The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-09-15
Chief Executive Makes Com.
plete Review of the Case
and Finds that Charges
Are Not Warranted.
DISRUPTION OF THE
CABINET PREDICTED
President Says Wickersham
Might Not Have Made Rul-
ing He Did If He Had Had
All of Evidence.
(National News Association,

BEVERLY Mass. Sept 15.-In q dc.
cision OF nationwide importance and
one that threatens to disrupt his cab
ines. President Taft today made pub
ic statement exonorating DR.. Har.
vey w. Wiley. chief chemist OF tho
department of agriculture. OF the
charges of conspiracy made by Per.
sonnel board Of the department. which
recommended that he with other Of.
ficials OF the chemistry board ''be al
lowed to resign" The charges grew
out OF the employment Of DR.. Rusby.
OF New York, as expert chemist and
witness. in enforcement OF the pure
food and drug law. The President de-
clares DR.. Wiley was justified In all
he did and is entitled to sympathy
in his efforts to secure enforcement
OF laws against adulterated foods.
Recommends Reprimands.
President Taft recommends. howev.
er, the reprimanding Of DR.. e. KEEP
Ter and DR.. Bigelow OF the bureau OF
chemistry for what he terms ''disin-
genious conduct" embodied In their
correspondence in relation to the en-
ployment of DR.. Rusby whereby the
latter was induced to accept employ
ment at $1,000 per year with the un-
derstanding that he was to devote
only certain amount Of time, which
would make his salary equal to twea-
ty dollars per day. because this was
the amount Rusby desired. The I'm.
guage of this correspondence. the Pres
ident declared. was not commeudablo
and suggested q willingness to resort
to evasion that calls for official re-
proof. The Presidents statement 10
in the form Of letter addressed to
Secretary Of Agriculture Wilson and
consoles Wilson with the statement
that Attorney General Wickersham
made his legal opinion to him (Wil-
son) on the recommendation OF the
personnel board, which brought the
charges against DR.. Wiley and his ~
sociates on only q part OF the evidence.
The President suggests that Wicker.
sham's opinion would possibly have
been different II he had had tho whole
evidence before him. The Presidents
however. admits that more
radical action may be expected when
the entire situation In the department
OF agriculture 10 taken up - result
of investigations already completed
by committee OF the house Of repre-
The Presidents statement
upholds Wiley strongly and declares
the limitations upon bureau chiefs to
exact per diem compensation for EN-
ployment OF experts in matters Of such
vast Importance IL doubtful legislar
tive policy.
Presidents Statement.
The President issued the statement
first shortly after o'clock. then he
recalled 1t, stating that he wished 70
further review It. He finally permit
ted it to 60 out however. in its origin
al form The Presidents statement,
In part, follows:
'The nub OF the charge OF the Per.
sonnel board. to the President, was
that DR.. Wiley. DR.. Kepler. DR.. Biglow
and DR.. Rusby In effect conspired to
put in the record Of contract for .
general experiment Of DR.. Rusby's 90.
vices for $1,000 . year. but actually
and secretly they made contract
Win ulIu Uy WulCu 0C WA0 VuAy " w
enough work during the year for the
$1,000, to secure him compensation
of $50 day. and that this was . viola-
ton of the law interpreted by tho At
torney general In the opinion already
referred to in which ne held that con-
gress had limited the compensation
of experts to 50 . day.
An examination Of the records sat
isfied me that the questions had not
been presented to persons involved In
such way an to enable them to make
full defense. They had only been
called as witnesses, cross examined
without full understanding that they
were under trial, which might involve
their dismissal Accordingly direct
ed you to submit the whole record to-
gether with the opinion of the attor-
ney general to each one OF the persons
CHARGED and invite from them answers
These answers were filed in due
course and are quite full In detail.
The answer OF DR.. Wiley specifically
denies that he ever saw the CORES
pondence between DR.. Kepler and Dr..
Rusby. or that he ever consciously en-
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