The Washington times., 1905-08-10

Willis L Moore. chief Of the Weather
Bureau. today gave out a statement in
which ne elnphatically denied the re-
cent reports that the mountain station
Of the United States Weather Bureau
was being Investigated by the Secret
Service men. Mr.. Moore's statement fol-
lows:
a few days ago a statement was
published in Washington to the effect
that 1t was reported UnofficialIy that
the Secret Service had dispatched
agents 20 the mountain station Nft
Weather, of the United States Weather
Bureau, where the sleuths for the past
two days have been nosirg around. "
According to the report, these sleuths
discovered that the Weather Bureau
was paying So per day for unskiIied
labor. which is twice the amount paid
laborers in the city of Washington, and
that there is complaint on the part of
adjacent employers who only paw -
cents TO ST. A little farther down the
report says: What discoveries have
Eeen made regarding the conduct Of
Mt Weather by the Secret Service, If il
be true that they are conducting an
Investigation, are being kept secret"
No "Nosing Around"
In answer I beg leave. to say that the
Inconsistency of this report is on a par
with previous efforts to manufacture
scandal in the Weather Bureau. | know
that no Secret Service agents are a+
work in the bureau and If they are they
surely would not be foolish 10 go nos
ing around Mt. Weather for the mr.
pose Of getting information thar tbcv
could easily obtain by applying to the
central Office in Washington, for there
are no matters connected with the ad-
ministration of the weather service tbat
are not open to the fun inspection Of
any reputable inquired
The only persons that are practising
secrecy, or that need the services of
secret detectives, are a few incornDetnnt
or dishonOrablc persons that have been
dismissed from the weather service for
the good OF the latter and who are nouy
cndeaVorinS to secretly reform. an
services.
Bureau has never paid 50 a day TO any
laborer employed at Mt. Weather or
At any other place. and if the reporter
who wrote that statement had taken the
trouble 10 ask for the privilege of ex-
amining the payrolls of the Weather
Bureau, Which would have been freely
placed at his disposal. he would have
saved his readers the opportunity of
reading secretly secured scandal Instead
of openly procured news ! would IKE
TO have the entire payroll OF Mt. Wealth.
er. or OF any other portion OF the
Weather Bureau. published. so that the
public may know whether there is an
eEtraVagant mana cement inside of t7a
bureau. or malicious Justification on the
outside.
Il do not doubt that have distrrh,.d
the labor market in the vicinity of Mr.
Weather. and ! am proud Of the fact
for ! was told of men working from sun
rise {" sunset for 50 cents per dav and
board, or IS cents per dav and tho
board themselves. I believe that such
hours OF labor and such wage do nor
contribute TO the betterment of Ameri
can citizenship or 10 the welfare Of the
State and so far as I have the power
as the chief of a large Government I'M
rcau I shall ever strive 10 alter such
conditions.
With Mr.. Wilson's Approval.
with the approval of Secretary VII
sou. who believes in reasonable hours of
labor and a fair wage scale, establish
I'd a wage of So per day for stone ma
sons. $3.50 for carpenters. and $3.50 for
day laborers. If the sleuths who ora
to have been 'nosing around
Mt Weather had been little more viei- |
lant they would have discovered tbpt |
had also, with the sanction of the g..