Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-15
ecution IN the criminal courts Of many d
the large interests"
Their Pay Held Up.

xne1r Ray delo UP.
The direction which that policy Of OBJ
struction has more than once taken, &C
cording to an expert other than Dr. Rus
by. is to cut or hold up an experts slip
ulated pay. and even his legitimate ex
penses, until he Is SO disgusted with tn,
service that he is ready to quit. Tit
evident hope was that these tactics woul(
force all such men out of the govern
ments service, leaving it with no eX
perts at all to check the importations OF
all manner of impure drugs and food
stuffs at this port. or, by the process o.
elimination. force the employment O.
dishonest or incompetent men.
Among those referred to by DR.. Rusby
in his interview in the New York Time!
of yesterday as having been employed
under conditions and terms similar to hi:
own was coffee expert This man haC
first been engaged at salary of $50 {
day for tests of coffee, and $50 a day
when witness for the government II
suits brought by federal authorize:
against coffee importers. who were trying
to bring in black beans and other cheal
substitutes to be imposed upon the Ameri
can people good coffee at regular
prices. This was precisely the rate OF
payment promised to DR.. Rusby to ferre
out adulterated or spurious drugs offered
for entry at this port as the genuine ar
ticles.
Offered Regular Place.
This coffee expert turned out to be Will
liam B. Harris. a coffee dealer at 60 Front
street. Mr.. Harris yesterday explained
that he had been engaged by DR.. Wiley
after he had already done much service
for the government free of charge in
bringing to DIR. Wiley's attention man,
importations of faxed or adulterateo
coffees.
In October. 1905" said Mr.. Harris. ''l
received letter from DR.. Wiley asking
on what terms l would act as coffee ex.
pert here, giving my whole time to the
work. l had already acted for the gov
eminent in that capacity from the time OF
the passage of the pure food law unit
DR.. Wiley wrote me. I replied that
would take the place for $1,000 a year, 3O(
days to the year, and eight hours day
that is. at the rate of $50 a day. l was
allowed $50 a day, seven hours day
only for the days or parts of days l had
to work.
Here Mr.. Harris showed his accoun.
books with the government with entries
of half an hour. one hour, and so on. as
he had worked on those days. the time
being that required for inspections or
testings on those days. He might as well
have charged three hours where he
charged one hour. if he had been a dis
honest man. for the government had not
watched over him. Immature coffee and
black beans imported as coffee. were
Harris unoffically entered the govern
ment service.
Compensation Reduced.
Everything went along all right" con.
tinued Mr.. Harris. until about the mid
die Of June. 1909. l received letter stat
ing that could not be paid at a higher
per diem rate pro rata than the maximum
annual rate. and that the Secretary OF
Agriculture had directed that my salary
should not exceed 50 a day for testing
but still i was to receive $50 a day fol-
appearing in court as expert witness.
Not long ago." continued Mr.. Harris
IT got phone message to go to Wash
ington. with the intimation that I would
be sent to New Orleans to testify In a
government coffee case. I made arrange.
ments to leave my business for a week,
and took the next train to Washington
leans. and 1 asked what 1 was to be
allowed. This question was put to Nc
Cabes, who said $50 a day as witness and
my expenses. DR.. Dunlap also wrote me
letter, which I now have, saying
would get $50 day from the time
left New York until my return, besides
of course. my expenses.
No Pay for Travel.
II went to New Orleans. and in 9
reasonable time on my return sent my
vouchers to the bureau of chemistry fol
payment. Then came back word that Mr.
McCabe had refused to allow me $50 q
day for anything except my expenses, ex-
cept for three days actually on the stand
in New Orleans In other words, / was
to get nothing for the time l was trav.
cling to and from New Orleans. and If
was sent to San Francisco to testify one day
would get but the $50 for the day or
the stand. and nothing going and return
ing
Il have protested in vain. Secretary
Wilson has agreed With McCabe, and
though this happened months ago ] have
not even been allowed my actual expenses
which do not cover all the money l spent
on the trip. 1 have refused to take the
unjust amount which McCabe offers, and
don't like that sort of treatment
The experts say that it is this sort OF
harassing attitude toward the govern
ment experts that is making it increasingly
hard to obtain or hold competent and
honest men for the service, and daily
augmenting the chances for the importa-
ton of adulterated and impure foodstuns
through the employment of dishonest OF
incompetent men, or the failure to obtain
experts altogether.