The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-08-17
M ess a ge Dec AIRED to
Have Been Mutilated
by Personnel Board.
CHEMIST TELLS OF
YEARS OF RkBUFFS
Gives Illuminating Information
Regarding Controversy Before
Investigating Committee
Nearly Always Overruled,
and Found 1t Useless
to Appeal.


w. Wiley. chief of the bureau of
chemistry of the Agricultural Depart
ment. testified before the House In
Nestigating Committee to-day that he
mas surrendered practically all of his
authority for enforcing the pure food
law TO DR.. +. L Dunlap, associate
chemist. and George P McCabe, So
licltor OF the Agricultural Department
Overruled in two-thirds OF the cases
he has brought before the food and
drugs inspection board. composed Of
these two men and himself, he decided
that he had found 1t useless to appeal
10 Secretary Wilson. and had not even
received an answer 10 one OF the most
urgent appeals he had made to the
secretary.
DR.. Wiley. summoned before the
committee to tell OF his connection
with the employment Of DR.. H II.
Rushy nan alleged illegal contract,
gave to the committee the most illumi-
ve!oped in the investigation now be-
ing made OF the Agricultural Depart
rnent.
Did Not Receive Letter.
He testified ne had never received
the letter. from DR. Rusty which was
used by the personnel board 10 prove
that he knew about the Rusby con.
tract. He seid that in using this let
ter, the personnel board had omitted
It's most essential portion. namely. the
statement OF DR.. Rusby that 1--WE have
agreed upon the following arrangement
as fair and satisfactory. II approved
by the department.
Dr. Wiley stated that Solicitor Nc
Cabe held the decisive vote on he
board OF food and drug Inspection.
When DR.. Wiley and DR.. Dunlap dis
agreed on questions Of chemistry, it
was Solicitor MeCabe who decided
whether prosecution should be made.
In fully one hundred cases, said DR..
Wiley, where he and DR.. Dunlap had
voted together and Solicitor McCabe
had disagreed with them, DR.. Dun
lap changed his vote to agree with Mr..
McCabe
did you ever appeal from thaqe de-
cisions?" he was asked
II found II was useless TO appeal"
said DR.. Wiley. FOR the secretary In
var!ably upheld the decision OF the
board"
In two cases he did appeal he added.
where he thought public health was
involved the labelling OF gluten -four.
the food OF diabetes patients. The
boards decision. he believed. left ply
sicians without sufficient information
as TO the exact contents and strength
OF the -four In this case the secre-
tary upheld the board.
The other case involved the labelling
of fruits and fruit products, which
contained sulphur diox.de. This sub
1ect is now before the Remsen pure
food referee board. The board. com
posed of three Cabinet members. Sec
retaries MacVeagh. Wilson and Nagel,
decided that manufacturers could con-
tinue TO use the sulphuring process. II
tho fact was made clear on the label.
Decision Is Made.
DR.. Wiley left the Agricultural De-
partment one day at 4 o'clock to go
to Boston. Between that time and
1870 o'clock. when the department
closed, he said. a special meeting of
the board OF food and drug inspection
was called. DIR. Dunlap acting as chair
man. and a decision was made overrul-
Ing the three secretaries" board and
permitting manufacturers to use tho
eulphuring process without publishing
the fact on their labels.
AS soon as he returned to Wash
ington and learned OF the action. said
DR.. Wiley. he wrote to Secretary Will
son, appealing to him from the de-
cision, and declaring that the health
of the public. particularly OF invalids
scribed. was seriously threatened by
the decision; and that the board of
food and drug inspection had no right
to overrule the three secretaries.
what was Secretary Wilson'S an
ewer?" asked Representative Floyd, OF
Arkansas. who has conducted the
questioning for the committee.
Il never received an answer" said
DR.. Wiley.
Room Crowded With Spectators.
The big room in which the commit
tee Is holding its hearings on the
Wiley controversy was packed with
spectators before 10 o'clock this morn
ing. The presence of Senator'S, mem
bers OF the House. government officials
and members of the Cosmos Club, in
which DR.. Wiley is a moving spirit.
testified to the interest in the case.
Several times, when Dr. Wiley made
telling points against the alleged Ag-
ricultural Department cabal and re-
vealed the methods by which the per-
sonnet board had endeavored to make
O case against him and GUST him from
the department, the audience testified
its approval by ripples of applause.
DR.. Wiley will continue on the stand
tomorrow, and go further into the
details of the active antagonism to his
efforts to enforce rigidly the food and
drug law.
His Educational Training.
DR.. Wiley told. of his educa t onal
training for the pure food life work.
and described his activity In advocat-
ing pure food Legislation and OF the
opposition OF food manufacturers. He
said he had taken the old-fashioned
classical course at Hanover College.
with some science. not much" Later
30 studied medicine. graduated from