The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-07-29
REMSEN BOARDS PURCHASES
nan FROM Bull PUPS TO ICE
CREAM AND HOROSCOPES.

Also include Monkeys. chin oniers. Pickles
Electrical CridtiIes and Animal Caee,
Money spent to Ray Food Experts
collaborating Messengers" Wages
WARRINGTON. July 2s.-The widely
advertised investigation Of the Wiley con-
: troversy and Of tho activities of the
Remsen board by the House COMMITTEES
on Expenditures in the Agricultural
Department was scheduled to begin
at 10 o'clock this morning. At that hour
there were six of the seven members OF
the committee on hand three Republicans
and three Democrats, and about two
dozen newspaper men. the latter an xiously
awaiting the arrival Of DR.. Wiley. who
has the reputation Of being a very lively
witness and who on this particular oc-
cssion was expected to throw hot shot in
several directions.
But the Governments food expert did
not show np and the three Republican
committee members took advantage Of
the absence OF one Democrat and the
consequent tie to postpone hearings
until next Tuesday 40 that they might
have chance in the meantime to examine
the mass Of correspondence in the Wiley
case forwarded by Secretary Of Agricul-
ture Wilson and the itemized accounts
OF the Remsen board Of experts, also laid
before the committee to-day.
These accounts caused lot of amuse-
ment in the committee room to-day.
They demonstrated that the expert ex-
animation of food and its effect on the
human system requires . collection of
miscellaneous stun Of nature that the
lsyman would never imagine. For in
stance. in the four years from 1903 TO 1911
the board cost $l7o.5 and bought a
wonderful variety Of objects both animate
and inanimate. including monkeys. dogs.
ice crei Am, Belgium pc A.. electric griddles.
animal cages. chiffoniers and horoscope.
The horoscope. which cost 1915. puzzled
the committee Gooo deal One Of the
committee members suggested that the
Remsen board eadesvored to obtai at
this barglin price forecast Of the fate of
DR.. Wiley.
The board paid $50 for two bull terriers
and sasS for eight dog cages. The itemized
account does not say where they got the
other six dogs. Four monkeys cost s2s
and five monkey cages 500. For an cleo
trio griddle the board paid 81. 80. Are
frigerator was obtained for S23. 50 and a
chiffonier for s7s2
The committee proposes to find out
just what the board means when it saws
it employed collaborating messen Ger. y
All sorts and conditions Of messengers
are known around the capital. Some
nj them rs, hlack and
some work and some don't But this is
the first time a collaborating" messen ger
ever came under the notice Of any member
OF the committee. The Remsen Board
employed great many OF them too at
various rates OF remuneration A col
laborating expert messenger" was also
employed by the board as we'll as a -col.
laborating stenographer" II is supposed
that these employees ate benzoate Of
soda and other things while busily pur.
SUNG their ordinary voCato
Or course. in addition to these pecl-
liarly designated assistants the board
hired many collaborating subjects. :"
Some OF these received $50 a month. some
$40 month. some SO cents q day. and the
members Of one squad Of poison eaters
were paid for their labors in the interest
Of science at the rate of 81 a month each
Back in 1909 one member of the Remsen
Board bought S37 worth OF peas In sd-
diiion 10 horoscopes. griddles and dogs
the Remsen Board bought vast quantities
Of milk. cream. bread pickles. dried fruit
and other articles Of diet which pre-
snmably ly were the subject Of examination
al various times.
The board is composed Of DR. Ira Rem
sen, DR. Russell II. Chttenden. DIR. John
II. Long. DIR. Alonzo T. Taylor and DR..
Theohlld Smith. the last having sue
ceeded DIR. Christian A. Herter. who died
ANA ~ ha I, l. 4 ~
of these experts will be called by the COM
mittee.
In the correspondence forwarded to the
committee to-day by Secretary of Agri-
culture Wilson are two letters. in which il
appears that the committee on personnel
of the Department recommended that DIR,
Kebler he reduced and DR.. Russell he dis
missed One letter. unsigned is adj
dressed to DR. Russell and is alleged 10
have been written by DR. Kebler. There
is some question "a To whether or not this
letter ever left the Department of Agri-
culture.
Personally am Of the opinion says
this unsigned communication. that your
new appointment is much better than the
old one. Under this appointment you can
do az little ~ one days work per mont h
and yet get your salary. On the other
hand. if you work five or ten days your
salary would he the ga me per month II
seems to me that you have the matter
largely in your own hands"
The other letter is from DR.. Rusby to
DR.. Kebler and says:
Il will accept my new appointment at
81 6Os per year, hoping to make better
arrangement later. There are two points
that would make a nd a SIX you TO consider
The first is the appointment Of DR. William
Mansfield as an unskilled lsborer at $50
a month, his duties commencing on the
day thst ] leave. For this / have two
reasons. Tne first and most important
is that | should not be compelled to lose
any OF my compensation while away
recognize that this might be regarded az
valid objection by the Secretary, hut it
is fact that there is certain to be work
in the New York laboratory during my
absence which DR.. Mansfield can perform.
As it is likely that shall he Obliged 10 60
to Chicago also this arrangement be-
comes more necessary"
NJ