The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-08-02
OTHERS PAID LIKE RUSBY ?
WICkERSHAM ASKED ABOUT
REMSEN BOARDS PAY.

DR.. Wiley's Expert started With Daily
CompensationToo Attorney General
Questioned on Opinion HOLDING Sal.
aries OF the Remsen Board Illegal.
WARRINGTON. Aug There is little
difference between the way the members
Of the Remsen board are paid for their
expert services and the way DR.. Harvey
W. Wiley attempted to compensate Or {.
Rusby. the laboratory expert, for his work
In the interest of the public health, ac-
cording TO statements made at to-day's
hearing before the House Committee on
Expenditures in the Agricultural De-
partment. which has begun an inquiry
into the Wiley case.
The members Of the Remsen board are
still enjoying their compensation Of
q, 900 a year. and the department con-
tends that their employment is legal.
although the committee believes II can
demonstrate. before the hearings have
been long in progress. that legal opinion.
prepared at the Department OF Justice.
which never saw the light Of day. held
exactly the contrary DR.. Wiley has been
recommended for dismissal because he
tried to employ DR. Rusby at q compensa-
ton Of 81. 900. Q figure in excess OF that
authorized by law for the employment
OF experts.
Davis. one Of the moet prominent men,
bers Of the local bar. as his personal
counsel, Mr.. Davis was present to-day
and followed the proceedings with the
closest attention. Dr. Wiley was not
called by the committee for this morning
Attorney General Wickersham. Chief
Zapponne Of the accounting division Of
the Agricultural Department. H. Parker
Willis. Washington correspondent of the
journal OF Commerce. and Solicitor Earl
OF the Department OF Commerce and
Labor were the only witnesses heard
by the committee to-day. The Attorney
General was asked to identify q memo
randum. presumably that prepared in
the opinion referred to holding the Rem
sen board to be illegal was based. al
though the paper was not described by
Chairman Moss The Attorney General
took the memorandum away with him to
make a comparison. which he said was
necessary before he could identify it,
Then MIR Zspponne took the stand and
the committee questioned him in grea,
detail as to the manner in which the
members OF the Remsen hoard we're paid
II appears from Mr. Zapponne's tes-
timony that up to May 1. 1909. the mem
hers Of the Remsen board were paid at
the rate OF S2S day for actual work done,
but the Attorney General having held This
method of payment TO be illegal on the
date mentioned the members were trans
ferred to the annual roll at 81 coo a year
each.
Representative Floyd of Arkansas
wanted to know il the members Of the Rem
cen board had been giving their entire
time to their expert duties in connection
with the Department since they were
put on the annual roll. but MIR. Zapponne
said that he wasn't familiar with their
duties.
Then the committee took up the en-
p!oyment OF Or. Rusby by DR., Wiley-the
proposition on which the effort to get rid
Of the chief OF the bureau of chemistry ia
based Mr.. Floyd wanted to know how
much DR.. Rusby was to receive.
AT the rate OF 81 900 year Mr. Zap
ponne replied
Are the vouchers in that case paid in
the same manner as the vouchers Of the
asked.
Yes Mr. Zapponne replied, except
in the Rusby case the vouchers are ap-
proved by DR. Wiley instead OF by the
referee or Remsen board and the Secre-
tary OF Agriculture
How much has been paid to DR.. Rusby
to date" asked Mr.. Floyd,
Just $20i," Mr., Zapponne answered:
The rest OF the vouchers have been held
up by order of the Secretary Of Agri-
culture He added that there was be-
tween $500 end s8OO due Dr. Rusby at
the present time that was being held up
in this manner
1t was then developed that Dr. Rusby
had been allowed S2b a day during his
first employment with the Department
and that his later arrangement OF 81 900
q year on the annual roll had been ar
rived at in exactly the same manner
in which the compensation OF the members
of the RAmaan hoard had heen HxAd