Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-08-03
T|RE.0F THEIR TASK
'Remsen Board Members
Would Welcome Discharge.
so DECLARES CHAIRMAN
Stenographic Notes Show That
Newspaper MISUNDERSTANDING
Wilson Correctly.


The Remsen pure food, referee board
legal, declared DR.. Ira Remsen, chair
man of the board. before the House
committee on Agricultural Departmen
expenditures today. This is the tri
bunal to which DR.. Wiley's pure foot
decisions are referred and which re-
versed DR.. Wiley's finding as to ben
zoate of soda being deIeterous tc
health
Dr.. Remsen. who is president OF
Johns Hopkins University. said the sch
entists who compose his board are
tired of this endless, attack, the motive
for which we cannot ascertain
Bears Out Willis Testimony.
Among the papers received today by
the committee from the agricultural De-
partment were the stenographic notes of
a hearing in May, 1911, at which a group
of saccharine manufacturers appeared.
the testimony before the committee the
other day Of n. Parker Willis, Wash
ington correspondent of the New York
Journal Of Commerce, who declared under
oath that he heard Secretary Wilson say
during the hearing that the referee board
was organized to conserve the interests
of the manufacturers.
The republican members of the COM
mttee strenuousy objected to Mr. Willis
q StpnO-
graphic notes be sent for. The unrevised
notes show that the Secretary said:
II want to say frankly to YOU gentle
men that the referee board was organ
lied and put into action for the very
purpose of conserving the interests of
the manufacturers, so you would have a
safe hearing. And that being the case,
1t is the best the government can do,
and when we get that information from
them what would you have us do?''
The revised notes show that somebody
changed safe hearing to sane hear
ing"
Secretary Wilson is to be called by the
committee in the near future to explain
what construction should be placed on
his words.
Boards Work ;Discredited.
1--WE all agreed, when the question of
the legality Of the board was raised said
relief to all of us If our body should be
declared Illegal 1 put it squarely to the
members as to whether we should resign
or continue the work.
1.-The bulldog came to the surface in all
Of US then. We decided that If the Sec
rotary Of Agriculture wants US to con-
tinue we would do So"
DIR. Remsen said some unknown influ-
ence to undermine and discredit the work
q. 10, r1 I1,r,e nj ac toI 1,tr
continued newspaper attacks, articles
coming Ito me every day declaring that
the board ought to be wiped out"
Il was accused Of being in with va
rious interests" DIR. Remsen continued
Il have become little more thick-Skin-
ned, but there is not a member of the
board but has made great sacrifices to
continue this work. merely because Sec
rotary Wilson urged upon us that it was
our duty to do So
of the board ever had tried to influence
state courts or state authorities in favor
of the use Of benzoate of soda.
Testified in Suit.
Representative Moss Of Indiana asked
why DR.. Chittenden of Yale and DR..
Long Of the Northwestern University,
members of the board, had gone to In
diana to testify in the suit of Indiana
to prohibit the use of benzoate of soda.
DR.. Remsen said certain manufacturers
of foods had asked them to go, and the
members of the board first consulted
with him. He conferred with Secretary
Wilson. who told him there was no i'm
propriety in testifying to the facts de-
termined by their own investigation.
Who paid these expenses to Indiana?'
asked Representative Floyd
Il believe they were paid by the De-
partment of Agriculture"
Dr. Remsen said the referee board
never had passed on the question of
the only question submitted was whether
benzoate of soda, fnslarge doses and in
small doses" is harmful to the human
system. They found that in small doses
II was not.
Representative Higgins asked for what
purpose the Remsen board purchased
chiffoniers
Those were to fit up the rooms occu-
pied by the persons on whom the eX-
periments were being made" said DIR.
Remsen.
THE so-called poison squad? -
THAT is a most Objectionable name a
most unjust term. 1t prejudges the whole
case by using that word poison. We
called them the experimental squad"
Did Not Consult Wiley.
Or Remsen said that no member of
the board would have accepted ap-
pointment except with the understand
ing that his work was to be entirely
free from influence and his findings to
be based entirely on scientific expert
ments"
Were you ever consulted by or asked
to consult with DR.. Wiley?"
No"
Secretary Wilson Will not be called be-
fore the committee until after the report
Is made in the Wiley case. in which Dr.
Wiley is charged with having violated the
law In employing DIR. Rusby, scientist
at high salary.
AUTO WRECKED BY TRAIN.