Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-18
Agricultural Department Investiga-
ton.
To the Editor of The Star.

To the Editor of The Star.
When a practical surveyor is called upon
to locate and define definitely a certain
tract of land concerning which a contro-
versy has arisen he has recourse to the
original field notes. These give him the
proper starting point witness marks direc-
tions and distances, and enable him to ac-
complish his task with comparative ease
and absolute accuracy.
i have read with much interest the pro-
ceedings published In the papers touching
the giving out of statistics relating to the
cotton crop. AS the result of faithful In
vestigation one dismissal has occurred, and
the announcement is made in some papers
that the chief statistician of the depart
ment, John Hyde. is slated to go at an early
date. Notwithstanding his supposed aid in
prosecuting the investigation in which he
may be caught in the meshes.
1t may aid the general reader to follow
this investigation more carefully and sue
cesSfully if few facts shall be clearly
stated.
Under Superintendent of the Census Rob-
ert Peel Porter there were. in 1890, several
important divisions which We're presided
over by fellow Englishmen. The first of
these was that of wealth, debt, taxation
and local government, under the admin
istration of one T. Campbell Copeland, an
unnaturaliZed lieutenant from the English
army. He violated his obligations by CIV
ing out clandestinely and prematurely GER
tain figures which were intended for politf-
cal purposes. This occurred in 1890, and
his services We're summarily dispensed with.
Another division of equal Importance
was that of agriculture, the special agent
in charge of which was John Hyde, an
other Englishman. and nom chief stat
istician of the Agriculture Department. In
the months of March and April, 1891, as
II -
No. 1888 of first session, sd Congress
dated July Is. 1892. Mr.. Hyde did just
what is charged against his bureau at
present, viz: He gave out without author
ity and in violation of his oath of Office
the statistics that belonged to the govern
ment In other words, he employed three
clerks for three weeks from O'Clock in the
evening until midnight to copy the names.
post Office addresses, acreage, etc, of
farmers in the Rocky mountain and Pacific
regions who irrigated their lands. This in
formation, of the most valuable character,
was disposed of to an agricultural paper
in Denver, Colo, and the men were paid
by checks drawn by him on a local bank
= In this case the responsibility could not
be shifted upon subordinate. Mr.. Hyde
assumed 1t all. even to the granting of
passes to the three men and the giving OF
orders to the night Waterman to admit
the clerks to the rooms containing the
schedules
Having been a member of Hyde's agri-
cultural division, / am personally cogni-
zant of these facts, and proclaimed them at
the time. If Mr.. Hyde ever experienced a
change of heart, the public has not learned
it. In the language of Scripture, Evil men
and seducers shall wax worse and worse"
While this evil doing then does not neces-
sarly connect him with the alleged evil
doing now, it hints strongly in that direc-
ton. 1t at least gives good reason for sus-
pecting his official integrity and affords a
clue for conducting a rigid examination in
every department OF the agricultural insti-
tuition with which he is OF has been con-
nected. Let no guilty man escape"
]. PRAISE RICHARD.