Evening star., 1905-08-16
A LIST OF QUESTIONS
SENT TO SCIENTISTS IN DEPART
MENT OF AGRICULTURE.

The investigation ordered by Secretary OF
Agriculture Wilson. with a view to ascer-
tanning whether any OF his subordinates
own stock or are In any other way inter
ested in or connected with any company OF
Individual having business dealings with
the Agricultural Department, Is now IN
nroeress and reports from the various
chiefs OF bureaus will be ready FOR MI
Wilson when he returns to Washington on
Friday 1t is not believed that the inquiry
will develop any facts Of great importance
which have hitherto remained undiscovered
but 1t Is certain that the probing and prod
ding to which every scientist in the depart
ment has been subjected by the individual
examination plan under which the inquiry
is being conducted have resulted In much
dissatisfaction and considerable Ill feeling.
By order of the Secretary the following
list Of questions has been submitted by the
various chiefs of bureaus to the scientists
undcr them, and shows very plainly the
searching and even personal nature OF
some of the interrogations:
by direction of the honorable the Secre-
tary, you will please answer at once. fully
and in detail, each Of the following ques-
tions, writing your answers on the oppo-
site side of this sheet:
20 Have you now, or during the past
three years have you had any business re
lations with outside parties, or with par
ties in the department, for the purpose of
deriving pecuniary benefit therefrom, where
such relations involve the use of expert
knowledge gained by reason of your work
in the department?
"(2) Do you own. or are you interested
in any way. in any stocks. bonds or other
certificates Of any company or institution
listed on the principal stock exchanges?
"(3) Are you now or have you been in
terested in the last two or three years in
any speculations involving the purchase or
sale Of any stocks or commodities on mar
gins?
"(4) Do you own, or have you recently
owned, any stock, bond OF certificates or
have you any other interest In any COM
pany firm or corporation, or individual en-
terprise which Is now or has been or is in
partment either in the purchase or sale
of materials in which the department may
be in any way interested?
VERY truly, yours,
- -. Chief of Bureau"
Some of the scientists in the department
who are not in any way connected with
outside concerns, and who could and did
answer every one of the above questions in
the negative, have, however. their own pri-
vate views as to the propriety of some of
the interrogations. Several of them In
fact have nearly reached the resignation
point, and would have been out Of the gov
ernment service by now had not the wise
counsel of friends prevailed As it is, con-
ditions are anything but peaceful in the va
rious bureaus, and strong protest will
undoubtedly be made to Secretary Wilson
upon his return to Washington from Chi
cago in connection with the manner in
which the inquiry is being conducted.
Another inquiry now in progress at the
department, about which but little has been
heard, has to do with the ownership by
scientists of farms on which work related
in any way to experiments or labors under
taken by the Department of Agriculture
has been or is being conducted.