The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-08-10
WASHINGTON.
From our Regular Correspondent.

From present developments In
Washington it seems that the gov
ernment investigating committee
will have plenty to do in the prob
ing line for some time to come be-
fore 1t has accomplished its great
task of cleaning out the corruption
in the federal departments. The
graiters seem to have operated with
great impunity and success in the
various departments under the ad.
ministration of the G.. o. p Graft
ers' Own Party-and if the Keep
Commission is thorough in its work
there will likely be some interesting
and sensational discoveries as a re-
suit of the Investigations.
.*4
There are indications that the
microbe of Graft has innoculated
certain employees and Off :ials Of the
Geological Survey, and even the
weather making bureau whose
prophetic utterauces have been
under suspicion for many days, will
probably have to face some charges
relative to running a Summer
annex" or resort in the Blue Ridge
Mountains. Several employees Of
The survey, whose names appear in
the list of Especial editors" on the
editorial rage of the Mining World.
a scientific publication issued at
Chicago, have denied that they re-
ceived compensation for their ser
vices, or that they have received
pay for articles they have contri.
buted to this publication and other
journals. They also declare that
they will have their names with.
drawn from the published staff Of
the Mining World. Mr.. X. 7.
Hill, formerly Of the survey, admits
that he used information secured
while in the service of the govern
ment for his magazine and news
paper articles, and that he received
remuneration for the articles. He
thinks it was all right. Neverthe-
less, the geological survey will
probably come under the probe of
the investigating committee, and
the Mt. Weather resort Of the
weather bureau will also likely be
a subject of the committees atten-
tion.
XXX
Secretary Wilson has received
word from John Hyde. former sta
tistician of the department, to the
effect that the latter will return to
Washington from Europe, so that
he may be used as witness before
the grand jury which is investigat-
ing the cotton crop report scandals.
Secretary Wilson is having few
troubles of his own these days with
the cotton leak" business the
charge that the employees of the
bureau of forestry have dore work
for private interests; and with the
insinuations that probably the trip
of his own son, Jasper Wilson, to
Alaska and its gold mines, at gov.
ernment expense, was not wholly
within the bounds of propriety. 1t
is believed that there will be more
interesting developments than have
yet been disclosed in complete in
vestigation of the Agricultural De-
partment. In the Post Office De-
partment scandals, irregularities
were discovered first in the salary
and allowance division, but deeper
probing brought to light long list
of glaring frauds and Irregularities.
So it is believed that with the in
vestigation Of the Agricultural De-
partment other and more serious
frauds than have yet been revealed
will be uncovered before the inquiry
is at an end.
Xxx
A series of questions relating to
the work of the departments has
been sent to the heads of the de-
partments by Chairman Keep of
the investigating committee. There
are Io7 questions in the list divided
into FIVE heads-twenty.two relat
ing to the organization of each de-
partment; seventeen to its person
mel; twenty-five to correspondence