The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1913-04-17
Charged With Making Tn
due Efforts to Become
Head Of Agricultural
Department
ISSUES STATEMENT
IN OWN DEFENSE
Says Same Influences Which
Fought Doctor Wiley
Are Responsible

| WASHINGTON, ApEl 16.-Prof. Will
lis L. Moore. chief ok the weather bu-
reau since 1895 andSsan appointee of
the Cleveland adminisAratfon, was sum
mari1y removed FROM office today by
| President Wilson.
| His resignation recently had been ac-
cepted to take effect Duly 81, but after
an investigation OF his alleged efforts
| to become secretary of agriculture
grave charges of irregularfty were pre-
| ferred and the president withdrew his
acceptance of the resignation, dismiss
ing Professor Moore. Later he re-
ferred the subject to the department
OF justice for inquiry.
SECRETARY,S STATEMENT
| Secretary Houston Of the agrlcul-
tural department conferred with the
president before the removal of Mr..
Moore was announced
The secretary then issued this state
ment:
Immediately after the resignation
was submitted charges were filed with
the secretary of agriculture. These
We're of so grave a nature the secre-
tary called upon the department of
justice for an investigation.
STILL UNDER WAY
"The investigation still is under way,
but the facts so far secured and laid
before the president were sufficient to
warrant him in deciding to withdraw
his acceptance of the resignation and
\ e,f,, c,,r, ~, Nv
'srhe president alsd directed the sec
retary of agricultulA to suspend Mr.
Charles T. Burns. ah employe of the
weather bureau, pending further in
vestigation of his case''
Mr.. Moore made statement in which
he said:
Il am in receipt Of a letter from the
president saying thak my condnct at
| business Of the weather bureau dis
| closes such Irregularities on my part
| that the interests of the public service
| demand my immediate removal
| 'SAME OLD INFLUENCES"
In reply / will say that it Is the
| same old influences that attempted to
disgrace and remove DIR. Harvey w
| Wiley without letting him see the
charges against him that is now driv-
ing me from the public service AS
an aspirant for the secretaryship of
agriculture I announced that I would
IL appointed. revoke the benzoate of
| soda decision, abolish the Pemsen
board. or any other extra judicial body
| that I thought had been designed for
| the purpose OF minimizing the effec-
tiveness of the pure foe,t and meat in
spection laws.
81 do not believe that the great COM
mercial, agricultural. marine, educa-
tional and labor organizations that
have known me for nearly 90 years as
the chief of the weather bureau, and
who largely indorsed me for cabinet
place, will be satisfied that / have done
anything dishonorable until the light
of publicity is let in and Secretary
Houstons Russian Siberian methods
give way to American fair play.
BRANDS CHARGES FALSE
Il brand as UNANIMOUSLY false the in
timation that any man In the weather
bureau has been coerced INTO support
ing me for the secretaryship, any man
promoted for serving me or dollar of
public money expended in my candi-
dacy. I worked for the place and
spent my own money and so did many
of my friends.
Il shall welcome gladly any investi-
cation to which the press is admitted;
and why limit the inquiry to the
weather bureau?"