Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-01-23
Chemist Absolved From
Criticism for Employment
Of Expert and Depart
ment Methods Assailed.
WOULD GIVE HIM e
GREATER POWERS
Change in Laws Recom-
mended That Will Make
Bureau Chief Independent
of Wilson and McCabe.

+. b. T.. r.
Washington, D. c.. Jan. 22.-Dr.
Harvey w. Wiley is held mot guilty
of conspiracy to evade the law IN
report filed with the house today by
the committee which conducted an
Investigation last August into the
charges upon which President Taft
was asked to dismiss the nations
chief chemist from the government
service.
Not only does the committee ab-
solve DR.. Wiley from criticism Tor
the employment Of Or. H. H. Rusby OF
New York, as q government expert at
technical rate of $40 per day, but 1t
attacks in measured terms the whole
administration Of the national pure
food law and demands of congress ac-
tion to change the method in the de-
partment of agriculture by which the
law is now applied.
The so-called Wiley investigation
arose from the charge made IN the
Agricultural department that DR.. Wiley
DR.. w. d. B1gelow and DR.. L. F. keb-
ler, all Of the bureau OF chemistry,
had secretly arranged with DR.. Il. n.
Rusby Of New York, SO that the latter
need work only eighty days In the
year for an annual salary Of $l,SO0.
This was declared to be q deliberate
evasion Of the established limit or
| 50 per day.
"We And from the evidence that the
charges Of conspiracy have not been
established" says the committee re-
port, "but on the contrary that the
onicials were actuated solely by de-
sire to procure for the bureau OF
chemistry an eficient assistant In the
person of DR.. H. H. Rusby under terms
and conditions which those of1cials Pc
lieved to be in entire accord with the
laws, regulations and practices OF tne
department of agriculture"
The report OF the committee on ex-
penditures in the agricultural depart
ment Is signed by all Of the members,
democrats and republicans alike. 1t
declares that, DR.. Wiley and his as
sistants communicated the facts OF
Or. Rusby's employment fully to Sec
retary Wilson. It holds, however,
that the contract for the employment
of DR.. Rusby is technically 1llegai.
and recommends that congress make
specific provision for the employment
of experts in the agriculture depart
menL.
Wilson Misconstrued Duties.
.The administration of the pure
food department began with policy
of negotiation and compromise be-
tween the secretary and the purveyors
of our national food supplies, de-
clares the committee in its report.
"Your committee does not question
the motives or the sincerity of the
secretary of agriculture. whose long
service as the head of the department
Of agriculture, has been signal serv-
ice to the American people. From
the beginning, however, the honor
able secretary has apparently assum-
ed that his duties in the proper enact
ment of the pure food law are judicial
in character while in fact they are
wholly administrative and admins
terial.
"This misconstruction of the law is
fundamental and has resulted In q
complex organization within the de-
partment of agriculture and in the
creation of Offices and boards to
which have been given, through legis-
lative order, power to overrule or an
null the findings Of the bureau Of chem
istry."
Charges were made during the COM
mittee's hearing that the work Of DR..
Wiley and his associates was revised
and often rejected either by Solicitor
McCabe or by the board Of food and
drug inspection Of which Mr.. McCabe.
DR.. Wiley and Associate Chemist Dun
lap were the members. The position
of DR.. Dunlap was variously stated to
be coordinate with and superior to
that Of DR.. Wiley, who was supposed
to be the supreme officer Of tue bu-
reau.
Would Give Wiley Free Hand.
The committee makes q sweeping
criticism of the methods of the depart
ment. It recommends that the chief
Of the bureau be given the full power
which the law supposes him to have,
over all employees Of the bureau; that
the board of food and drug inspection
be made up entirely from within the
bureau Of chemistry; and that the
power Of the solicitor to pass upon the
findings of the bureau Of chemistry be
withdrawn.
"It Is recommended that the chief
and his two associates be of the same
rank, sitting with equal power as
lContired on Page 81
!