The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1912-08-22
WILSON NOT BLAMED
IN EVERGLADES DEAL
Assistant Secretary, However,
Is Accused OF Conduct I'm
becoming Official.

q ~ W 80
House two reports of its investigation
of the Florida Everglades charges and
subsequent inquiry in the drainage di-
vision of the department Of agriculr
ture. The reports take up the charge
that a certain circular u~nfavorable to
sale of everglades lands was sup
pressed in the department of agricul-
lure through the influence Of real es-
tate operators; the question of rela-
tious between Assistant Secretary
Hays, Of the department. and X. @.
Wright, a former government employee,
in a LAND project at Lake Mattamus-
keet, N. c., and the dismissal of C. G.
Elliot and A. d. Morehouse from the
drainage division of the department,
on technical charges involving the
transfer of government funds from n
account to another.
Sloan Offers Different View.
Secretary Wilson escaped personal
jority in the findings on the Everglades
charges. The departments policy
toward the everglades was character
lied as vascillating, most unfortu-
nate and having subjected the depart
ment to much suspicion n criticism.
The minority report, signed by Repre-
sentative Sloan, of Nebraska, who said
his views were approved by Represen-
tatives Higgins and Madden, held that
Secretary Wilson a acted within his
legal discretion.
Hays was condemned by the mo-
jority for his relations with Wright in
the North Carolina project, while the
minority held his interest was not one
for profit, but only his well known
interest in development of rural COM
munity life.
Both majority and minority agreed
that the dismissal of Elliot and More
house on technical charges was ''over
discipline"
Hays is Condemned.
The conduct of Assistant Secretary
Hays of the agriculture department,
whose relations with former DRAINAGE
Engineer j. O.. Wright, We're the sub
ject of especial attention by the COM
mittee, was declared in a majority re-
port presented by Chairman Moss,
democrat, to have been not in har-
mony with proper standards of Of
fetal propriety. if not official recti-
tude." The minority report made by
Representative Sloan, of Nebraska, re-
publican. asserted on the other hand
that the unstable majority con-
illusions We're more of a charge
esty of the committee members" than
against Assistant Secretary Hays.
Two Records Submitted.
The majority report was signed by
Chairman Moss and Representatives
Flood, of Arkansas. n Doughton, of
North Carolina, democrats. The mi
nority report was signed by Represen-
tative Sloan, Of Nebraska, who stated
that representatives Higgins, of Con-
necticut, and Madden, of Illinois. ap-
proved it. All are republicans. Many
features of the agriculture depart
ment's work in connection with the
Everglades were attacked by the demo-
cratic report, which arraigned the de-
partment as va%scillating and Engineer
Wright as having been ION familiar
terms with real estate promoters and
SPECTATORS
Wilson Exonerated.
No real criticism of Secretary Will
son was contained in the majority re-
port. the burden of criticism being laid
on Assistant Secretary Hays. The
minority report, on the other hand. ac-
quilted the latter of the charges that
he "despised all restraint and attempted
to capitalize his official position and
draw quick dividend from official op-
~portunity."
The Everglades investigation arose
through the charges that certain re-
ports prepared by government engi-
neers had Deer withheld from publica-
ton, with the Inference that such &C
ton was in the interest Of land deal
ers. c. G.. Elliott, chief of drainage
and Assistant Engineer Moorehouse,
who We're brought into the controversy
We're found by the committee to have
made an arrangement in connection
with North Carolina swamp lands
that was In violation of the law. but
inasmuch as there was no profit in
tended in it the committee declared
that the men had been too severely
disciplined by Agricultural depart
ment officials.
Hays Implicated.
Assistant Secretary Hays pinned
nection with the matter arose through
a private arrangement he made with
]. O.. Wright, former drainage enei-
neer, for the handling of some drained
land IN North Carolina, which did not
belong to the government.
Inc majority report cited Wright's
admissions of his familiarity with real
estate promoters and of accepting de-
Velopment company stock and fees
while engaged officially in making sur
veys to reclaim land. 1t declared that
while thus engaged as a paid salesman
and an interested purchaser he ap-
peared before the North Carolina legis-
lature as an official of the department
OF agriculture ~ostensibly to advise in
the framing Of drainage legislation.
Wright Too BoastfuI.
He later boosted, the report said. OF
securing the passage Of q special stat
ute there under which he was enabled
to close a deal. His transactions were
bv the majority as repug-
nant to a high sense of honor and in
tegrity. which would justify dismissal
If he were still in the government sery-
Ice. The report added that his ~transac-
lions We're not brought to the knowl-
edge of his superiors Of the drainage
division.
The majority report cited testimony
regarding frequent conferences of AS
sistant Secretary Hays and Engineer
Wright. who has since become state
dralnage engineer of Florida, concern
ing the purchase and sale at a profit
Of the bed of Lake Mattamuskee, N. c.
Mr.. Wright, the majority declared, did
not seem to realize the improperly of
his own conduct. In view of his CON
fidential relations with Mr.. Hays the
majority found it difficult to escape
the conviction that Mr.. Hays was in
full possession of the facts relative to
Wright's deals and transactions when
they We're being negotiated" and that
HAYS should have condemned them
rather thai to have encouraged them.