Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-13

procure the appointment Of DR.. Rusby
at the rate Of $1,000 per year. under an
express agreement with him that he was
to do no more work under this appoint
ment than would be paid for at the rate
Of $50 per day of seven and one-half
hours when engaged in laboratory work.
and $50 per day when engaged in court.
The evidence clearly shows that these
gentlemen resorted to scheme to Gre
ate an appearance Of compliance with
the law while at the same time distinctly
agreeing not to comply with 1t.
such an agreement certainly merits
condign punishment, and because of the
facts set forth I recommend the approval
by you of the recommendations Of the
committee personnel
Taft to Go Slow.
Dr. Wiley is in no immediate danger of
official decapitation by President Taft.
This statement was made at the White
House today. and 1t is likely to be a long
time before his head bangles in front Of
his enemies, according to the unofficial
view, freely expressed around the execu-
tive offices.
the President has received the papers
recommending that DIR. Wiley be allowed
to resign, and that he has forwarded all
these papers to DIR. Wiley for such answer
as he cares to make. Until this answer
is received and the President finds time
to peruse the papers carefully he will do
nothing.
There was a rather free Interchange Of
unofficial opinion around the White House
during the day, and with practical una
nimity it was agreed that President Taft
will probably not go as far as the per-
sonnet committee of the Department Of
prir
ersham, who recommended that DR.. Wiley
be allowed to resign.
It was recalled at the White House that
Dr. Wiley is not having his first expert
ence in fighting for his Official life before
q President. Charges were preferred
against him during the preceding admin
istration and the case went direct to
President Roosevelt who stood by Dr.
Wiley and commended the courage and
intelligence he had shown in fighting
large interests in behalf Of his crusade
for pure foods and drugs.
For Good of Service.
While his offense is termed evasion of
the appropriation laws, 1t was done, his
friends claim for the betterment Of the
service of which he Is the head. and was
an evasion from which he could not Dos
sibly receive any personal benefit or
profit. There is an entire absence Of
to do with the decision reached by the
President, 1t is asserted.
The chief popular interest in the case
centers in the recommendation for the
removal Of DR.. Wiley. The Department
of Agriculture is humming today like
hive of bees because the whole of the
correspondence in the case has become
public. against the will of the admins
tration.
President Taft is said TO be confronted
with a dilemma that has in 1t the ele-
ments Of a second Balinger- Pinchot case.
Leaving out of the question any decision
or wrong in many of the things he has
done. the recommendation of the Attor-
ney General in this case is in effect for
dismissal The popular estimate of DIR.
Wiley is that he is the guardian Of the
public health.
The interests that being the name
applied to many Of the patent medicine
and food manufacturers. have been seek
ing his removal for long time. Presi-
dent Taft Is confronted with the choice
OF removing DIR. Wiley or disregarding
the legal opinion of the Attorney Cen
eral. If he doeos remove the doctor, it
is apt to be popularity accepted as another
Indication that the administration is run
BY the interests" If he does not re-
move him it will be direct disregard of
the opinion of his official legal adviser
The situation is regarded as exceed
ingly difficult one for the administration
Referred to the Secretary.
The correspondence involving the ap-
pointment of DIR. Rusby came under the
eye of DR.. F. l. Dunlap of the bureau
of chemistry. when he was acting chief
Of the bureau in the absence of DR..
Wiley. The matter was referred to the
Secretary of Agriculture and he In turn
referred it TO the committee on person
mel consisting of Willet NJ. Hayes, as
sistant secretary of agriculture; George
F. McCabe. solicitor OF the department,
and c. c. Clark, the chief clerk. They
called before them the individuals in
volved in the charges and took their
testimony The whole correspondence
and testimony was then submitted to the
President and he turned it over to the
FORT OF the Attorney General recon-
mended enforcing the resignation of DR..
Wiley and the other removals named by
the committee on personnel.
This report of the Attorney General has
been submitted to the officials involved
with the question whether they had any
reply to make. When all of the cor
respondence was published today the re-
ply of DIR. Rusby to the Secretary of
Agriculture was included in the batch.
and Secretary Wilson stated that he had
not yet received the letter itself. draw
ing thereby the inference that DR.. Rusby
had given out the entire corresp ondence.
DIR. Wiley, the storm center about
whom the whole official cyclone was re-
volving, today refused to make any state
the inquiry, do l look frightened?'