The state herald., 1905-08-18
THE WEATHER BUREAU
DENIES ALLEGATIONS OF GRAFT.
Professor Moore, Chief Of the Bureau,
Makes Vigorous Statement in
Regard to Late CHANGES.

Washington, d. c.. Aug 12.-Prof.
Willis l.. Moore. chief of the United
States Weather Bureau, has issued a
signed statement denying allegations
Of graft in the management of the
weather station in the Blue Ridge
mountains, near Bluemont, Virginia,
disclaiming the existence of any irreg
ularities in the administration of his
office and offering full opportunity for
the investigation of any specific
charges by any responsible person.
Professor Moore says that no secret
service men are at work In the bureau
and scores "a few incompetent or dis
! honorable employees" dismissed from
the service and endeavoriEg to Sc
cretly reform the institution. The
statement says:
"A few days ago statement was
! published in Washington to the effect
that 1t was reported unoficially that
the secret service had dispatched
agents to the mountain station Mount
Weather of the United States Weather
Bureau), where the sleuths for the
past two days have been nosing
around.
According to the report, these
sleuths discovered that the weather
bureau was paying 50 per day for un.
skilled labor. which is twice the
amount paid laborers in the city OF
Washington, and that there is COM
plant on the part of the employers
adjacent, who only pay rs cents to 81.
Now, 1t is fact that the weather
bureau has never paid SO day to any
laborer employed at Mount Weather,
or at any other place, and II the re-
porter who wrote the statement had
taken the trouble TO ask for the privi-
lege OF examining the pay rolls of the
weather bureau, which would have
been freely placed at his disposal, he
would have saved his readers the op.
portunity of reading secretly secured
scandal. instead of openly procured
news.
II would like to have the entire pay
roll Of Mount Weather, or of any other
portion of the weather bureau, pub
lished, SO that the public may know
whether there is an extravagant man.
hgement inside of the bureau. or mall.
Il do not doubt that | have dis.
turbed the labor market In the vicinity
Of Mount Weather, and | am proud OF
the fact. for l was told of men work
Ing from sunrise to sunset for so cents
per day and board, or 75 cents per day
md they board themselves. believe
that such hours OF labor and such
wages do not contribute to the better.
ment OF American citizenship. or the
welfare Of the state. and so far as
have the power as the chief of large
government bureau shall ever strive
to alter such conditions.
"On the approval of Secretary VIII.
son. who believes In reasonable hours
OF labor annd fair wage scale, | es.
tablished wage of 81 per day for
stone masons. $3.50 for carpenters and
$i.50 for day laborers. II the sleuths
who are reported to have been nosing
around Mount Weather had been
little more yigilant. they would have
discovered that |. with the sanction OF
Secretary Wilson. established an eight
hour day, and that from fifty TO sixty
had been for some time receiving the
advantages OF such a scale and such
hours of labor.
These wages are not high or equal
to the prevailing rates in cities, and
surely they are not extravagant. Had
We been employing these people In
places where the cost OF living was
high. the wages would have been pro.
portionately greater. II this is evi.
donce OF extravaganza and bad man
agement II may ms well be told now
that the wage scale of each and every
class OF skilled and unskilled labor
In the weather bureau has been materl.
ally increased during the past eight
years by Secretary Wilson, on my rec.
ommendation.
Il believe that wherever government
officials In any measure have been
recreant to their trusts. their records
should be inquired into and they held
to a strict accountability. And also
believe that the greatest enemies OF
graft are the representatives OF the
American press. who should be given
free access TO the files and records Of
every public Office"