Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-29
PROF. HAYS QU|zzED
Connection With SWampIand
Deal Aired at Capitol.
ACTED AS AN OFFICIAL
Says He Only Considered Financial
Interest Late in Project.
ADMITS OPTION OFFERED Hun
Assistant Secretary of Agriculture
Questioned by Chairman Moss
of House Committee.
ACTED AS AN OFFICIAL
ADMITS OPTION OFFERED HIM

Representative Moss. chairman OF the
House committee on expenditures in
the Agricultural Department had AS
sistant Secretary w. NJ HAYS on the
stand today. in an effort to. gain from
him some information regarding his con-
nection with an option on a portion OF
a 5o-OO0-acre swamp-land deal in HYDE
county, North Carolina.
Prof. Hays said that he had been very
much interested in the proposition to
drain a large portion of the land around
Lake Matamuskeet. He added. however.
that he was interested in a professional
way. and that he had not even considered
any financial interest until very late in
the project.
Acted in Official Capacity.
Prof. Hays explained that many In
qutrfes reached him concerning the lands
around Lake Matamuskeet. Representa-
tive Higgins Of Connecticut asked:
Were these inquiries answered by you
as an official or as by q man who was
ready to invest money in the land ITSELF"
AS an Official"
Did you have any idea Of putting
money into the scheme?"
Representative Moss. chairman OF the
investigating committee. asked Prof.
nays to read several copies of letters
which the committee is using. One OF
dated April %. 1909. asking Prof. Hays
to make a trip to North Carolina. Prof.
Rays then read q copy OF his own reply.
dated April %. In which he said he would
like to become acquainted with Leigh
Hunt and the enterprise.
The correspondence showed that $1,000
acres OF marsh and lake land were to be
drained and then sold at 81 an acre.
Prof. Hays was asked many questions
about his interest in the Lake Malta
muskeet project in addition to why he
was interested. and the general trend of
his replies was that he was interested
purely as an official Of q department at
the opening stages Of the business. 1t
sold at certain time.
Representative Doughton asked:
What prompted you to try to sell that
Prof. Hays said the suggestion first
came from the board of education OF
North Carolina that II wanted to find
81 was Interested in seeing successful
my life work." explained Prof. Hays.
He was asked about any understanding,
II any, az to his ownership In q share oA
the drainage project He said:
Was to Be Given Option.
There was no definite understanding
that was to have q share In the busi@
ness. Toward the end It was apparent Z
was to be given IN option. However,
none Of this was to occur until had
looked into the company and after had
laid the matter fully before the Depart@
ment OF Agriculture" Prof. Hay4 .said
that the matter Of tho option wasbbaxya
and that II had been put mp to him In
such form that he asked for further and
moro definite statements.
After that request. he said. the matteer>
drifted along In haphaxard fashion and ha
the land had been bought by
three men In Boston.
A member OF the committee asked Prof..
Hays what the option he was speaking
consisted Of.
Twenty per cent Of the land" was the
answer.
when you asked for an option" said a
member OF the committee, was It your
intention to profit fnancially?"
II was going to investigate that mat
ter" said Prof. Hays.
I'm the department were you charged
with assisting In the sale Of lands?"
1.-The department has confined itself to
the making Of surveys. not generally to
the disposing OF lands.