Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-14
The Attack on DR.. Wiley.

1t will be in the last degree unfortunate
II the charges against DR.. Wiley, the
chief chemist of the Department of Agr1-
culture should be construed by the PreSl-
dent as of sufficiently serious nature to
cause his separation from the service, by
dismissal or enforced resignation. DR..
Wiley stands in the eyes of the pubic
as a valuable servant. He has for
long period been engaged in unrenlitting
and largely successful warfare against
impure foods and drugs, and to his work
and influence is generally attributed the
safeguard of governmental supervision
erected by law in behalf of the public
health.
At the most, DIR. Wileys offense ap-
pears to be of technical nature. He
was confronted by statute which in its
specific terms prevented him from secur-
ing for the enforcement of the pure drugs
act the services of a highly qualified and
valuable expert. His device to retain this
assistant in the service was perhaps,
strictly speaking, improper. Yet the
government lost nothing by the method
adopted, either in terms of services or
money. DR.. Wiley did what has unques-
ttonably been done many times before
in all the departments of the govern
ment. usually with the explicit sanction
of the chiefs In this instance DIR. Wiley
seems to have proceeded without notify
ing his superior officer, and therein lies
the worst of his action. viewed from the
stand point of discipline and systematic
organization. But the effect OF the de-
vice to pay DR.. Rusty what was VIZ
tually an annual salary in terms OF
per diem allowance was to retain the
services of highly qualified man at no
additional cost.
Thus, viewed on the score of its effect,
DR.. Wiley's action, technically unJusu-
fable though it may have been, was In
the interests of the public health and
for the sake of the proper enforcement
Of an act of Congress. 1t would hardly
seem to be a sufficiently grave infraction
Of the law to warrant the dismissal OF
an officer against whose integrity no
question has ever successfully been
raised. and who has rendered incalcula-
bly, valuable services to the people. Con-
sidering the fact that he has been for
years the object of persistent and bitter
attack by the interests menaced by the
pure food and drug act and that repeated
efforts have been made to force him out
Of the service, his dismissal now on a
technicality would be regarded by the
public at large as surrender to those
interests. 1t would be an egregious mis-
take.
As far as DR.. Wiley personally is con-
cerned there need be no particular SYM
pathy or anxiety. He has fought many
hard battles and is an accomplished bel
ligerent If separated from the public
seryice he would proba bly in private en-
ployment earn many times the amount
Of the stipend paid him by the govern
ment. Possibly, of course, another man
in his place would do as well in carrying
on the work of enforcing the pure food
act. But the public could in such case
not escape a conviction that the change
In personnel had been due to the exerting
of an irresistible pressure upon the ex-
ecutive by the interests that have always
fought the enforcement of the law de-
signed to protect the people from fraud
and from the injury due to food and drug
adulferatiou