The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1912-08-20
Two Reports Filed as Result Of
Florida Everglades In
vestigation
HAYS IS SEVERELY CENSURED
Secretary Wilson Escapes Personal
Criticism at Hands Of Majority
OF Committee
Associated Press Dispatch.

Associated Press Dispatch. 49,. -.
~ Washington, Aug. 19.--The Moss
committee today presented to the
House two reports of its investiga-
tian Of the Florida Everglades
charges and the subsequent inquiry
into the drainage division of the de-
partment of agriculture. The re-
ports take up the charge that GER
tain circular unfavorahie to sale of
Everglades lands was suppressed in
the department Of agriculture
through influence of real estate oper-
ators: the question of relations be-
tween Assistant Secretary Hays, of
the department and X. C. Wright,
former government ompoye in a
land project at Lake Mattamuskeet,
N. G., and the dismissal of C. c.
Elliott and A. l.. Morehouse from
the drainage division of the depart
ment on technical charges involving
the transfer of government funds
from one account to another.
Secretary Wilson escaped personal
arraignment at the hands of the ma
jority in the findings on the Ever
glades charges. The departments
policy toward the Everglades
was characterized as vascillatng,
most unfortunate" and having sub
iected the department to much sus-
plcion and criticism. The minority
report signed by Representative
Sloan, OF Nebraska, who said his
views we're approved by Representa-
tyes Higgins and Madden held that
Secretary Wilson had acted within
his legal discretion.
Hays was condemned by the
majority for his relations with
Wright in the North Carolina pro-
ject, while the minority held his in
terest was not cne for profit but only
hio well hhpNh II lultitols
Criticise Hays,
The conduct of Assistant Secre-
tary Hays of the Agriculture Depart
ment whose relations with former
Drainage Engineer j. o. Wright
were the subject of especial atten-
tion by the committee, was declared
In a majority report presented by
Chairman Moss, Democrat, to have
been not in harmony with proper
standards of official propriety if not
official rectitude" The minority re-
port made by Representative Sloan,
of Nebraska, Republican, asserted
on the other hand that the "un~
stable" majority conclusions were
more of charge against the men
tai capacity and honesty of the COM
mittee members" than against AS
sistant Secretary Hays.
The majority report was signed by
Chairman Moss and Representative
Flood, of Arkansas, and Doughton,
of North Carolina, Democrats. The
minority report was signed by Rep
resentative Sloan of Nebraska, who
stated that Representative Higgins,
of Connecticut, and Hadden, of
Illinois, approved 1t. All are Re
publieans Many features of the
Agriculture Departments work In
connection with the Everglades were
attacked by the Democratic report,
which arraigned the department as
vascillating and Engineer Wright as
having been "on familiar terms with
real estate promoters and specula-
tors"
No real criticism of Secretary
Wilson was contained in the maiori-
ty report, the burden of criticism
being laid on Assistant Secretary
Hays. The minority report, on the
other hand, acquitted the latter of
the charges that he "despised all
restraint and attempted to capitalize
his official position and draw quick
dividend from official opportunity.
Elliott Concerned,
The Everglades Investigation
arose through the charges that GER
tain reports prepared by government
engineers had been withheld from
publication, with the inference that