New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-08-02
ROW IN FOOD HEARING
RemSen Board Inquiry AIm0S'
Stops at Start.
EXPERTS WERE PAID WELL
Agriculture Department Ac'
countant Tells of Fees to
Scientists.

Washington, Aug with tilt between
the minority and majority members oe-
cause the latter body showed an incllna-
ton at the outset to give much credence
TO hearsay evidence, the House Committee
on Expenditures in the Department OF
Agriculture began to-day it's Investigation
Of the work Of the Remsen board. ana aiso
the charges against Or. Harvey W. whey
the government chemist.
Attorney General Wickersham, VINO can
scarcely attend TO his duties as Attorney
General because OF the subpGnas OF
various investigating" committees was
on tho stand for few moments ana III
Ira Remsen. president of tho heieree
BOARD. also appeared. but was told thaI
ne would not be called until tomorrow
The Attorney General was asked To iaeh-
tifv what purported TO be COPY OF inc
opinion of the Department o. justice as
to the legality Of the Remsen Board
creation. Mr.. Wickersham wanted 10
examine the originals before Identifying
any alleged copies. and was excused ior
the present elite.
Cb,irmar Moss. with an air Of hnality'
roxt produced II. p. Willis, newspaper
correspondent for a trade journal ""0
ssyernl months ago quoted Secrcta'! " !"
son as saying: ,d
"'rhe Referee Board was organized anu
mt into action to conserve the interest"
of the manufacturers.
Mr.. Willis started to explain tha' "o
hoard the Secretary make this statement
when tho saccharinc manufacturer ai,-
roorod before the special pure food ooard,
corunrisipg Secretaries Wilson, Nag'l anu
MacVeagh ,,t-,,,,,
."I object" said Representative I'se'"''
If Connecticut. Ito such line OF eNa''''''-
,ion This hearing was taken down ny '''
oe,cioI stenocrapher. WHY not summon
him and also the Secretary, instead OF per
,,,t,ire this newspaper man to declare t"e
roIicv of the head of the Agriculture De-
partment%' .,..oo
democratic members az the committee
grew rather peevish.
I'VE want Information from any SOURCE
said Representative Floyd This is not 10
he n onc-sidod investigation. II So lei $
stop right now
'Woll. lets 90 at this I'm an orderly man
Nor" interiected Representatives lIlGFinS
and sloan. This witness is attempting TO
construc tho policy OF the department from
something tho Secretary may not nave said
ri all 7 submit that there is right way
to get ut this. However. II tho majority
of this committee proposes to drag In cyl
dence of this sort, have it your way
Tho Democratic members had il that way.
and Nr Willis proceeded. lie said there
had been some noise I'm the room at the
time. but that he was reasonably sure Sec
rotary Wilson had made the statement at
trlbuted to him while according the manu-
facturers 2 hearing last May Upon the
demand Of Mr.. Higgins the committee
finally voted 10 summon the official stenoS-
rapher. and the Connecticut Representative
Hoped" that Secretary Wilson would also
have an opportunity 10 he heard.
DR.. Wiley was not present at to-days
hearing but was represented by counsel
Large amounts paid to scientists for their
testimony in government pure food cases
were told of by a. Iappone. chief of tho
Bureau Of Accounts of the Department Of
Agriculture. Mr.. Xappone said that the law
which Dr. Wiley is accused OF violating,
which prohibits the payment Of more than
81 a day TO any scientists in the service in
Washington, does not apply 10 the experts
called by the government in court cases
Many Of these, he said, got more than so
a day. In one case he approved a claim of
$1,000 for fees and expenses Of one scientist
at a trial covering week or more.
The charge against DR.. Wiley Is that he
employed Or Rusby at a rate exceeding
the legal limit of 50 day, but disguised the
fact by putting Dr., Rusty on the salary
rolls at l,G0 a year. Mr.. Xappone said he
had held up the recent payment of Dr.
Rusby at the written order Of Secretary
Wilson. Mr. Zappone testified that MEM
bers Of the Remsen board had originally
teen paid S2j day for the time they actu-
ally gave to government work. but in May,
1859. this was changed to 5000 year. The
Remsen board had spent about $1,000 a
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