The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-22
Many Times Secretary Con- demns Chief Chemist
 Wiley's DemeanOr
WILEY RESPONSIBLE
 FOR RUSB- TROUB-Il.
Asserts Dr. Wiley Is Over Sensitive and Is Trying to Get Him In Hole Over the Corn
 Syrup Case

~F | Washington. August 91.-The congress | sional investigation into the attempt to
 oust pr. II W. Wiley from his position
 as head of the bureau of chemistry in
 the department of agriculture was closed
 today with the testimony of Secretary | Wilson The committee will hold an exec
 utive meetig tomorrow to consider its re-
 rort Many times in his testimony Secretary Wilson condemned Dr. YVfeys demeanor, l charging that he was over sensitive be-
 cause his findings on pure food and drugs
 were not accepted as final, but were
 sometimes referred to the referee board,
 of which Dr. Ira Remsen is chairman. He
 spoke a good word for Dr. Wiley's honor.
 As he was leaving the stand Secretary l Wilson declared he would prefer to resign
 his job to going through another ''bu-
 reau row" The witness not cross
 examined by counsel for Dr. Wiley be-
 cause of the relative position of the two l principals l Secretary Wilson said he became sus- pioious of the employment of Dr. II. H. h. nnd storm center of the investigation.
 when he shown letter purporting
 to have been written by Dr. Kebler of the bureau of chemistry. telling pr. Rusby
 It would be all the same whether he
 worked one day or many. The employ
 ment had been approved by the secretary.
 hut he said he did not examine into the details of the contract, leaving that to l), Wiley
 The secretary said he was now invest- gating a report that pr. Rusby had ac- cepted fees from drug importers for opin- ions regarding samples of drugs they were Considering importing. and then passed on the drugs later as the representative of the gove 1ment. He said an inspector aao reported ne had discovered one such alleged instance.
 Tn festifying @hout the employment of experts, Secretary Wilson said in the coca cola case Dr. Wiley had agreed to 1 glNe an ,,xper. Sost fof apt,ear1nr sn tie
 matter, and later the expert wanted sloo for expenses.
 1 "i paid the expenditure because we had
 agreed to do so. and issued an order. itllai thereafter Dr Wiley might select the ItNltfIiS- put DbINllhl- 46t'dbt Nd1 lD TX
 tie rate of compensation. r said the sec
 reiary.
 The Corn Syrup Case | Q The witness said pr. Wiley seeming 1 Iy wants to put me in hole about ths corn syrup case'' It was in this case that pr. Wiley had told the commit- tee about the three cabinet officers. charged with supervisory duties over pure food and drug questions changing : a decision of the pure food and drug board relative to substance being glucose" or .'corn syrup" after the decision had gone to print "Dr. Wiley has forgtten a conference he attended on that subject" said Sec retary Wilson. He attended it and so did l. It was held at the White House during the administration of President Roosevelt There was an ex- ceedingIy interesting discussion. Very. Yes, very. The President had an opin- ion about a person who thought the substance was not syrup
 He told how the three secretaries de- cided that the substance could be named "corn cyrup,' whereupon Representa- tive Floyd suggested that they did 1t out of regard to the Presidents views.
 Tt is well for those under man to listen to him or leave his service," re- piled the Secretary
 The Secretary denounced as radical" the recommendation of pr. Wiley that food containing alum be prohibited un- til the referee board had passed upon the subject. In support of his refusal to do so. Secretary Wilson referred to President Taft's settling the question that manufacturers of bleached flour should be permitted to continue their manufacture until the courts had passed on an appeal
 "It we took such action as Dr. Wiley recommended on articles where there | was no question of deleterious effect l on health, 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 pr. Wiley to testify about the effect of ben-
 zoate of soda in the famous Indiana case.
 when the Remsen board was required by
 the secretary to testify. the witness said
 1t seemed to him ridiculous.
 Never Opposes Going Away | 'Dr Wiley knows I never opposed his l going anywhere" said the witness. | .syyhy get me to order him to testify when he could go himself?" But haven't you just said you would regard such an act as insubordination? the Secretary was asked.
 ..Of anyone below a chief of a bureau: not chief"
  ment was called to substantiate Sec retary Wilson's statement that Dr. 1 Wiley had attended a conference at the state department with the French ambassador at which it was agreed nor to enforce the federal law regarding sul- phate dioxide in imported fruit juices 1 until the Remsen board had passed on the subject MT. Osborne said Dr. Wiey
 was there as the representative of the
 department of agriculture. l T did not know he was there in any
 such capacity" said Secretary Wilson. | Why did he go. then?' 'l do not know. l guess because he was
 friend of the French ambassador" | Secretary Wilson charged pr. Wiley with having withheld facts from the com
 mittee in testifying about the use of s,!-
 phur doxide In fruit The Secretary was l asked about the action of the government
 ,Is that the case where Dr. Wiley said
 he wrote me a protest against the action
 of the pure food and drug board and gos
 no answer?" inquired Secretary Wilson. Yes. sir
 Well. here is the letter" said Secre- tary Wilson, and he read 1t, He had i told Dr. Wiley he would be glad to-
 talk the matter over with the board. of