The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1911-08-17
WILEY GOES On
THE STAND IN
OWN DEFENSE
PURE FOOD INSPECTOR BRANDS
AS FALSE CHARGES
AGAINST HIM.
The Indiana Man Has For Years
Served the Country Faithfully, Do
ing Much to Prevent Food Adult
teration.


Washington, Aug. 16.-Dr. Harvey
Wiley, mead OF the government chem
istry oL- eau and ceAtral figure iu the
agricultural fep2. .tment's pure food
controversy before the house investi-
eating committee, today branded as
false the statements of the pers )nnel
board, which recommended hin for
dismissal.
He told how DR.. F. L. Dunlap, asso-
ciate chief of his bureau, and S)lici-
tor McCabe of the department, repeat
edly voted in the pure food ann drug
inspection board, of which Wiley was
member. Wiley said he was state
chemist of Indiana when in 1888, he
was appointed the governments chiee
chemist.
Il took very active part in all
steps leading up to the pure food law"
said Wiley. Il began in 1883 an at
tempt at scientific investigation of
adulteration of foods and took an ac-
tive part in all efforts to secure sucn
law"
He explained that the pure food law
authorizes his bureau to investigate
all foods to determine whether they
are misbranded or adulterated.
DO you then certify your findings
to the secretary of agriculture?" ask
ed Representative Floyd of Arkansas.
"We used to-"
"What was the next change in the
administration of the law?"
The appointment of a food and
drug inspection board. At first hear
-ings We're held before the bureau OF
chemistry. Then they were trans
ferred to this board
Continu ously Blocked.
rs DR.. Dunlap a chemist?"
"Yes."
c"Is Solicitor McCabe a chemist?"
Not that l know Of"
Suppose you take one position as
a chemist and Dunlap another, does
McCabe's vote decide the question:"
"It did"
What attitude has the food and
drug inspection board taken towards
the bureau of chemistry?"
The views of the chemistry bureau
as to What was adulterated or mis-
branded were overruled in about two
thirds of the cases. Sometimes |
voted to overule the bureau, but US
ually it was overruled against my
vote.''
when you and Dunlap disagreed,
how. many times were you sustained
by McCabe, the third member of the
board?' .ss-..-
Was Never Sustained.
Z Never, as | remember except on
my decision that rye whisky must
be made from rye. On that matter
McCabe sided with me-"
How many cases have been passed
on by the board?"
From 1900 to 1000. On about 100
cases Dunlap agreed with me on the
first vote, and the solicitor disagreed
with both of US. Dunlap changed his
vote in every case to agree with the
solicitor"
Money Wasted.
Wiley declared that the result of
these overrulings was to "squander
and waste all the money spent in
preparation of cases by the chemistry
bureau" He said, so far as he knew,
all appeals to Secretary Wilson re-
suited in decision sustaining the
boards ruling
Thousands of Cases.
about 5000 cases." he said, 'have
been prepared by the bureau at sum
averaging 5000 each, including the
gathering of samples" Many of these
cases, he added, are properly dropped.
Wiley said he appealed to Secretary
Wilson twice where he thought the
public health was seriously endanger-
ed. One case, he said, was the ques-
ton of branding gluten flour where
he thought the health Of diabetes pa
tients was directly threatened. The
other was the use of sulphur fumes.
The food board made rule per-
mitting the use of sulphur dioxide. II
1t was stated on the label. until the
Remsen board could report on their
investigation of the subject. Wiley
declared that In meeting OF which
he had no notice, though he was a
member, Dunlap and McCabe, acting
as the food and drug inspection board
reversed this decision and authorized
the use of sulphur dioxide. without
any notice of ifs nras1noa ha;ro ori,,1..