New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-02-21
Il LIVELY DISPUTE.
Board of Trade Committee 4rraigned
By Commissioner Foulke.
Try TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.

Washington Feb 20-A sharp arraignment of
the committee appointed by the National Board
of Trade TO inquire into agricultural tstcs and
recent editorial utterances of one Of its mem
bers is made in letter which Civil Service Com
missioner William Dudley Foulke to-day sent 10
Charles H. Murray. of Cincinnati, Editor of Muir
rays Price Current and member of the com
mittee. Mr.. Foulke accuses Mr. Murray and the
committee as body of making serious charges,
against a branch of the federal government and
then declining to furnish either specifications or
evidence to those whose official duty it is to make
investigation
charged that the statistical division of the Depart
of Agriculture is organized under pontcai
influences making it lmpractcable for the stausu-
clan reconstruct the service on a basis OF qnai-
fcation and efficiency. Mr.. Foulke now returns
to the fray with the charge that the Civil Service
Commission, whose duty 1t is to inquire into the
evils complained of. called Mr.. Murray to In
form it in what respect these influences exist. by
whom they exerted and the source of the in
formation. and says that this information was
not furnished" Mr.. Foulke adds:
asked you to let me see the testimony which which
You had taken and upon which you based f, your your
being employed in the division of statistics. and
asked if found that old men were thus empIoyen
that they Were kent in by political influence
answered that it might be politics or II might be
wholly as matter of inference that you charged gee
comnlttee) denied this with energy, insisting that
you had specific information, but although asked
] was not able to find what II was, Mr.. Harvey
saying that il was confidential
1t is hard to understand either the public spirit
or the reliability OF those who thus publish serious
charges against branch of the federal govern
ment, and then decline to furnish either sreclhcd
tons evidence to those whose official duty 1t is
to investigate The public must judge how far the
so-called report of your committee of inquiry into
agricultural statistics is entitled to credit re
spect when those who sign and publish 1t decline
substantate or even TO specify their charges.
1t hardly lies in the mouth of any of the authors
of such charge, when refusing to substantiate 1t.
to say. 1T is not plain to that the commission
need find much difficulty in discovering the cond-
tons which justify it, 1t is upon you and your
committee that we have the right to call for the
specific information.
However, Statistcian Hyde is of the opinion that
by political influences the committee does not
mean partisanship. IF this harmless meaning was
intended by your committee charge such as you
have made should have been couched in the Ian
guage you have used. and your words ought to
be modified retracted with as much publicity as
given to your original report If, on the other
hand. the charge you made IT was true, why
were you willing good citizens to cooper
at with our commission in investigating IT? very
respectfully W. ID. FOUbhE