The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-03-16
DR.. WILEY TELLS
WHY HE RESIGNS
Hampered in His Efforts to
Make Pure Food Law
Effective, He Says
MEN OPPOSING HIM
REMAIN IN OFFICE
Unprecedented Scene Attends
Close of His Official Life
When Employees Come
to Say Goodbye

WASHINGTON, March I5.-with
one last blast against his superiors In
ONCE. who. he declares. deliberately
muxzled him so that he could not
enectually warn the people against
poisonous and polluted foods which
plainly Violate the law. and which
with ofSicial sanction are sold every
where In the United States DR.. Har-
vey Wiley sent In his resignation and
retired from the bureau OF chemistry
today.
IL IL rumored tonight that he will
become associate editor of Good
housekeeping Magazine. 1t Is under
stood that he VIII remain In Wash
ington. where he Will have a Iabora-
tory OF his own. and will be able to
pursue his work as he sees tit.
Or. Wiley viii also uevoto his vast
energy toward the creation OF a ma :
tional board OF health, over which
he hopes cabinet officer VIII pre-
side. He Will also continue his work
upon the lecture platform.
Following meeting of the cabinet
today. teiexrams were cent to all the
leading technical COLLEGES and univer-
site. in the United States. urging
them TO make suggestions as to sue
cessor to DR.. Wiley In the bureau OF
chemistry.
Secretary Wilson Reioicex.
Plainly juhiiant at the resignation
OF this noted expert. Secretary Will
son. OF the department OF agriculture,
triumphantiy announced that he
would have final Voice in the choice
OF new bureau chief.
A scene quite unprecedented q,
Washington official life. marked the
close of DIR. Wiley's somewhat fevered
administration With tears strea ming
down their checks hundreds of wo.
men clerks. many employed in other
sections of the department OF agri-
culture. hlcd In to say good bye. So
crowded were the elevators leading to
DIR. Wiley's office that numerous wo-
men walked up four long flights OF
stairs.
In statement made this evening
DIR. Wiley relates that in an effort to
even further restrict the operations
OF the pure food law, than they have
already done. his colleagues In the de-
partment OF agriculture plotted
through false charges to forcibly sep
arate him from the public service.
and he was only saved by the timely
Intervention of the President
What He Expected.
After the President and q commit
tee on Congress had completely
exonerated me. ! naturally expected
that those who had made these false,
ton which would make O repetition
OF such an action possible, am
still left to como into daily contact
with the men who secretly plotted at
my destruction.
For the past twenty -nine years, /
have endeavored to discharge these
duties according to the dictates of my
conscience. the knowledge at my COM
mand. and the obligations Of my oath.
NJ
should state briefly the causes which
have led me &c this step. The funda-
mental one Is that I believe can fino
opportunity for better and more eff
fective service to the work, which is
nearest my heart. as a private citizen
than could am longer do in my late
position.
His Ideas Different.
AFTER a quarter OF century OF
constant discussion and effort the bin
regulating Interstate and foreign com
merce IN foods and drugs Uns enact
ed INTO law. Almost FROM the very
beginning OF the enforcement OF this
act. discovered that my point OF view
in regard to II was fundamentally dif.
ferent from that OF my superiors In
Office.
For nearly elk years there has been
. growing feeling on my mind that
thes~ differences were irreconciliabie.
and have been conscious OF an ON
cial environment which has been es-
sentiallv inhospitable.
II saw the fundamental principles
OF the food and drug act, a. they app
peared to ms, one by one. paralyxed
or discredifed.
1T was the -lain provision Of the
act that the bureau OF chemistry was
to examine oil samr'es OF suspect
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