Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-13

than the amount limited by provision Of
the act Of March 4. 1907. namely $500
per annum."
This question the. Attorney General
answered In the negative"
New Arrangement Made.
DR.. Rusby's compensation was then re-
duced to the rate Of $500 per annum'
which, pro rated throughout the year
amounted to about 50 a day. which
seemed to have been Objectionable to Dr.
Rusby, who advised DR.. Kebler, chief OF
the drug laboratory, that unless bet
ter arrangement could be made ne couid
not continue. Thereupon. according TO
the Attorney Generals opinion. DR.. keb-
Ter, DR.. Bigelow and DR.. Wiley united in
an arrangement whereby they were to
satisfy DR.. Rusby's demand for increas-
ed compensation and evade the provisions
of law applicable to the employment OF
scientific experts in the bureau. Pur-
Suant to this arrangement, DIR. WHEY SUD-
mttted to the Secretary Of Agriculture for
his approval an appointment of DR..
Rusby as pharmacognosist at 81 600 per
annum on the miscellaneous roll. paid
from the fund appropriated FOR general
expenses bureau of chemistry nj food ta and d
This appointment was signed by the
Secretary and transmitted to DR.. Rus
by. Prior thereto. however, and on
January q. 1911, DIR. Bigelow wrote DR..
Rusby, stating, among other things:
'Kebler and | took the matter UP with
DIR. Wiley today, and he said he would
approve it if We had on record an under
standing with you so that we could not be
held responsible for your receiving an an
nual salary and not devoting your whole
time to the bureau I told him that If
you Were given an appointment at the
rate or $1IO q month you would agree not
to receive more than $40 day for time
Actually annlAvod RV that Il mean the
usual official day of seven and one-halr
hours. This would be equivalent to eight
and one-haf days a month on the aver
age. l told him that IL it happened that
your work for the department amounted
on the average to less time than that you
would ask for leave Of absence for suf-
hcient time to bring 1T to that basis
Better Than Old Plan.
DR.. Rusby wrote that he did not fully
understand the language of DR.. Bigelow's
letter, but supposed it meant If he did
not earn the entire 5000 at the rate
agreed upon (at that time they were talk
ing about a salary at the rate Of $1,000
per annum. the rate being later fixed at
$1,000 he would not expect to receive any
more than was SO earned.
When the appointment was issued and
sent to DR.. Rusby, DR.. Bigelow wrote
to him. saying:
feTSOndlly L CHlllk tOlS is lar Dett6r
than the former arrangement. You are
now assured of getting a certain amount
each month irrespective of the time spent,
and you can still plan your work so as
to interfere with your regular duties to
q minimum extent
DIR. Rusby, however, was not sure about
this, and March 8. 1911. wrote to DR..
Bigelow, stating that before accepting the
appointment he desired to secure informa
ton on several points, so as to ascertain
whether he would be in q worse position
financially under the new appointment
than under the old one. In this letter he
said:
Kindly recall that on my side the basis
of compensation is not less than $50 per
day. At that rate only eighty days work
per year are provided for, and that is
not time enough to satisfactorily perform
more than the current port work here,
leaving no time for examination of inter-
state samples. especially microscordcaI
examinations or for attendance at court.
For every day at court, on the average,
one day of preparation is required.
THE above facts lead to the inquiry:
Would not the salary named compel me
to either do very much more than eighty
days work per year, or otherwise fail
to do the necessary amount of work in
a satisfactory manner