Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1905-08-01

Weather Bureau, under Willis L. Moore,
should also be overhauled. The erection
of an elaborate observation station in
the Blue Ridge Mountains, near Blue
mont, Va, has been criticised, the
charge being made that the place is used
largely as a summer vacation resort by
EMPLOYEES of the bureau. To this Prof.
Moore responds that every cent expended
there has been appropriated by Congress
for that purpose after plans for the sta
ton had been made public. He says
every employee there must bear his own
living expenses. The government scan
dial crop is not confined altogether to
the Agriculture Department, however.
The practice of scientists in the Geo
logical Survey and Bureau of Fisheries
utilizing material gathered by them in
The prosecution of government work for
publication in magazines in advance Of
publication in their official reports, will
probably be investigated by the Keep
commission, which has recently conf
pIeted its inquiry into the government
printing Office controversary. Some of
the magazines which have not been
favored by the scientists in question
have made complaint With the grand
Jury of the District of Columbia probing
the case of Edwin :. Holmes, jr., former
associate statistician of the Agricultural
Department, people wonder how Secre-
tarv Wilson could have been deceived
80 easily and completely by his willy SUBJ
ordinate. According to evidence an
earthed by District Attorney Beach,
Holmes won Secretary Wilson's conf
dence by one master stroke About the
time an important cotton acreage aud
condition report was due, Holmes came
10 the secretary's Office. He appeared
to be very indignant. He said that
southern Congressman had approach
ed him with an offer of large sum
of money if he would give him advance
information in regard to the forthcom-
ing report. Holmes stated that he had
spurned the proposition but felt 1t his
duty to lay the facts before the secre-
tary. Secretary Wilson was thereupon
onvinced that Holmes WAS an honest
man. He 80 declared to Richard Cheat
ham, secretary of the Southern Cotton
Growers Association, when he laid the
charges against Holmes, and related the
incident as sufficient ground for his
belief in Holiness probity. In addition
to the alleged magazine graft BY mem
bers of the scientific corps of the Geo
logical Survey, who have been writing
stories for periodicals with information
gained on government expeditions, al
legations are now being made that gov
eminent geolC gists have doomed private
mining enterprises, in some cases to the
serious embarrassment of investors. The
Keep committee has been informed of
the magazine graft and an investigation
will be made. The participation of
employees of the government in private
enterprises will also be looked into by
the committee.
An official dispatch from Tokyo to
the japanese Legation here announces
that Lieutenant General Haraguchi
proclaimed military administration over
all of Sakhalin Island on July 9Oth.
1t is said to be probable that when Mr..
Morgan H. Beach retires from the po-
sition of attorney for the District OF
Columbia on August 81, he will be re-
tanned by the government as special at
torney in the cotton leak cases. Some
weeks ago Mr.. Beach handed in his
resignation to take effect on August 81,
when he will be succeeded by ID. w.
Baker.
Col. Clarence f. Edwards has cabled
to the War Department, from Nagasaki,
that all the members of the party with
Secretary of War Taft are we'll and that
they expect to reach Manila on Saturday.
Two additional cases of yellow fever
are reported today from Panama.
1t is believed that District Attorney
Beach has practically given up hope of
maintaining successful prosecution OF
former Associate Statistician Holmes,
of the Agricultural Department. This
afternoon he indefinitely psroled Moses
Hass and f. A. Peckham, of New York,
who were alleged to have conspired with
Holmes in the publication of advance
information of government crop reports.
The Two men were before the grand jury
this morning, but stood on their con-
stitutional rights to refuse to answer any
question that would tend to incriminate
them. As the only evidence against
Holmes secured by the Department of
Agriculture, beiorethe grand jury began its
session WAS from these men, their refusal
now to testify is a serious handicap to
the governments case, and may cause
the District Attorney to drop it. Unless
evidence of a conclusive character can
be obtained from other sources, this will
likely be done.
Moses Haas and f. A. Peckham, of
New York, were before the grand jury
investigating the cotton scandal this
morning. While no news was received
of the trend of the examination, it is
understood that Haas answered the ques-
tons as to his former residence in Wash
ington and alleged connection with the
Department of Agriculture which Justice
Wright last Saturday decided were
proper. Mrs. Bertha Burch, formerly
confidential clerk to ex-Chief Stats
ticia John Hyde, was called as
witness this morning bat failed to ap-
pear at the court house. After sitting
two hours the grand jury was excused
until Thursday. Haas aud Peckham
were parolled in the custody of their
nnnnsel Marx Alter Il is believed they