Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-03-16
Chief Of Chemistry Depart
ment Leaves Service Aft
er Interview in Secre-
tary Wilson's Office.
PRESIDENT SORRY
TO SEE CHEMIST GO
Taft Says Place Will be
Hard to Fill and He Has
Asked Heads Of Universe
ties to Suggest Someone.

Washington, D. c., March 15.-Dr.
Harvey w. Wiley, chief Of the United
States bureau of chemistry. today
handed his resignation to Secretary
OF Agriculture Wilson and announced
that he would devote the rest Of his
life to urging the creation of a nation
al health department, entirely separate
from any other branch of the govern.
ment service. The resignation becomes
effective today.
President Taft today sent kilograms
broadcast to heads Of universities anC
colleges throughout the country asking
them to recommend a successor to Dr.
Wiley
II am very sorry to lose Dr. Wiley.
who has done great work in initial.
ing and enforcing the operation OF
the pure food law, and l would be
very glad If he could remain in the
service of the government said Presi-
| dent Taft in a statement issued at the
white house today II feel that
shall have difficulty in finding man
to fill his place. l am asking the
heads of twenty or more universities
and scientific institutions to recon.
mend to me men from whom | can
choose a successor.
DR.. Wiley's resignation came as q
dramatic climax to a long conferenca@
he had with Secretary Wilson In the
latter's private Office today, The sec
retary would make no statement Of
the case otherwise than that DR.. Wiley
had handed in his resignation. No
reasons were given, he said, nor did
DR.. Wiley outline his plans for the
future.
Despite the facts that rumors had
been current for several weeks that
the governments pure food expert was
| about to leave the service. the actual
news Of his resignation came as big
surprise to Official Washington To
| all resignation reports DR.. Wiley had
| made emphatic denial.
'rne latest report has been that DR..
Wiley would lay down the important
| work he had been doing Tor the deDaet-
ment of agriculture to become asso.
ciate editor Of housekeeping maya.
zine. He has received many fatter-
| ing offers from interests in other lines
Of business.
1t is known that DR.. Wiley for a
long time had been unhappy in his con-
nection with the department Of agri-
culture. He has claimed that he had
been hampered in the administration
OF his office and harassed by the other
! officials. The recent Wiley-Wilson-
| McCabe controversy was but an out
cropping OF the friction that long had
existed A house committee which re-
Gently investigated affairs of the de
| partment complimented DR.. Wiley in
the highest terms and scored his
"enemies" in the department.
Because of alleged technical irregn.
larities in the employment of DR.. FL II.
Rusby, New York consulting chem"
| ist, DR.. Wiley some time ago was rec.
commended for dismissal by Secretary
Wilson and Attorney General Wicker
sham but President Taft set these
recommendations aside.
A rumor that he might become
candidate for vice president on the
democratic ticket was denied by DR..
Wiley a short time ago.
| Dr. Wiley recently was quoted as
saying that II have for long time
been working to secure peace in the
department. This, however. cannot
exist, so long as there are such incon-
gruous elements in the departments
as are now found there. I am hoping
that solution of the difficulties may
be- found.
IF determine to withdraw shall
| issue statement which there will be
no difficulty in understanding.
Relations Pleasant, Says Wilson.
Il told Secretary Wilson long ago
what kind of people could get along
| together in the department and what
kind could not
President Taft was informed today
of DR.. Wiley's resignation by Secre-
| tary Wilson. To the newspaper men
after the cabinet meeting Secretary
| Wilson said:
"The relations between me and DR..
Wiley always have been pleasant per-
sonally." He would say nothing more.
DR.. Wiley entered the government SER
vice In 1883 as chief chemist and has
served in that capacity ever since.
"Dr. Wiley has been a valuable
man" said Secretary Wilson as he left
| the white house today. He has been
| in the department twenty nine years.
He has seen 1t grow up from bureau
with fifteen or possibly twenty men
to a great department. In that time
he has been increased from salary