The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-08-19
Agriculture Dept. Official Said
to Have Acted With Improperly
IN THE EVERGLADES PROJECT
There Is Also Hint Of Official 0bliquity
in Majority Report to House of Rep
Minority Assailed
the Majority Members.

i Washington, d. c., August 18th,
investigation of the department OF agr
cultures connection with the Florida
/ Everglades drainage project ended TO
day when the House of Representatives
committee on expenditures in the de
partment OF agriculture submitted tc
the House its findings in majority anc
minority reports of its members.
/ The conduct of Assistant Secretary
i Hays of the agriculture department
whose relations with former drainage
Engineer J. o. Wright We're the sub
/ jeet of especial attention by the com
mittee, was declared in majority re-
port presented by Chairman Moss, Demo-
crat, to have been not in harmony
with proper standards OF official pro-
1 priety if not official recttude." Tho
minority report made by Rep. Sloan. OF
1 Nebraska. Republican. asserted on the
other hand that the unstable" majority
conclusions were more Of charge
against the mental capacity and hon
esty Of the committee members" than
against Assistant Secretary Hays.
The majority report was signed by
Chairman Moss and Representative
| Flood of Arkansas and Doughton, Of
North Carolina, Democrats. The minor
| ity report was signed by Representative
Sloan, OF Nebraska, who stated that
Representative Higgins of Connecticut,
and Madden of Illinois, approved it. All
are Republicans, Many features OF the
agriculture departments work in con-
nection with the Everglades were at
tackled by the Democratic report, which
arraigned the department as vaciIlat-
ing and Engineer Wright as having been
ION familiar terms with real estate pro-
moters and SPECTATORS
No real criticism of Secretary Wilson
was contained in the majority report
the burden of criticism being laid on
Assistant Secretary Hays. The minor
.ity report, on the other hand, acquit-
ted the latter OF the charges that he
''despised all restraint and attempted
TO capitalize his official position and
draw quick dividend from official oppor-
tunity."
The Cause Of the Investigation.
The Everglades investigation arose
through the charges that certain reports
prepared by government engineers had
been withheld from publication. with
the inference that such action was in
the interest Of land dealers. c. G. II
lott. chief of drainage, and Assistant
Engineer Moorehouse. who were brought
into the controversy, were found by
the committee to have made an an
rangement in connection with North Car.
olina swamp lands that was inviolation
of the law, but inasmuch as there was
no profit intended in il the committee
declared that the men had been too Sc
verely disciplined by agricultural de-
partment officials
Assistant Secretary Hayes connection
with the matter arose through private
arrangement he@made with j. O. Wright
former drainage engineer, for the hand
ling of some drained land in North Caro-
lima which did not belong to the govern
ment.
The majority report cited Wright's ad
mission Of his familiarity with real
estate promoters and Of accepting de-
velopment company stock and fees while
engaged Officially in making surveys to
reclaim land. II declared that while
thus engaged as paid salesman and
an Interested purchaser he appeared be-
fore the North Carolina legislature as
an official of the department of agri-
culture ostensibly to advise in the franz
ing of drainage legislation.
He later boasted. the report said of
securing the passage of special stat
ute there under which he was enabled
to close deal His transactions were
denounced by the majority as repugnpnt
to a high sense of honor and integrity, |
which would justify dismissal if he were
still in the government service. The |
report added that his transactions were
not brought to the knowledge of mis- !
of the drainage division.
The majority report cited testimony |
frequent conferences of As |
sistant Secretary HAYS and Engineer !
Wright, who has since become state
drainage engineer of Florida, concern
ing the purchase and sale at profit of |
the he'd of Lake Mattamuskett. \. e. |
Mr.. Wright. the majority declared. did |
not seem to realize the impropriety of |
his own conduct In view of his conf |
lential relations with Mr.. Hayes the |
majority found it difficult to escape |
the conviction that Mr. HAYS was in full |
possession of the facts relative TO 1
Nright's deals and transactions when |
they were being negotiated" and that |
Hays should have condemned them rath. |
r than to have encouraged them.
No Evidence of Money Profits.
There was no evidence, however, that
Mr.. Hays actually received an money |
profits out or any of these transactions
Mr. Hays office, said the majority,
should be free from all connection with
Speculative enterprises and get-rich-
quick schemes"
1T is useless" the majority added.
to frame regulations for the govern
nent of employees, many of whom work
or low salaries. and permit those in
ligh position to despise all restraint.
This is particularly true when the Of
ense is TO capitalize official position
md collect dividends from official op-
'ortunity Your committee has no au-
hority to deal further with this mat
er. 1t calls the particular attention of
Wilson to the record
The committee conclusions are:
The department majority report called
he department vacillating and lack
ng conception of the vast investment
Il millions of dollars in undertaking
he reclamation of the Everglades said
t constantly subordinated the inquiry
o other work in which members of Com
,ress were particularly interested and