Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-02
MR.. HYDE TO RETURN
Cables the Promise to Sec
rotary Wilson.
LATTER MUCH PLEASED
COOPERATION OF FOREST SERv-
ICE WITH PRIVATE INTERESTS.
Explanation Of Jasper Wilson's Trip
to Alaska-Vice President Peters
Replies to Secretary Cheatham.


| John Hyde. formerly statistician of the
Agricultural Department who is wanted as
| a witness before the grand jury which is
| Investigating the cotton crop report scan
dial and whose absence from the United
States has caused the authorities consider
| able uneasiness, has decided to return to
| Washington.
To Secretary of Agriculture Wilson is due
| the credit for inducing Hyde to return. Mr.
| Wilson recently sent a cablegram to him.
| urging him TO return and face the music,
and today the Secretary received the fol-
| lowing cablegram from the former statis-
| ticsan:
| SOUTHPORT, England, August ..
| Returning soon possible. Letter.
| Secretary Wilson would make no COM
| ment for publication on the subject of
| 1ydes return. but it was apparent that he
was greatly pleased that the absent Stats
! t:cian had evidently decided to return to
| washington and appear before the grand
jury, to throw what light he can on condl-
| lions in the bureau of statistics under his
administration.
| Mr.. Hyde left Washington about the time
! the grand jury was convened in extraor
binary session to investigate charges of the
| leakage in the bureau of statistics. When
he resigned as chief of the bureau he agreed
| to hold himself ready to aid the Department
! of Justice in the investigation it is max
| Ing He took passage for Europe few
| days later and his departure was not learn
ed until he was beyond the jurisdiction or
| federal authorities, who wanted him as d
| witness before the grand jury.
| Reports of scandals and irregularities In
| the various branches of the Agricultural
| Depaf tment are still numerous, and 1t Will
take an investigation as exhaustive and
| thorough that which the President has
indicated must be made, until the truth Is
! known and confidence in the department is
| restored.
The Forest Service.
| Secretary Wilson, when asked today con-
| corning the charge that employees OF the
bureau Of forestry have done work for pri-
| vate interests in which the government
| should rot have been concerned, said:
| mo such charges have been made
| against the bureau of forestry. which is
| now known the forest service, through
| this department. The fact that the forest
| service has done and is doing private work
| is not remarkable discovery, since that
| fact has been given wide publicity through
my own reports the reports of the forester
| and pubiicat tons of the forest service. The
| co-opera tive work of the forest service was
| undertaken to provide a series of practical
| examples of improved treatment of private
| forest lands to encourage forest planting,
| and to further conservative methods in the
| use Of the products of the forest This
| work has been of inestimable value to the
country as a whole.
Its expenses. including labor, throughout
| have been betrayed by the people with
| whom the cooperation was carried on
I Hence at exceedingly light cost the forest
service, through It's cooperative work, has
collected data OF enormous practical useful
| ress, which is published and distributed for
| the benefit of all No piece of cooperative
| work is undertaken except under a written
| contract. which is signed both by myself
| and the co-operators. This important part
of the departments work is authorized by
Congress, approved in each instance by me-
and conducted along lines which benefit no
| one man or corporation, but which spread
| broadcast knowledge of the best Of the
| forest and It's resources, for the benefit of
| every forest owner and forest user, great
| and small.
| Jasper Wilson's Alaska Trip.
| Secretary Wilson also had something TO
| say concerning the criticisms that have
| been directed against him and his son and
private secretary. Jasper Wilson, in con-
nection with the latters Alaskan trip of a
year and half ago.
There was a dispute" said Secretary
| Wilson, between the miners of Alaska
and other people not living in the territory,
| with regard to the condition Of the game
! there. 1t had been reported to me by some
| OF our scientists that the game was abund-
ant and the supply in no danger of exhaus-
! ton. Delegations from Alaska came here
protesting bitterly against sending any
body in there with permission to shoot and
bring out trophies.
Congress had given me power to grant
permits and we were giving them freely for
awhile. Foreign noblemen wanted to go
in there. shoot. and get trophies and they
| would shoot and shoot until they got as
| good specimen as they wanted, leaving
the carcasseS of the othe4s to rot. The
miners claimed that they lived there In the
| winter, and that the game a resource
| which often stood between them and star
walton. They thought it ought to be left
| there FOR their use.
$50 here was the dspute-there was a
demand for permits to hunt. kill and bring
| out trophies, and / wanted to know the real
| facts. l sent my private secretary up there
| with certain Instructions as to where to go
| and what to find out, and he was to bring
| back report to me. This he did. He was
| salaried officer here. The department
| paid his actual travelling expenses of
course. 1 send men all over the world for
| Information and for this and for that
| Upon receipt of my private secretary's
report l shut down on the granting of per-
mitS to every body except persons represent
Ing museums and other educational insti-
| tutons. Since that time no permits have
| been given. There is one point remaining
| to be determined. and one only. and that 1
| cannot decide without more information. 1t
| is whether the heads of animals killed In
| the winter for meat might not be brought
| out for trophies. / think they might be,
| provided We make some arrangement to
| have 1t done without encouraging pit hunt
| ing. So the matter rests at this time
| Secretary Cheatham Departs.
| Secretary Richard Cheatham of the South
| ern Cotton Growers Association left Wash
| ington this morning for Atlanta, Ga, where
| he will consult President Harve Jordan and
| other officials and members of the associa-
| ton. as to the next move in their campaign
! for the reorganization and strengthenin of
| the method of preparing and publishing the
| government cotton crop reports. The Off
GERS of the association are unit in the be-
| lief that the cotton crop reports are good
| thing. and should be continued, but they do
| not think that any plan that Secretary Will
| son has proposed is likely to re-establish
confidence in the bureau of statistics of the
| Agricultural Department Mr.. Cheatham
| gave up the hotel apartments which he has
| occupied since he came to Washington. and
| 1t is understood that he will remain out of
| the city for several weeks. He is expected
| to return. however, at the close of the pro-
! s6sa do. s.tiah iil