Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1907-03-06
Harsh Criticism Of Mount Weather.

-" HAp'hNiluitS III luc DepdFL-
ment of Agriculture, last Saturday
submitted report to- Congress in
regard to the construction of the
Mount Weather observatory.
In commenting on the report.
the Washington Post says:
The report is the result of a
thorough investigation that has
oc upied most of the time of Mr..
LittlefieId during this session.
Seventy witnesses were examined
under oath. Nearly twelve hun
dred pages of testimony have been
printed. Sweeping recommenda-
tions are made by Mr.. Littlefield.
Mr.. Littlefield called upon Comp
troller of the Treasury Tracewell
Tor an opinion as to the legality of
money expended in the construc-
ton of the Mount Weather station.
and concurS with him in his find
ings that no legal use" was made
of the appropriation under Mr..
Moore's direction.
In answer TO a specific question
as 10 whether or not. under The
terms of tho>e appropriations. the
construction and development Of
such an institution as Mount
Weather was authorized. " Comp
troller Tracewell held that. under
existing law, there has been no
authority for tine construction or
development of the station at
Mount Weather, as constructed or
proposed to he developed" Re
plying To second question a. 10
whether the appropriations for
weather bureaus contained in the
appropriation bills for 1903 to 1906
did not contemplate at least six
completed stations. including their
instruments, furniture. supplies.
flagstaf, and storm warning
towers Mr.. Tracewell said: |
answer in the Affirmative.
To Il third question. inquirinn
whether under authority of these
same appropriations the Depart
ment of Agriculture would be au-
thorized partially TO construct any
research institution, Mr.. Trace
we'll said: Il answer in the mega
tive. As To the right of Prof.
Moore to use the appropriation
for the building and equipment of
six Weather Bureau stations each
year, solely in the purchase of
sites and the construction. and To
divert moneys from an appropria-
ton for general expenses for the
Weather Bureau To purchase
their equipment" Mr.. Tracewell
held thai 1T Is not a legal use of
this appropriation to expend it all
on buildings and draw upon other
appropriations To furnish a build
ing and provide the instruments
necessary therefor" !"
Chairman Littletield devoted
several pages of his printed report
to setting forth in detail just how
the appropriation for the Weather
Bureau had been diverted to the
Mount Weather project. and spared
no pains in making it clear that
they were unauthorized and wholly
illegal. He next turned his atten-
tion to the auditing division of the
Department of Agriculture and to
;. Il. Jacobs, chief of the miscel-
laneous division, Office of the Audi
tor, under whose supervision the
Weather Bureau appropriations
were disbursed. OF the work of
the Auditor he said:
1T seems that all these disburse-
ments referred to succeeded in get
ting through his office without
notice or question until about a
year and half ago. Upon Mr..
Jacobs being pressed for the
reasons why he reached the con
cluSion that these expenditures
were justified, he stated: This ap-
preparation Is placed in the hands
of the Secretary of Agriculture.
1t Is in the very broadeSt terms
and gives him the very widest dis
erection, and the accounting officers
would not attempt to so into A
matter of that kind.
we do not find ourselves able
to agree with Mr.. Jacobs. Instead
OF the appropriation in question
being IN the very broadeStterms
and giving him the very widest
authority, the precise contrary of
this is the fact. Ii will be observed