The Washington times., 1916-08-10
DURAND FORCEDOUT
HE WRITES HUGHES
Former Census Director Says
Secretary RedfieId Sought
to Create Vacancy.

MINNEAPOLIS. Aug. 10-Mr. Hughes
appears to have come out victor In the
FIRST issue Of fact raised by either
nominee In the present campaign. In
one OF his speeches In Detroit Monday
night he accused the Wilson Adminis-
tration Of having retired Z. Dana
Durand. then director Of the census. to
make room for a Southern Democratic
politician. Secretary OF Commerce Red
field. after reading the address, wired
to Mr.. Hughes that he had been
'sravely misinformed," Durand having
retired voluntarily.
Mr.. Durand Is now a professor In the
University OF Minnesota and lives In
Minneapolis. Mr.. Hughes received a
letter from him yesterday in which the
former census director said the charge
made by the nominee was absolutely
true.
MY resignation was distinctly a
forced resignation" he wrote. adding
Mr.. Redf1ed In talking to him of his
position said: THE Administration de-
sres to create a vacancy there" Mr..
Hughes read this letter to a crowd of
10000 persons who attended the after
noon meeting on the parade grounds In
Minneapolis. following the reading with
the declaration: "If am elected Presi-
dent I propose to have administrative
positions filled by men of special train
ing
Repeats Jones' Charge.
At Detroit also Mr.. Hughes referred
to the retirement OF o. II. Tittman. as
chief Of the Coast and Geodetic Sur
vey and the substitution OF DR.. r. Les
ter Jones, whom Mr.. Hughes described
as IAN excellent stock raiser and vet
Urinary surgeon"
e F Sweet. acting Secretary Of Com
merce. answered by saying Jones had
been elevated to this place from the
chieftaincy Of the Bureau Of Fisheries.
Mr.. Hughes repeated here the assertion
that Jones was q stock raiser, and said
II was tn Democrats who took him from
the stock farm to the Fisheries Bureau.
Now, the trouble is" he said, that
/ disagree with the standards Of COM
potency which are considered sufficient
by the Administration"
Mr.. Hughes said. in part:
'"In my speech In Detroit I took c.
casion to refer to the fact that In very
important bureau, the Bureau Of Cen
sus. an eminent statistician, a man of
the place. had been retired and a man
had been appointed to his place without
qualifications for that important tech
meal work. You must know how i'm
portant that Census Bureau Is. In the
proper collation. of those statistics is
furnished the opportunity for many In
vestigators to detect important tenden-
cies in our life. 1t Is work that must
be done expertly.
.- Quotes, Durand Letter. 4. 20.
''Now. my statement that e. Dana
Durand was retired. as I said in effect.
and his place given to a politician. has
been challenged by Secretary Redheld.
Secretary Redfield telegraphs me that l
was greatly misinformed. He says:
'Durand was not removed or retired. but
resigned voluntarily. unaDked. I was
glad to indorse him for his present en-
ployment.'
"E. Dana Durand happens to be a pro-
fessor In the University OF Minnesota.
and I am going to read the letter which
he has written me In respect to this
matter. He says:
"Inasmuch as the truth Of your state
ment with regard to change in the d.
rectorship of the census han been chal-
lenged. / think 1t - only fair to you
that should make this statement: My
resignation as director was distinctly a
forced resignation.
"'At the first conversation had with
Secretary Redfield on the subject told
him that I would. of course, resign
whenever he desired. but that hoped
I might be permitted to remain. as
was much interested in the work and
considered myself reasonably qualified,
especially by reason of the experience
once told me that the Administration
had decided that II wanted to make
change-I believe ito create q vacancy
there" were the words used.
THE next / heard about the matter
was the announcement In the press that
the name OF my successor had been sent
to the Senate. / thereupon wrote out
my resignation. l prefer not to be
quoted. but II you consider Il necessary,
you are at liberty to do so.'"