The Washington times., 1912-08-19
AGRICULTURE HEADS
ARE CRITICISED IN
EVERGLADESR
Major Wright and Assistant
Secretary Hays Censured
) by Majority.

Secretary Wilson, Assistant Secretary
Hays, and other officials Of the Depart
ment Of Agriculture. are both criticised
and defended In reports submitted &c
the House today on the so-called Ever.
glades controversy by the Committee
on Expenditures in the Agricultural De-
partment.
The reports are the result Of a six
months investigation, following the
charges Of Congressman Frank Clark
OF Florida that the department had
suppressed certain information con-
cerning the Everglades and was In col
fusion with land sharks
Responsibility Is not fixed for the al
legged irregularity in the publication of
the Everglades report.
I'VE invite the attention of the hon.
orable Secretary to the many VIOLA
tons Of regulations and recommend
prompt readJustment which will restore
discipline says the findings of the ma
jority of the Moss Committee. Con
gressman Sloan, a minority member
filed report defending the department
Punishment Too Severe.
The committee says the discipline
visited upon c. G. Elliott and A. D.
Morehouse, dismissed officials of the
drainage division, was too severe, and
that they did not profit in the loose
handling OF the respective accounts Of
the drainage and irrigation divisions,
which accounts should have been kept
separate.
THE record shows that Accountant
Singleton and Disbursing officer Zap
pone," says the majority report, dis
regarded the allotment of funds be-
tween irrigation and drainage, and paid
the warrants from both divisions out
Of a single fund. 1t thus hap
pened that by a system of bookkeeping
q deficit was created in both divisions
while in fact there was legitimate de-
ficit in irrigation alone"
This section of the report discusses
the borrowing from one account for
the benefit Of another to tide over until
new appropriations became available for
irrigation.
System Violates Law.
The report continues: I'm the in
stance cf certain private co-operators.
such a settlement being impossible, sew
eral bills were met by arranging with
such co-operator to advance the money,
at the same time agreeing to appoint
the person making such advancement
on the rcll of next year al a stated
salar without performing any service
until this salary would amount to u
sum sufficient TO reimburse him for the
money so advanced. Such an arrange
ment VIII. reby public funds were to be
paid and which was later carried into
effect by the payment of such funds
without any service being rendered is
a violation both Of law and of sound
public policy.
"Mr Elliott and Mr.. Morehouse both
NJ Iy1nst hat Nnly p,,nh
rangemcNt and that under their al
ministration public funds were paid out
under these conditions. Ordinarily, such
offeuse would warrant dismissal from
the public service, and where dishonesty
was shown to enter into the agreement,
prompt prosecution for the embeZzlG-
ment of public funds.
I'm this instance. however, these Of
ficers had been careful to keep within
their proper allotment and had every
right to nave the bills Of their division
promptly paid. Neither Mr.. Elliott nor
Mr.. Morehouse profted or intended to
rangement which they promoted. The
Government did not lose any sum by
the transaction II 1t be admitted that
ment should be paid from public funds
1T Is therefore the opinion of you"
committee that the discipline to which
they have been subjected by the de-
than is warranted in view OF the lax
state Of discipline, the defective sys-
tenn OF accounting, the status of ad-
ministration in the Office of Experiment
Stations and in view of the further fact
that another division in the Office Of
Experiment Stations was wholly re
sponsible for the deficit which had Ir-
r2neously been charged against the
0vtsion OF drainage"
Hays Is Criticised.
Assistant Secretary Hays is criticised
for his willingness to become interested
In an option on North Carolina swamp
lands which Major ]. o. Wright, then
drainage engineer, was seeking to
promote. The reportalso censures Maj
or Wright. who is now out of the SER
vice who Is charged with making deals
for stock in several drainage projects
upon which he was engaged for the
Government.
These transactions of Mr.. Wright
are repugnant to that high sense of
honor and propriety which ordinarily
ment officials" says the majority re-
port. and cannot be too severely con-
demned"
IF he were still in the Government
service the committee would unhesitat-
ingly recommend his dismissal. The
testimony also shows that Assistant
Secretary Hays had frequent confer
ences with Mr.. Wright concerning the
purchase and sale at profit of the
Congressman Sloan, in defending the
department chiefs, says the criticisms
OF Mr.. Hays are unfair. The Republi-
can member is especially strong in his
defense OF the assistant secretary. The
majority report is characterized by him
as Incorporate and partisan and he
chides the Democrats OF the committee
for holding up the report for months
after the investigation was concluded.