Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-08-22
Condemns His Altitude, Call
Ing Him OVer-SenSitiVe.
Investigating Charge Against
Rusby Of Taking Money
For Giving Favorable Reports on
Certain Imporiations.

Washington, Aug. 21.-The Congress
sional investigation into the attempt
To Gust DR.. H. w. Wiley from his
position as head of the bureau of
chemistry in the department of agrl-
culture was closed today with the
testimony of See. Wilson. The com
mittee viii hold an executive meeting
tomorrow to consider it's report.
Many times in his testimony Sec.
Wilson condemned DR. Wiley's de-
mean1r. charging that he was over
sensitive because his findings an pure
food and drugs We're not accepted as
final, aat We're sometimes referred 10
the referee board. of which DR.. Ira
Remsen is chairman. AS he was leav-
ing the stand Sec. Wilson declared
that he would prefer to resign his
job TO going through another bureau
row" The witness was not cross .eX-
amined by counsel for DR. Wiley. be-
cause of the relative positions Of the
two principals.
Secretary Wilson said he became
suspicious of the employment Of DR.
H II. Rusby Of New York, the drug
expert. and storm center of the IN
vestigation. when he was shown let.
ter purporting TO have been written
BY Dr. kebler of the bureau of chem
istry, telling DR.. Rusty that it would
be all the same whether he worked
one day or MANY. The employment
had been approved by the secretary,
hut he said that he did not examine
into the details of the contract, leax-
ing that ta Dr.. Wiley.
The secretary said ne was now in
vestigating q report that DR. RGsby
had accepted fees from drug import
ers for opinions regarding samples OF
drugs they We're considering import
ing. He said an Inspector had report
ed he had discovered one such alleged
instance.
In testifying about the employment
of experts he said that in the coca
cola case DR.. Wiley had agreed TO
give an expert $1,000 for appearing in
the matter, and later the expert want
ed 500 for expenses.
Il paid the expenses because I had
agreed 10 do so and l issued an order
that thereafter DR.. Wiley might select
the experts but Solicitor McCabe was
to fix he rate of compensation. said
the secretary.
The witness" said DR. Wiley. seem
ingly wants To put ME in hole about
the corn syrup case Ii was in this
case that DR.. Wiley had told the COM
mittee about the three cabinet Off
GERS charged with supervisory duties
over pure food and drug questions.
changing n decision of the pure food
and drugs board relative to n sub
stance being glucose" or corn syr-
up" after the decision had gone TO
print.
Or. Wiley has forgotten a confer
ence he attended on that subject, .
said See. Wilson. He attended it and
so did /. II was held at the White
House, during the administration of
Pres. Roosevelt. There was an exceed
ingly interesting discussion Very
yes, very. The President had an opin-
ion about a person who thought that
the substance was not syrup"
He told how the three secretaries de-
cided that the substance could be
named corn syrup" whereupon Rep.
Floyd suggested that they did il out
of regard to the Presidents views. TT
was well fer those under man to lis
ten to him or leave the service" re-
piled the secretary.
The secretary denounced as radical
the recommendation of DR.. Wiley that
food containing alum be prohibited
until the referee board had passed up
on the subject. In support of refusal
to do so Sec. Wilson referred to Pres.
Taft settling the question that manu-
facturers of bleached flour should be
permitted to continue their manufac-
ture until the courts had passed on
an appeal.
IF We took such action as DIR. Wiley
recommended on articles where there was
no question of deleterious effect on health
we would ruin the persons engaged in the
business before the Remsen board passed
on the question said the secretary.
Referring to the attempt TO get DIR
Wiley to testify about the effect of ben
zoate of soda N tie famous Indiana case
when the Remsen board was requested
by the secretary to testify, the witness
said it seemed to him ridiculous.
'Dr. Wiley knows l never opposed his
going anywhere" said the witness. "Why
get me to order him to testify when he
could get himsef?'
But wouldn't you regard such an act
as insubordinate2"
I'm anyone below chief of bureau
yes"
Mr.. Osborne said DIR. Wiley was there
tcontinued on Page Two)