The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-03-23
GEORGIA'S BIOLOGISTS.
PROF. SPENCER AND HIS AIDS
REMOVED.


the Boards Right to Remove him,
and Refuses to Give Up His Office.
His Assistants Accept Their Dis
missal Without Showing Fight.
ATLANTA, GA, March 22.-The meeting
Of the state board Of geology, which is CON-
posed Of all the state house officers, includ-
ing the governor, developed genuine SEN
saUion to-day. A resolution was passed
calling for the resignation Of Geologist J.
W. Spencer and his two assistants, Messrs.
WhAttey and Anderson. The assistants
complied with the order of the board with
out comment, but DR.. Spencer refused to be
removed, and will fight the action of the
| governor, who. with the board, is the ap-
| pointive power, on the ground that the
reason assigned for his removal is not legal.
! He also makes sensational charges against
the board. The department Of geology was
revived during the administration OF Gov.
| Gordon, and the present incumbents were
his appointments continued in Office under
| Gov. Northen. Eight thousand dollars a
| year is the cost of the department. DR..
! Spencer, the chief, receives 81, 500 per
annum, and is the highest salaried state
official outside of the supreme court justices
and the governor. His assistants receive
81 $50 each per annum. The remainder Of
the $4,000 appropriation goes in expenses
incurred in conducting the geological sur.
Veys.
WASTE OF MONEY.
But in the light of the investigation made
by the board to-day 1t seems that the money
spent on the geological department by the
state has been wasted. Ever since the re-
| vival OF the department under DR.. Spencer
! and Messrs. Whattey and Anderson, there
has been nothing but strife and bad feeling
| bet ween them. So bitter has been the feel
! ing between the biologists that they have
! found it impossible TO get along in their
| work together, There have been frequent
| ruptures, but the board does not pretend to
| fix upon any one Of the three the entire re-
| sponsibility for the trouble 1t seems that
! DIR. Spencer did not consider his assistants
| competent to fill their respective positions
| and wanted them removed. They, on the
other hand, heartily disliked their chief,
and many things calculated 10 reflect upon
| him have been attributed to him. Added
: to this internal strife, DR.. Spencer incurred
the displeasure OF outsiders, and last Deem
Der long petition from miners in North
| Georgia was filed with the board asking for
| bis removal on the ground of incompetency
| and neglect OF dGty. The board them met
| and ordered DR.. Spencer TO make full res
THE REPORT.
After much delay beyond that time the
report was ready for the board to-day. 1t
was unsatisfactory, but rather than remove
| the geologlsts for tncompetenoy the board
| requested their designations on account of
| the want Of harmony among them. Under
| the law the biologists can be removed for
incompetency. ineficlency or misconduct
| When notified by Secretary Sans to hand
in his resignation DR.. Spencer replied In the
| following communication, which explains
| the situation.
ATLANTA, GA, March %. 1898.
! Mr.. SdnhOpe Sans, Secretary State Geo
| logical Board:
My DEAR SIR-Your esteemed favor of
! this date notifying me that lowing to the
want of harmony among the members of
the state geological survey-the chief and
the two assistant geologists-w want
| OF harmony has rendered inefficient the
| work OF surveying the state intTusted 70
them, the designations of the members
should be asked for at once.n
Because OF the want of harmony men,
toned by you, and the consequent inefi-
| cheney o. q portion OF the work of the
| geological department., both Of which were
| the result of appointing and sustaining un-
trained and incompetent geological assist
ants, and for neither of which l was
| responsible for the incompetenU work. I had
his excellency the governor my resignation,
In which | gave my reason for wishing to
| withdraw from the survey, which was rem
| dered relatively inefficient by the policy
| adopted by the board itself. [ Withdrew
that resignation, which put into the hands
of the governor on Dec. %, 1899, to be used
by him If in his judgment the interest Of
the survey made is desirable, and now de-
cline TO send in my resignation in compli.
ance with the request of the board made
| this morning.
1t may be proper to say that do
not recognize the right of
the board to demand nv
resignation, though l am aware that the
! governor, the appointing power has the
| right to remove me for incompeteucy ineffi-
ciency or misconduct. That am inefficient,
and that my work has been so, except as a
result Of the policy adopted by the board in
hampering the survey by appointing assist.
ants, known TO it to be untitled, l deny.
| That l am incompetent admits of easy is
posal by scientific men. That have been
guilty Of misconduct official or private,
also deny. Your obedient servant,
j. w, SPENCER.
DR.. Spencer declined to give up his office
unless regularly impeached, but acting
under the governors instruction, Secretary
sans took charge Of the geological Office
this afternoon and now carries the KEYS
DR.. Spencer was absent when Mr. Sans
took charge. mo steps have been taken to-
ward a REORGANIZATION Of the dam rtnapt