The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-08-17
WILEY RIDDLES his ACCUSERS
CASE AGAINST HIN BASED ON
LETTER THAT WASN'T SENT
Aud when He Was Before the Personnel
board They Didn't Tell Him what the
Evidence Was His Recommends tS0ns
Turned Down by secretary wilson.

w aug w. "
, Wiley. whofor 'wenty eight years has been
at the head Of the Governments bureau
of chemistry and who has been called
the father Of the pure food law" was
his own witness to-day before the House
Committee on Expenditures in the Agri-
cultural Department The committee has
been trying for several weeks to find
out why some officials of the Department
were so anxious TO get rid OF DR.. Wiley
and " II really was true that he had been
hindered and hampered in his efforts
TO enforce the food and drug act passed
several years ago.
The only charge made against DR..
Wiley 10y the committee on personnel
Of the Agricultural Department was that
he arranged with his assistant. Or Bigelow,
and with DR. Kebler. chief OF the food
and drug division of the bureau, to en-
ploy improperly and illegally DR.. Rusby,
dean of the NewYork College of Pharmacy.
at salary Of SI,6o0 a year. The per-
sonnel board based it's recommendation
that Wiley and Bigelow he permitted to
resign and that Keber be reduced largely
upon two letters. one from Rusby to
Wiley and one from Bigelow to Rusby.
which, the hoard cont ended. demon
strated the existence of some secret
arrangement" to employ Rusby illegally.
DR.. Wiley attacked this contention
effectively 10 day. He testified that the
charge against him was based on letter
which he had never seen. In other words
he showed not only by his own testimony
but by DR.. Rusby's declaration under
L.. 4
never been sent. Or. Rusby after writing
the letter learned that DR.. Wiley had
left Washington and so destroyed the
original. but he left copy Of il in his
files. which, according to his testimony
he later inadvertently furnished to the
Department The personnel board took
this copy, struck out that portion which
made the proposed arrangements de-
pendent entirely upon the approval of
the Secretary Of Agriculture. and leaving
just enough to indicate that some I'M
authorized and improper contract was
being consummated by the officials Of
the bureau Of chemistry. recommended in
it's report the dismissal Of Wiley and
BiGelow and the reduction of kebler.
just what Attorney General Wicker
sTuIH Will uc W1tfl lie ledTnS tnHt ne aD-
proved this recommendation on the basis
ofareport which was incomplete and which
omitted essential portions of important
letters is problematical. 1t is considered
certain, however. that as a result of dis
closures up to date before the Moss COM
mittee he will demand that all the docu-
ments in the case be laid before him. and
he may reconsider his findings in the light
of this additional evidence
DR.. Wiley was emphatic to-day in his
declaration that he had never even seen
the Rusby letter and that he knew abso-
| lutely nothing of secret arrangement or
contract with the pharnacognocist He
added that when he was hauled before the
personnel board and examined he had
absolutely no intimation Of the charge
against him and that his first knowledge
on he subject came two months later,
when he learned hat the board had recom-
mended that he be permitted to resign
But DR.. Wiley did more to-day than
merely furnish this surprise. He tes. .ified
that Solicitor McCabe of the Department
of Agriculture and Or F. L. Dunlap.
associate chemist OF the bureau of chem
istry. had invariably been most antago-
TO the records of the bureau of chemistry,
which demonstrated that about two
thirds Of the cases considered by DR. Wley
had been overruled by Dunlap and McC abe.
the two other members of the food and
drug inspection board In a hundred cases
in which Wiley and Dunlap lad agreed on
the first vote and McC abe had issAntat.
DR. Wiley testified Dunlap had immedi.
atelv changed his vote and sided with
McCabe
When YOU and DR. Dunlap disagreed ;"
Representative Floyd inquired. how
many times were you sustained by
Nice be-"
Never" replied DR.. Wiley. except
on my decision that rye whiskey must be
made from rye
How many cases have he en- passed
on by the board?'
From | 500 to 1000 said DR.. Wiley.
an about 100 cases where DR.. Dunlap
agreed with me at first and the solicitor
disagreed with both of us DR.. Dunlap
changed in every case to agree with the
solicitor"
DR.. Wiley told the committee most
emphatically that the result of these over
rulings was to squander and waste all
the money spent in preparing the cases
by the chemistry bureau. He said that
so far as he knew all appeals to Secretary
Wilson from the rulings Of the board had
been turned down, He had appealed
personally in two important cases.
"One case he said, was the question
Of the branding OF gluten -four where /
believed the health of diabetic patients
was directly threatened, The other was
in relation to the use of sulphur dioxide
in food
At this point DR., Wiley read his strong
letters Of protest to the Secretary against
the rulings OF the board in these cases
! Have you copy of Secretary Wilson,
reply'' Chairman Moss inquired
Il never received one" DR.. Wiley
answered,
Were you sustained in either OF these
cases."
/ Il was not" the witness answered
! DR.. Wiley showed great feeling on the
witness stand.