The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-14
STATSTICIAN HYDE MUST GO.
HE MAY BE TRANSFERRED TO
SOME OTHER OFFICE.
Another Employee OF the Division OF Stats
tics VIII Soon BE Dismissed-Investi-
cation or Cotton Scandal Begun
Secretary Wilson VIII Not Resign.

Secretary Wilson VIII Not Resign
WASHINGTON. July I3.-John Hyde
chief statistician In the Department OF
Agriculture. will not long remain In thai
| position. Whether he will be transferred
to some other office or let out Of the service
altogether is not known. That is detail
that will be attended to when the time
comes The Southern Cotton Growers
Association, through its secretary, Richard
Cheatham, is after Mr.. Hyde's scalp, and
it IL understood that assurances have been
given that Mr.. Hyde will not be permitted
to continue as chief statistician.
The associa ton has not attacked Mr.
Hyde's integrity. They have proceeded
against him on the ground that he lacks
administrative ability and that the In
vestigation now in progress will demonstrate
that while Mr.. Hyde may be eminent as a
sta tistician, as a business man he does
not come up to modern standards.
Another employee OF the Division Of
Statistics, it IL understood, will soon be
separated from the Government service.
This is stenographer who has grown
prosperous during the last few years on a
small salary. This stenographer owns a
handsome residence, and last year went
to Europe with $1,000 to spend, and with
the intention of remaining abroad until all
OF 1t was gone" This employee, while
occupying humble position, il said to be
all powerful, and to have carried things
with q high hand.
United States Distri ct Attorney Morgan
n. Beach has begun his investigation OF
the cotton leak scandal. This inquiry
will for the present have to do only with the
-leaks" OF information and the juggling
Of figures in the division Of statistics, but
1t may be that the Department OF Justice,
through its special agents, will be directed
to undertake an investigation OF the whole
Department. That all the bureaus in the
belief. but whether the work will he done
by the Attorney General, the Secret Service
or Secretary Wilson himself is understood
to be detail that has not yet been settled.
Secretary Wilson today authorized a
denial Of the report that he intends to re-
sign. When asked his intention as to
investigating the Department he said:
II | should decide that such an investi-
CATION Ia necessary | would not go about
1t with a brass band. There Is no oppor-
kind of crookedness that was found in the
Post Office Department. SO far, upon
my initiative, | have done everything l
considered necessary
John Hyde to-day made a reply to the
criticisms of Mr.. Cheatham of the Southern
Cotton Growers Association as to the con-
duct of the division of statistics but he
refused to pay any attention to the ref1ec-
tons upon himself
81, is unnecessary that IL reply to Mr.
Il will make only this statement In Mr..
Holmes, who was my associate and not
my subordinate, l had the most implicit
confidence. He was apparently most cap
able, and no suggestion of mine for further
safeguarding the figures, as thought, was
I'm 1903 I was absent from the bureau
for eight months, partly on account of i'll
ness. and when returned was still 80 i'll
that Mr. Holmes continued for some time
practically in charge During that eight
months and for some time thereafter the
associate statistician was the trusted man
in the compilation of the reports. 1t was
impossible that subordinates in the bureau
should have conspired with him. Under the
system he alone could have been guilty of
wrongdong."
1t is understood. however. that the cotton
men have evidence that there was collusion
between Holmes and other employees of
the department which will be forthcoming
at the proper time.
An interesting situation has been de-
veloped through the publication to-day Of
the letter OF Walter c. Hubbard. president
OF the New York Cotton Exchange, adj
dressed to President Roosevelt, in which
the writer declared that the members of
the exchange had been greatly shocked
by the recent disclosures OF venslity in
the Department OF Agriculture" and re-
questng full investigation Of the methods
which led to the corruption, with view of
the possibility Of recurrence.
The letter is believed here to be the out
come of recent correspondence between |
Secretary Wilson and Mr.. Hubbard. in |
which the latter called upon the Secretary |
to make him public apology because he
attention to alleged leaks and that no notice !
had been given the suggestion. /