The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-07-19
Or. W|LEY's. CASE
TAKES new TURN
CONGRESS WANTS TO KNOW WHY
robson, HIS ASSISTANT. WAS
DROPPED.
INQUIRY IS PROPOSED
Robson. 1T IS STATED, AROUSED
WRATH OF CANNERs. WHO HAD
JAMES 8. sHERMAN ron
SPOKESMAN

WASHINGTON. July ts.-The case
OF Or. Harvey w. Wiley has become
a mere incident OF the department of
agriculture; with the practical assur-
ance that Or. Wiley viii be retained in
the service.
Congress, through the house COM
mittee on Expenditures. in the de-
partment OF agriculture. now pro-
poses searching inquiry into the no-
uyes behind the Wiley affair. A house
cleaning OF the department is regard
ed as highly necessary and the con-
Niction Is growing that In the near
future there will be complete re-
organization with new secretary Of
agriculture in charge.
The dismissal OF Floyd w Robson,
one of DIR. Wiicy's right hand men.
which was but a side light on the
case at the start. is rapidly becom-
ing the dominant feature of the case.
ReeaseH,-tp4fo -~as- feiot ed trt-t4t-s-
food and drug laboratory of the gov
ernmeqt at New York was especially
identified with the benzoate Of soda
case. one OF the celebrated fights In
which Dr, Wiley has engaged and in
which he antagonized powerful can
ming interests.
Robson Backed Wiley.
II was Robson who backed up
Wiley in his decision against benzeate
OF soda. which decision. after James
e. Sherman, now president, had
visited President Roosevelt at the
head of a delegation Of New York
Gamers, was turned over to the Rem
sen committee whose decision was
practically a reversal of nr. Wtleg's
ruling.
The matter vas left in such doubt.
however, that the state of Indiana
decided TO make test case ard
Robson became the star witness i'm
the proceeding which is attn pend
ing
All this time Robson was enrolled
In the government service as an eS-
pert chemist and being paid on a per
diem basis. II happened shortly after
he testified In the Indiana easa that
personal business called hfsn IL frF=
troi. He left New York with the un-
derstandinE that when he had con-
cluded this business he was TO re-
turn tosthe government service on the
old basis.
Robson Is Dropped.
And now comes the announce menf
that he has been dropped ny Secretary
Wilson for the good of the service
No charges were fled against him
liable man. His opinions were never
controverted except upon the ocen~
sion when the now Vice President.
James s. Sherman. led the delegation
OF Gamers 10 the White House to pro-
test against the hsnzoate of soda &c
cision.
The House committee wants tn
know about these circumstances. aud
what liz behind them.
Meanwhile the final decision in tbs
Wiley case halts, pending the receipt
by the President OF the recommends
tons of the Secretary OF Agriculture
in the case
Gets Wiles's Reply.
Or Wiieys reply was handed -
Secretary Wilson to- day and he car
ried Ii To the cabinet meeting. but M
disposition was made OF IL. and II
cause the President Is not disposed In
pleted by a recommendation from the
Secretary Of Agriculture.
There ss no reason to change thu
statement EXPRESSED last night tina.
DR. Wiley will be retained I'm the ser
vice And there Is increasing reason
for the belief that Secretary Wilson
VIII not remain In the cabinet much
longer. A strong man il needed for
the place. The two great stumbling
blocks which the administration has
encountered have come out 81 tha
Agriculture Denartment----the Pinchnt
case and the Wiley affair. strong
man would have been able 50 TO man
age beth men ~ that the complies
tons which ensued would have been
tempered of at least.