The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1912-02-16
SECRETARY WILSON
INVOLVED AGAIN
SUPPRESSION OF REPORTS ON
EVERGLADES LAID TO AcRi.
CULTURAL DEPARTMENT,
THE FACTS
Rouse expenditure Committee Will
Investigate Conditions in Florida.
-6'9antic Land Fraud, InvoIv-
wing Millions of Acres,


washington, Feb. 3.-Another inves
t1gatlon of the department of agricul
lure involving orders of Secretary Will
son and Solicitor McCabe. similar in
many respects to the recently con.
Guided McCabe-Wiley controversy, but
"hich embraces charges of suppressed
reports and influence of land specula.
tors over government officials, is to
DC instituted by the house committee
on expenditures in the agricultural
department.
Circumstances. smoidering for
months. relating to exploitation of
Florida Everglade lands, millions of
acres OF which have been sold
throughout the country by s~yndicates
In the past few years, burst into a
lame before the committee following
the summary dismissal from the gov
eminent service by Secretary Wilson
OF {. G. Elliott. chief engineer of the
drainage division of the department.
n Assistant Engineer A. d. More
house, and the suspension of F.. E.
singleton. an accountant. on a techni-
cal charge Of transference of public
funds.
representatives Frank Clark of Flor
Ida m F.. r. Bathrick of Ohio, who
have i~nstisated the investigation.
charging the congressional committee
that officials of the department of ag-
r%lculture had been influenced bv Flor.
ida Everglade land promoters in the
suppression of a report on the condi-
zion or the lands made by the drainage
Department.; that Chief Engineer Ell
Nott was threatened by agents OF the
land promoters unless he would revise
q circular letter to the public which
dld not contain laudatory references to
the lands they were selling. and that
upon his refusal, the circular and q
subsequent fuller report were SUP
pressed by the order of Secretary Will
and that later. Engineers Elliott
and Morehouse were removed from of.
flee.
McCabe Before Committee.
Solicitor McCabe, who was called be-.
for the house committee. of which
Representative Moss of Indiana is the
chairman, denied that the dismissal of
department officials was in any
way caused by the Florida land case
and declared that the action was TAX
en- following charges that the dis |
missed men had misapplied funds. All
the papers relating to this feature of
The case he turned over to the depart.
of justice for possible prosecu-
lion.
The charges involving the dismissed
men were reported to have been made
% Solicitor McCabe recently bv !. q.
Wright, a former subordinate of FL
lott. but at present chief engineer of
he board of trustees of the internal
fund of the state of
florida. Wright made a favorable re-
BORT upon the Everglade lands and
loon afterward resigned from office to
enter the employ of the state of Flor
da.
Representative Clark said that Sec.
etary Wilson would be summoned as
witness and that he would be
Isked concerning an interview he had
With the Florida representative some
ago., in which the secretary
S said to have admitted that he had
the report on the Ever
Jade lands. Mr.. Clark charges this
vas done at the request of the land
ompanles. He said that together
nth four Florida citizens he called
n Secretary Wilson to ask why the
eport was suppressed.
One of these men was w. R. Har-
ess OF Jensen. Fla. who recently
a a statement that Secretary Will
said:
II am not running this office for
he protection of fools who do not
now any better than to buy some
hing that they never saw and do not
now anything about"
Before the house committee Repre.
entative Clark outlined the charges.
that in 1907 the department of
was flooded with requests
rom people throughout the country
egarding the condition of the Florida
'verglade lands which syndicates
ere exploiting.
j. o. Wright and a corps of engi.
eorS IF the 6rainapo do,ort~or 49,.