West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1905-07-20
And Now the Department Of Gsri.
culture is 10 be Investigated
For Selling Advance
INFORMATION TO SPECULATORS.
And The ouartermaster's Depart
msnt Of The Army and The
Government Printing Office
Come Next.
From Our Regular Correspondent.

| 'Nt'b - ~ july ~ 1905.
The President, at least, has been
made to appreciate that there is q
large sized scandal involved in the
1eak" in the Bureau OF Statistics
of the Department of Agriculture
and has stirred his Secretary OF Ag-
riculture up with sharp stick. A
day or two ago Secretary Wilson
was saying that the incident was
closed, that no further investigation
would be conducted and that there
was nothing more to be said on the
matter. Twenty-four hours later
he h a Il determined to cause a
thorough investigation of the entire
Bureau Of Statistics and had turned
the evidence in the case over to the
Acting Attorney General so that
the latter might ascertain if the cvi.
dence constituted basis for Grim
inal prosecution. Now the Acting
Attorney General has transmitted
the evidence to the District Attor-
ney and it is assn med that the Dis
trict Attorney will Immediately take
steps TO bring the matter to the at
tention of the grand jury.
Meanwhile, information has
reached not only the Secretary Of
Agriculture, but the President as
well, indicating that the leaks in the
Bureau of Statistics have been go
ing on for long time and have
concerned practically all the crops
on which the government makes
official reports, Wheat, corn, oats
and cotton have all been reported
in advance to certain spectators
so that they could take advantage
of the governments information and
secure profits at the expense of the
farmers to which they were in no
way entitled. How much money
has been made by the guilty persons
in the Department of Agriculture
and by the SPECTATORS in this man
ner no one can possible estimate
but there is reason to believe that
it may have amounted to millions
of dollars.
No one believes that Secretary
Wilson was himself responsible for
this condition Of affairs beyond the
fact that he was what is popularly
termed "easy" in his dealings with
all his subordinates. Probably no
one believes John Hyde, Chief of
the Bureau Of Statistics TO have
been dishonesty connected with the
leaks but most people believe that
Mr.. Hyde cannot be held to be
blameless, that he failed IN his duty
to prevent leaks and in trusting
| Holmes, the associate statistician
to an unwarranted degree and that
he has demonstrated, despite Secre-
tary Wilson'S contrary opinion, his
unitness TO remain IN the response
bic position he now holds.
The truth is that the Department
OF agriculture has long and quietly
been approaching a climax in its
affairs for the reason that it is not
properly organized. Secretary viii
son is man with an almost holy
respect for science which makes
him the victim Of numerous scienti
hc enthusiasts, not to say cranks.
If the Secretary Of Agriculture is TO
be himself a scientist he should at
least have plain, practical business
man for Assistant Secretary and the
Department would be even better
of with a plain practical busines s
man al It's head and a scientist for
Assistant Secretary. Scientists are
proverbally lacking in sound bust.
ness sense In administrative ability
and what applies to each of the
scientific bureaus. an ideal oreani-
zations would consist Of a Secretary
guided only by hard common
sense and business experience,
whose Assistant Secretary was a
scientist while each bureau had q,
It's head a scientist with practical
business man for assistant With
such an organization the scienuf,
enthusiasts would be compelled to
demonstrate 20 the Secretary The
utility Of The various lines Of work
they proposed 20 undertake and
when such lines were undertaken
I the assistant chiefs OF the bureaus
would be able to. look after the busi
ness end Of each line of work. TO
accomplish such reorganization,
however il would be necessary to