The Coconino sun., 1919-02-28
FORCING SECRETARY
 HOUSTON'S ACE

WASnlNIlONy rep. Z6.-NOt all the clever work is accomplished by the men higher up. Never was this truer than in the case of subordinate in the department of agriculture who forced the secretary, by means of strategy, to give out information wanted by the livestock men of the country, which he did not want to give. The subordinates' name is Dr. W. J. Spillman, former chief of the office of Farm Management and the secre- tary, Secretary Houston. The details surrounding this interesting incident have just been made public by Dr. Spillman in an address before the an nual conference of the National Board of Farm Organizations.
 In order to fully appreciate the in- cident it should be stated that the ma jority of the work of Dr. Spillman's office had been stopped by letter from Secretary Houston and that 13 letters of authorization requested by Spillman to enable certain parts of the work to continue had been refused.
 The story as told in Dr. Spillman's own words is as follows:
 "I immediately resolved to leave the department so as to be in position to force the secretary to change his mind about this work, as well as other work of the office of farm management which he had discouraged from the first. It was not until June following that 1 was able to complete these ar engagements. Meanwhile, early in Jan uary, 1918, MT. E. c. Lasater came to my office and inquired as to the progress of the cost of production stu dies I told him the situation and he suggested that if would wait little he could render some assistance. told him his help would be welcome.
 About the middle of January, 1918, the secretary received telegram from Mir. Ike Pryor, president of the Amer ican National Livestock association, reading substantially as follows: The American Livestock association, in session at Salt Lake City, would like to know the status of the investiga- tions on cost of producing beef being conducted by your office of farm man agement. Please wire reply in time for me to read it to this convention before it adjourns tomorrow at 4:30. This telegram was sent to me to pre- pare a reply for the secretary's sigma ture. I prepared substantially the fol- lowing: The investigations on cost of production referred to in your tele- gram have been greatly extended and are being pushed vigorously. A report on them will be ready by the first of July
 About ten minutes after l sent this to the secretarys office," Dr. Spillman continued, "Mr. Harrison, secretary to Secretary Houston, called me over the phone and said, as nearly as l can re- member: 'Spillman, what in the hell do you mean by sending a telegram like this over here for the secretary to sign? You know damned well he has ordered all those investigations stopped Yes replied, I know he has. ordered them stopped, but have a suspicion he is going to order them started again What do you mean by that 2 responded the astonished Mir. Harrison. I mean just what the words imply was my rejoiner. But the telegram isn't true,' insisted liar rison. It will be true when the secre- tary has signed it, l replied. But he won't sign it, said Harrison. I said thought he would, and asked Mir. Harrison if he knew who Ike Pryor is. All I know responded he, is that he is signed here as president of this as sociation.' Yes said l, and that is one of the largest and livest punches of men in the country, and l happen to know that they know what they are after. Please tell the secretary from me that if he values his job he will sign that telegram"
 "A few minutes later l received courteous note from Mir. Harrison, with a copy of the telegram, which he said the secretary had signed and sent. The next day l renewed my re- quest for the 13 letters of authoriza- tion, and after some wrangling ob- tained them"