The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-08-11


 Cooperstown. N. T., Aug. H. William c. Redfeld, Secretary of Commerce. dictated last night state ment on the Durand and Tittman designations from the government service. The statement follows:
 "Mr. Durand. in his statement on page 4 of yesterdays New York Times does not claim either that his resigna- stion was asked or that he was re moved. He admits he resigned, but did so out of the customary courtesy. | etc. confess ignorance of this GUS tomary courtesy There were seven other bureau chiefs in the depart ment. I do not recall that any other of them was thus impelled to tender his resignation
 ..Durand. in the letter which MT. Hughes read. does not claim either to i. have been removed or that his resig- nation was demanded He says he told me he would resign when re- quested. He does not so much as hint that asked him to make this I tender. What Durand did, either in Iresigning or saying he would resign. ne OlQ YOluuIaIAy AAu uli%1~S> >Cos e~iA~A The gives the reason himself
 we may accept Durand's own istatements as justifying fully the statement made by me in wiring MT. Hughes that Dupand was not remov- ed or retired. but resigned, voluntar- lily, unasked4' He himself is witness to this by his own statements
 'The trouble appears to have been . and only here, was where anything that was forced came in. Durand's s kresignation was accepted because was satisfied a marked. improvement in the administration of the census was necessary and possible. Conced- ing, for the sake of argument Du- rand's scientific value, it does not and f1t did not follow that he was compe- tent as an administrator. I thought he. was, not so. have since become kfuIly convinced of it. -. I am quite E-willing in this, as in any other similar case, to have my action judged by the standard saying, By their fruits Iye shall know them Administration fruits do not of necessity grow on scientific trees. A man may be scien- tifically profound and administrative Z 1y weak
 "I purpose in due time, when data are available, to show what some of the fruits of this change have been. I As look back over the work for three years am thankful in the public in- terest and for the sake of good ad- ministration that MT. Durand resign ed as he did and that MT. Harris took charge in hiss place.
 Case of Dr. Tfttman
 "Mr. Hughes does not repeat the tDetroit assertion about the Superin- tendent of the Coast Survey, concern ing which matter he is in all respects grotesquely mistaken. Dr. Tittman, former Superintendent, remained in office two years or more after the present Administration took charge. He was so much my friend that strove to secure for him a scientific degree from one of our leading col leges, an honor which justly came to him elsewhere. In the Spring of 1915 he bought home at Leesbury, Va, and insisted upon retiring wholly from active work.
 'T am second to none in commend ing his high character ana great SCI entific worth. Heretofore. however 1 the highest scientific values did not necessarily mean equal administrative power. The operating details of the Coast Survey had been in the hands of-a subordinate who did not handle them wisely. Of this ard of the con- dition into which the service had ir its equipment and operations fallen my reports speak frankly an dfully.
 There has been no concealment oi the great change in methods man agement, The scientific state of the Coast Survey, like the statistical staff of the Census, was strong and com petent I determined to put at the head of the Coast Survey man whe was keenly sympathetic with scientific work. but whose chief personal tasl should be that of an administrator s, Under the Republican dministra ton the service had been horribly neglected. The conditions undel which many of it's officers had to worl were disgraceful. It had been finan oially starved Many of it's vessels were in hopeless disrepair.
 Praises Jones' Work.
 This has all been changed. pr Jones has done wonderful work, fol which the country is indebted to him In due time I purpose to speak of Il 1ully MeanWnle IL IS nLIle leSS IA1i islander of an sefficient and honorable officer, working hard and unselhshly for the public good. to make such statements as MT. Hughes repeats ano such as appear by the mouth of one David s. Barry in The Times of to- day.
 Tt ought now to be said that in the very earliest days >of the administra- tion I said to President Wilson that il was my strong belief that the heads of the scientific services of this gov ernment should not be subject to change for political reasons. The President cordially approved, and this policy has been adhered to strictly in the Department of Commerce. Again ia due time and place, I purpose 'tc make plain, without reserve, the pol 1cy of the department respecting ap- p0sHtments and the results which have flowed from ft. If our Republican critics viii simply tel the truth. the whole truth, and nothing but the frssh, there viii bs nothing stated