
chemical ma erlais and over 500 thermometers of
brass, aluminium and composition metal used
in the bureau were taken fherefrom IN the
months Of July and August. 1892. disposed of
without legal authority and no returns made
therefor.
That five carpets complete for rooms
OF undetermined dimensions and sew
enty-eight yards of measured carpet.
which were on the returns and shown by the
report Of December 81. 1892. as being
on hand, have entirely disappeared from the
weather bureau. and none of the officers or
employees thereof could would furnish any
information in regard 10 such property or &C
count for its absence.
,,,t 4hae al, a - A.. .
the government used in the weather bureau
since the transfer 10 the Depart-
ment Of Agriculture July !, 1891, have
been, excepting in the cases OF two
horses. entirely without the action of a board
Of survey or inquiry, and without any apyrase-
ment or condemnation proceeding being had.
The evidence also shows that there has been
decrease in the price reported Of the
sales OF paper made by employees Q.
the bureau from 6S.o cents per 100 pounds on an
average prior 20 july l. 1891. to 40 f. 10 cen Is
per go pounds since the transfer to the Agri-
cultural Department without any change in the
market price thereof
The evidence shows that the prorer:v of the
government has been removed from the bureau
from time to time AZ the pleasure Of the en-
ployes or officers for use at their private resi-
dences, without receipts being given, requisi-
tlons made therefor or any record kept of such
disposition III the bureau.
lie tbici Cieth. IloitCe Z. SlNltn. nd0 q
desk. case of pigeon holes and supply OF sta
tionery taken from the bureau to MS residence,
where it kept for his official use
for some months. Assistant Disbursing OH
Ger Stone had a typewriter and supply of
stationery removed from the bureau 10 his
private residence for lis persona. Use. Captain
Of the Watch Brannon had carpets, linoleum,
an ax, two cases, some rugs and other prop
erty OF the bureau taken to his residence for
personal uEe. Professor Mark W. Harring on
chief Of the bureau. had desk table and
supply Of stationery taken from the bureau
and kept at his private residence for official
work. But in none of these instances, even
where the properly was afterward returned to
the bureau, was there any requisition
for the property or record made of its removal
from the department The chief OF the bureau,
Prof. Harrington, testified in the investigation,
in substance, that he regarded such action as
legitimate on the part Of high administrative
officer" but as improper on the part Of q
subordinate.
1t further appears from the testimony tina,
Captain of the Watch Brannon practiced loan
ing Of money at high rates Of interest to officers
and employees of the bureau, both to those
above and those below him in rank, thus pIsc-
ing his superior officers under financial obliga.
tons to him.
l find that no inventory has been taken O,
the property in the weather bureau since the
transfer to the Deps rtment of Agriculture
July /. 1891; that no record Of property is KEEP,