The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-07-13
History of Correspondence Between
Hubbard and Wilson.
(By the Associated Press.) }

81
| Washington, July PA new and
interesting phase of the cotton leak
| investigation was developed today
through the publication of the letter
of Walter G.. Hubbard, president of
! the New York Cotton Exchange, ad-
dressed to President Roosevelt in
which the writer declared that the
members of the exchange had been
greatly shocked by the recent disclos-
ures of venalty in the Department of
Agriculture, and requesting a full in
veStigation of the methods which led
to the corruption with a view of pre-
venting the possibility of recurrence.
That letter is believed here to be the
outcome of recent correspondence be-
tween Secretary Wilson and Mr.. Hub
bard, in which tn letter called upon
the secretary to make him a public
apology because he had some years
ago called the secretary's attention TO
alleged leaks, and that no notice had
been given the suggestion. The sec
retary wrote a tart reply in which he
informed Mr.. Hubbard that he owed
no one an apology in the light Of
having done his duty to the best of his
ability and that when he got anything
that looked like facts he promptly
sent to the secret service officers to
hunt them down.
The case III question.
The case to which Mr.. Hubbard re-
fererd in his recent letter to the sec
retary occurred in 1900 On Decem-
Der 20 of that year, Mr.. Hubbard
sent the secretary certain papers
showing that a Mr.. Steinberger wanted
to sell information to New York
Cotton brokerage firm, claiming that
he could get it in advance from the
department. Secretary Wilson imme-
diately turned the matter over to the
secret service officers, but in about
week Chief Wilkie reported that lit
looks like an attempt of Steinberger
to abuse the New York firm" After
allowing two months TO elapse and
not hearing anything further. the sec
retary on March 26. 1901, called upon
the secret service for information as
to whether they had made any dis
coveries. On the following day Secre-
tary of the Treasury Gage replied as
follows:
"The action of this man who wanted
to sell information was done with the
hope of being able to sell information
but as matter of fact his efforts to
obtain the advance information failed,
as he received no assistance from the
person in Washington upon whom ne
depended for information"
Hubbard's Mistake.
This report of Mr.. Gage was trans
mitted to Mr.. Hubbard by Secretary
Wilson the next day, and the mat
ter was allowed to drop. But in Janu-
airy, 1902. Mr. Hubbard complained of
having been advised that Southern
ginners were sending to the depart
ment returns of their ginning opar
ations bearing date of December %
or %, "and,' said Mr.. Hubbard, Il
am unable to understand why addi
uonal returns from ginnerS should be
obtained, Since the result is to be pub
lished."
1t seems, however, that the Depart
ment of Agriculture had not called
for any ginners' statistics at that time, |
but that the circulars had been issued |
from the Census Bureau.
In the same month Mr.. Hubbard |
wrotes the Department of Agriculture |
asking for certain information on cot
ton, but the secretary, in the course |
of a sharp letter denying the request, !
written under date of January II. |
1902, said
eve take the ground here that |
goes out unless it goes to the |
whole people. We have no fayorites.'
Secretary Wilson today permitted an |
examination of the correspondence in |
order to show that as far back as
five years ago he had taken prompt |
action to discover any leaks in his
office.