The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-08
WILL THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATE THE EVERGLADES CASE House Committee Makes Decision at Executive
 Session SOLICITOR MCABE MAKES EXPLANATION Committee Will Begin to Plan the Form of Inyestigation-McCabe Says Wilson Courts Probe.
 Charge Against the Men

reports on Florida everglade lands were Suppressed by officials of the department of agriculture at the instance of land speculators and that in the department engineers were dismissed because of con troversies in this connection was deter mined upon today by the democratic mem bers of the House committee on expendi- lures in the department of agriculture.
 After conference Representative Moss of Indiana, chairman of the committee, declared that the formal order for the inquiry would be executed at meeting of the full committee tomorrow.
 Needs Thorough Investigation
 ''The committee has determined that there are circumstances in connection with this case which need thorough in- vestigation," said Chairman Moss, and we already have decided to subpoena as one of the first witnesses J. o. Wright the chief drainage engineer of the state Of Florida, formerly an engineer in the drainage department who made charges against his former associate engineers in the department which resulted in their dismissal last Saturday by order of Sec retary Wilson,"
 statement issued tonight by Solicitor Mccahe of the department of agriculture with the approval of Secretary Wilson declares that the charges against the de partment are untrue and that "the effort to besmirch the Secretary of Agriculture will fail"
 The House committee tomorrow will plan the form of the investigations
 c. c. Elliott, former chief engineer of the drainage division, and his assistant, A. D. Morehouse, who were dismissed upon recommendation of Solicitor Me- Cabe. today engaged as counsel to repre- sent them at the hearings Henry E. Da- wis, who defended Dr. Wiley.
 The determination to sift to the bottom tha. eircurasta.cs'i tonearniag- -tlle dapsst- ment of agriculture relations with the Florida land cases was preceded by con ference between Senators Duncan us Fletcher and Nathan P. Bryan of Flori- da and Chairman Moss early in the day. The senators called upon the representa- tive as soon as they learned of the pro- posed inquiries. Neither of them would make statement. Both asked to be present at the hearings.
 McCabe Explains
 Solicitor Mccabes statements. approved by Secretary Wilson. follow:
 Tn a prejudiced, one sided statement, given out by Representative Frank Clark of Florida, on the everglades controversy, IL is sought to show that the reason the Secretary of Agriculture suppressed a circular of information which had been nj dr9i in vestigations and declined to print com plete report of the drainage work which the department had done in the ever glaGes, was because the secretary did not regard the circular and reports as sufficiently favorable to please the land promoters who were operating in the glades. In Mir. Clark's statement it is further sought to show that the recent dismissal of Messrs. Elliott and More house, drainage engineers, was for fall- urc to show sufficient favors to the land promoters.
 Both of these statements are untrue and MT. Clark's effort to besmirch the Secretary of Agriculture will fail The secretary refused to print the report of the work done in the glades because not only were his engineers. MT. Wright and MT. Elliott, in disagreement as to the correct interpretation of the work done in the glades but Mir. Elliott without
 
 . his position and the experts of the bu- reau of plant industry familiar with Florida conditions, di~agreed with both l MT Wright and MT. Elliott.
 Reasons for Dismissal
 'Eiiott and Morehouse were dismissed bv the secretary because they had eer- tified and presented false accounts, know ing them to be false, on which the gov ernment had paid out moneys. Not only did they know the accounts were false, but they procured the persons to make the false accounts, telling these persons that they would receive money for their trouble. They concealed their unlawful acts from their chief, Dr. A. c. True, and when pr. True discovered the facts he recommended their dismissal The seeretarv dismissed them and for vio- lation of law involved sent all Of the facts and papers in his possession to the Attorney General for certifcation to the district attorney for prosecution, and for such other action as the Attorney General might deem proper.
 .'The department courts the fullest in- kestigation of this matter and has ir- refntable documentary evidence ready 10 present to the Investigating com nittee at moments notice which rlearly shows that the action of tho Eecretary has been proper and con- Eistent throughout. If the time has home when government employees may procure men to prepare false accounts o secure moneys from the govern nent without fear of dismissal or prosecution for their acts, that fact is unknown in the department of agri- ulture."
 Charge Against Men
 The charge against the dismissed men $ that they misapplied an appropria Ion. Congress appropriate a lump um for the drainage and irrigation iiyisions of the department of agri- ulture. The heads of these divisions ivide it equally. In 1909 the drainage iyision lent to the irrigation division ome of its unexpended appropriations nd Engineer Elliott discovered some inc afterward he was short some sgOO
 Rather than have the work stopped itizens in the section interested in the omplction of the projects advanced he money and later were carried on be pay roll as employees under the ap- , ropriation for the next year.
 With the money thus secured the men ho advanced the money were reim- ursed.
 Former Department Engineer Wright.
 
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