Evening star., 1911-08-16
SECRET OF CONTROVERSY
DISCLOSED AT HEARING
Message Declared to Have Been Mu-
tilated by Personnel Board.
MAIN FEATURES ELIMINATED
Testimony Of Chief Chemist, Depart
ment of Agriculture, Outlines
His Connection With Enforce
ment of Pure Food Laws.

meuL OF fure tOOQ Laws.
The secret of the Wiley controversy has
been revealed
The charge preferred by the personnel
board OF the Agricultural Department
against DR.. Wiley was based on letter
which he never received. He couIdn
have received it, because IL was never
sent Or. Rusby. who wrote it. testihes
to this.
The personnel board. il was developed
today, took copy OF this letter, obtain
ed from Rusby, eliminated that portion
which made the appointment OF DR..
Rusby dependent upon the approval OF
the Secretary of Agriculture. and made
it the basis OF the charge against the
chief of the bureau OF chemistry, that
he had made a private and illegal ar
rangement with the celebrated New YORK
pharmacosnocist.
Never Saw the Letter.
DR.. Wiley declared emphatically today
that he never saw the Rusby letter: that
when hauled before the personnel board
and examined he had no intimation OF the
charge against him, and that his first
knowledge on the subject was two
months later when he found the board
had recommended he be permitted TO re-
sign"
Summing up, il has been developed up
10 date that DIR. Wiley was convicted by
the personnel board on a letter he never
saw, and that DR.. Kebler. chief of the
food and drug division, and DR. Bigelou.
assistant chief of the bureau OF chemis-
try. were convicted on letter written by
Bigelow. which KebIer had never seen
and from which the most important
statement had been eliminated.
Antagonized by Colleagues.
In addition TO springing this surprise
today, DIR. Wiley, in answering questions
put to him by members of the committee,
made it plain that Dr. Dunlap his as
sociate in the bureau OF chemistry. and
Solicitor McCabe, the two other members
with Wiley of the food and drug inspec-
ton board, were almost invariably an
tagonistfc to him. He explained that be
was usually I'm the minority on the board
zap agreed and McCabe dissented, Dun
lap Topped over to the McCabe side be-
fore the ruling of the board was pro-
mulgated. Moreover. most of these cases
In which McCabe cast the deciding vote
involved chemical questions-and McCabe
was not chemist.
Appeals to Secretary Wilson. DR. Wiley
testified, were useless In one important
case to which he referred and In which
he had endeavored to protect the public
health. Secretary Wilson never even
answered his letter protesting against the
Dunlap McCabe ruling.
Room Crowded With Spectators.
The big room in which the committee
is holding its hearings on the Wiley con-
troversy was packed with spectators be-
fore I'D o'clock this morning. The pres
ence of senator's, members of the House.
government officials and members of the
Cosmos Club in which DIR. Wiley Is a
moving spirit, testified to the interest In
the case. Several times. when DIR. Wiley
made telling points against the alleged
Agricultural Department cabal and re-
vealed the methods by which the per
sonnel board had endeavored to make d
case against him and GUST him from the
department, the audience testified Its ap-
proval by ripples of applause.
DIR. Wiley will continue on the stand
tomorrow and go further into the details
of the active antagonism to his efforts u
enforce rigidly the food and drug law.
His Educational Training.
DR.. Wiley told Of his educational train
fng for the pure food life work and de-
scrlbed his activity in advocating pure
food legislation and OF the opposition or
food manufacturers. He said he bad
taken the old-fashioned classical course
at Hanover College. with some science
not much" Later he studied medicine
graduated from the Indianapolis, Ind,
Medical College: took another years
course in chemistry. and then studied at
Harvard He became successfully in
structor of chemistry in the Indianapolis
Medical College, Butler College and Puf-
due University, Indiana. Then he Went
to the University of Berlin for years
study in chemistry. In 1881 he was state
chemist of Indiana, and April .. 1883, he
was appointed chief of the chemistry bu-
reau of the Department of Agriculture
Il took a very active part In all steps
leading up to the pure food law DIR.
Wiley said. replying to Chairman Moss.
II began In 1888 an attempt at a scien-
foods and took an active part in all ef-
forts to secure such law"
Authority Conferred by Law.
He explained that the pure food law
authorized 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?' asked
Representative Floyd Of Arkansas.
I'VE used to"
"what was the next change In admin
istration OF the law?'
.aThe appointment Of the food and drug
inspection board. At first the hearings
were held before the bureau OF chem
istry; then they were transferred TO this
board"
.'Is DIR. Dunlap q chemist?''
Yes"
aIs solicitor M6Cabe chemiStr'
mot that know Of"
suppose you take one position - q