Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-09-16
President Issues Statement
in Which He Refuses to
Ask For Resignation Of
Chemist as Recommended
SLIGHT REPRIMANDS
FOR OTHER OFFICERS
DR.. Rusby, Or. Kebler and
DR.. Bigelow Mildly Cen
sured for Acts, But Wiley
Is Held Blameless.

L SlkudLlOu VI bI. x1dLNoy W. NAAOye
chief Of the bureau of chemistry In the
department Of agriculture and prob
ably the best known pure food expert
in the government service. will not be
asked for by President Taft, despite
recommendations that 1t be requesteds
made by the personnel board OF the
department and endorsed by Attorne1
General Wickersham.
The "condign punishment for DR..
Wiley which Wlckersham holds to be
necessary will not be meted out by
the chief executive. The presidents
opinion carrying.no word OF criticism
for Dr.. Wiley, but many word OF
praise, was made public here today.
There is no Indication in 1t that the
president feels that he turned down"
Mr.. Wickersham by not accepting hia
recommendations.
He explains that the attorney gen.
erals finding In the case were made
| with less complete data than was be-
fore him when he took it up. In the
opinion the president admits what has
been we'll known to many persons
close to the administration that there
is trouble In the department OF agri-
culture. Speaking Of the congresSton. \
al inquiry into that department unfin.
ished at the last session, but to be
taken up again next winter. Mr.. Taft
says:
shake-up In Bureau Forecasted.
"The broader issues raised by the
investigation, which have q much
weightier relation than this one to the
general efficiency OF the department,
may require much more radical &C.
N0ncta.
cred and decided
That this statement indicates seri.
GUS shake-up In the department next
winter, was freely predicted here to-
day. There have never been any in
timations that Secretary Wilson was
disposed to retire and 1t Is not be.
lieved here that the president would
request him to do so. A general
cleanup Of affairs In the department
however, could easily be required by
the president and carried through
when he returns to Washington in
November The wiley case" arose
over the employment by the bureau OF
chemistry Of DR.. H. H. Rusby. OF New
York pharmacognosist of the bu-
reau. In effect DR.. Wiley. DR.. L. F.
kebler, chief of the drug laboratory
and DR.. w. d. Bigelow. assistant chief
OF the bureau, were charged with hav.
ing conspired to pay ur. Rusby sal.
ary of 81, 800 year with the tacit un-
derstanding that he was to do only
work to secure this amount at the rate
Of $40 q day.
Boards Findings overruied.
This was held to violate the act OF
congress Of March Is, 1898. which de.
clared that no classified scientist In
vestigator should receive more than
50 day. In addition to the recon.
mendation that DR.. Wiley be allowed
to resign, the personnel board held
that Dr. Rusby should be dismissed.
and that DR.. Kebler be reduced and
that DR.. Bigelow be allowed to quit
the service. None Of these recon-
mendations are upheld in the presi.
dents opinion.
DR.. Kebler is reprimanded for
"disingenuous conduct" in his letter
writing to DR.. Rusby and the presi-
dent says that the letters suggest .
Willingness to resort to evasion"
that calls for official reproof. DR..
Bigelow is held to have been "oyer
jealous, and q reprimand by Secre-
tary of Agriculture Wilson to whom
the opinion, which is In letter form. IL
directed. is ordered by the president.
DR.. Rusby is held to be as guiltless
as DR.. Wiley IN this particular matter
A charge against him, however, OF Sc.
curing the appointment on the COM
mon "laborer rolf of physician and
expert whom he could use to do his .
work at q very small stipend when
he himself was called away" the presi.
dent holds to be mot especially cred
table"
The case. the president says, has
made apparent the doubtful legislaI
tive policy Of placing limitations upon
bureau chiefs to exact per diem COM
pensation for experts" The govern
ment he says, "ought not to be at q
disadvantage in this regard, and one
cannot withhold ones sympathy with
an earnest effort by DR.. Wiley to pay
proper compensation and secure ex-
pert assistance In the enforcement Of
SO important statute as the pure
food law, certainly in the beginning
when the questions arising under it