Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-08-17
Surrendered Authority to McCabe
and Dunlap-over-uled in
Two Thirds Of Decisions.
WILSON IGNORED APPEAL
Board Held Snap Meeting in Wi
ley's Absence and Decided
Important Labelling Ques-
ton on Short Notice.

Washington. Aug. 1s-Dr. Harvey w
Wiley, chief Of the bureau of chemis.
try Of the department Of agriculture,
testified before the House investigat.
ing committee to-day that he has sur.
rendered practically all Of his author
ity for enforcing the pure food law to
DR. p. l.. Dunlap, associate chemist.
and George p. McCabe. solicitor of the
agricultural department, Overruled In
two-thirds OF the cases, he had brought
before the foods and drugs inspection
board. composed Of these two men and
himself. he declared that he had found
1t useless to appeal to Secretary VIII
son and had not even received an ans
wer to one of the most important ap-
peals he had made TO the secretary.
Dr. Wiley, summoned before tho com
nnittee to tell of his connection with tbs
employment of DIR. II. II. Rusby on an
alleged Illegal contract, gave to the COM
nlittee the most Illuminating information
that has been developed in the investiga-
| tion now being made of tho agricultural
department.
He testified he had never received the
| letter from Or. Rusby which was used
| by the personnel board to prove that he
knew about the Rusby contract He said
| that in using this letter the personnel
| board had omitted its most essential
| portion, namely, the statement of DR..
| Rusby that We have agreed upon the
following arrangement as fair and salts
factory, If approved by the department"
| DR.. Wiley said that Solicitor McCabe
! held the decisive vote on the board OF
! food and drug inspection. When Dr.
Wiley and DR.. Dunlap disa greed on ques-
tlons of chemistry, 1t was McCabe who
decided whether prosecution should bs
made, In fully 100 cases said Wiley,
where he and Dunlap had voted together
and McCahe had disagreed with them.
Dunlap changed his vote to agree with
McCabe
Did you never appeal from these de-
| Cisions9" he was asked.
Il found IT was useless to appeal"
said Dr. Wiley. FOR the secretary in
variably upheld the decision of the
| board"
In two cases he did appeal. he added,
where he thought public health was
Seriously menaced" One of these in
volved the labelling Of gluten -four tho
food Of diabetes patients. The board 3
decision. he believed, left physicians
without sufficient informe ton as to
the exact contents and strength Of the
! -four. In this case the secretary up
| held the board
| The other case involved the labelling OF
| fruits and fruit products which contained
/ sulphur dioxide. This subject Is now be-
fore the Remsen pure food referee board
The board. composed Of three cabinet
members. Secretaries MacVeagh. Wilson
| and NaEel, decided that manufacturers
| could continue to use the sulphuring pro-
cess, If the fact was made clear on the
label
pr. Wiley left the agricultural depart
ment one day AZ four O'Clock to 20 to
| Boston Between that time and 40
when the department closed he said
a special meeting of the board of fool
and drug inspection was called DR.. Dun
lap acting as chairman and a decision
was made overruling the three score
taries' board and permitting manu-
facturers to use the sulphuring process
without publishing the fact on their
| labels.
As soon as he returned TO Washing
ton and learned OF the action. said Dr.
Wiley, he wrote to Secretary Wilson,
appealing TO him from the decision
and declaring that the health of tn
public. particularly OF invRlds for
whom fruit Juices are often prescribed.
was seriously threatened by the de-
cision. and that the board Of food and
drug inspection had no right to over
rule three secretaries.
"Whot was Secretary Wilson's an
.wcr?" asked Representative Bloyd OF
Arkansas,
Il never received an answer" said
DR.. Wiley.