Dewey County advocate. [volume] (Timber Lake, S.D.) 1910-1913, 1913-04-25
MOORE |SD|SM|SSEO
IRREGULARITIES ALLEGED in
CAMPAIGN TO BECOME SEC
RETARY OF AGRICULTURE.
ARE INVESTIGATING CHARGES
Wilson Refers Case to Department
Of Justice for lnquiry-Pro-
fessor Denies Charges
Against Him.

Washington. April 17.-Prof. Willis
l.. Moore, chief Of the weather bureau
since 1895, and an appointee Of the
Cleveland administration, has been
summarily removed from Office by Pres.
ident Wilson. His resignation recent.
ly had been accepted to take effect Jul.
ly 81, but after an investigation Of his
| alleged efforts to become secretary al
| agriculture in the present cabinet,
grave charges of irregularities were
preferred and the president withdrew
his acceptance of the resignation. dis
missing Professor Moore. Later he re.
ferred the subject to the department
of justice for inquiry.
Secretary Issues Statement.
Secretary Houston of the agricultu-
raj department conferred with the
president before the removal OF MIR.
Moore was announced. The secre-
tary then issued the following state.
ment:
Immediately after the resignation
of Professor Moore of the weather bu-
reau was submitted to the president
and accepted by him, charges were
filed with the secretary of agriculture
by responsible men within the service.
These charges were of such grave
nature tnat the secretary of agricult-
ure called upon the department of
justice for an investigation.
1.-The investigation is still under way,
but the facts SO far secured and laid
before the president yesterday were
sufficient to warrant him in deciding to
withdraw his acceptance of Professor
Moore's resignation and remove him
summarily, which was done yesterday.
"The president also has directed the
secretary of agriculture to suspend
Charles T. Burns, an employee Of the
weather bureau, pending a. further in
vestigation of his case, and take such
disciplinary measures as he may deem
necessary with such other employees of
the weather bureau as may have been
unduly active in using the public serv-
ice for private ends"
The letter to Secretary Houston d.
recting Mr.. M0ore's removal was not
made public, hut it was stated at the
White House that it charged such ir-
regularity and misuse of powers as to
require the immediate dismissal of
the weather bureau chief in the4a$tar-
est of the public service Unofflcially,
it was said at the White House that
the campaign to make Mr.. Moore sec
rotary of agriculture had been extern
sive; that members of congress in var
ious parts of the country had been can
vassed, and that letter-writing CAM
paign had been conducted among
weather bureau employees.
Professor Moore has been target
for attack in congress. A few days
ago Representative Fowler of Illinois
introduced resolution calling on the
secretary of agriculture to advise con-
gress regarding the appropriations for
official travelling expenses for the
weather bureau; what amount of the
lump OF salaries in the weather bureau
was expended for promotions of
weather bureau employees during last
January and February and the COM
parative figures for the preceding four
years.
Denies Campaign Charges.
Professor Moore has issued a state
ment declaring that the same influ-
ences that attempted to disgrace and
DR.. Harvey w. Wiley" were
for his removal, and brand
ing as UNANIMOUSLY false" any intima-
ton that he had coerced employees OF
the weather bureau in supporting him
for the secretaryship or that public
had been expended in his can.
Crane May Go to Russia.