The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-08-11
WASHINGTON.
Legislative and Gem
eraI Topics from
the Capital.
August 3. 1908

the GeOlOglcal survey Will neceS
state thorough probing of that
bureau an that the mere cOnnec-
ton of some officials with a min
ing paper in the west, while ad-
mittedly improper will not be the
most serious thing that will be
unearthed. The charges against
the Weather Bureau are stated
in on equally well founded parti-
zan evidence to be "entirely alb
surd" and capable of full sub
sanitation" 1t is likely that
both bureaus will receive the at,
tention of the Keep Commission
and how much turns up or how
much remains hidden, is matter
of the future. There remains yet
the Navy, War and State Depart
ments to be caught in the drag
net and then the round of the de-
partments will be complete. To
be sure the State Department had
little scandal of its own some
time back, but the charges in the
Bowen Loomis case were dismiss.
ed as unfOunded and it has been
considered rather unsafe thing
to criticize high State Depart,
ment officials since then. 1t is
quite possible, however that if a
thorough investigation of the de
partment were made some queer
things might be turned up in the
line of "visits to inspect consul
lates," and other relics of previ-
Gus administrations. This is only
thrown out as a suggestion. The
Army and Navy have been singu-
larly free from serious scandals
that of Capt. Carter, being the
only time an engineer officer was
ever known to 60 wrong, while
the chances for graft in the Navy
are limited so far as the actual
service is concerned though there
are some phases of war-Ship con
struction that might stand looking
into.
The investigation in the Agrl-
cultural Department has taken a
rest for the time being. Ex-Sta
tiSticiau Hyde has announced his
intention of returning from Eng
land and this is taken as an eVi
dence of his ignorance and hon
eSty. He was severely cenSured
by his friends in Washington for
running away on the very eve Of
the investigation, and it was be
lieved to be at the personal inSti
cation of the Secretary of Agri-
culture that he decided to return.
A clever man would hardly have
put himself in such a position for
criticism and a knowingly diShon-
est one would have stayed abroad
once he got safely there. Mean
time Secretary Wilson has an
nOunced his intention to forego a
vacation this summer and to stay
at home and clean up the investi-
cation business this SUNNI err.
There is comparatively little of the
summer left for such a large Job.
1t has apparently been proved by
outside evidence that there was
nothing wrong in the Bureau of
Animal Industry in connection
with the meat liable business, but
there will probably will be "a num-
Der of disagreeable things unearth-
ed when it comes to investigating
the whole of the meat subject in
the department. 1t is claimed by
some of the smaller competitors of
the Beef Trust that they could
not get meat inspectors assigned
to their plants by the department
and were therefore prevented
from using the departments certif-
cate label and put at a disadvan-
tage especially In the export trade
where such a label is a necessity.
At the same time DR.. Salmon, the
head of the Bureau of Animal In
dustry states that he was not
given money enough to pay the
meat inspectors, that the business
of his bureau Is now running
Sc 900 to $4,000 a month over its
limit and if there is not some radi-
cal action taken by Congress he
will not be able to carry on the in
spection work next year.
That is just where the hitch has
come between the Executive De.
partments and Congress and
promises to raise considerable
trouble at the coming session.
The action of the Bureau of Ami
NAL Industry in running ahead of
it's appropriation bill comes up at
the impending session.
The supporters of the admins
tration are still busily explaining
the attitude of the executive to.
waId the coming reciprocity con.
ference. This is a very sore sub
ject both at the White House,
temporarily installed at Oyster
Bay, and in the various depart
ments where the mem bers of the
cabinet preside. The fact is that
the administration while pledged
to reciprocity and tariff revision,