The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1930-06-30
Quit Federal Chemists Post
Successful After Thirty
Years of Warfare

Washington. June st. -R- DR..
Harvey w. Wiley. noted pure food adj
vocate, died today.
He had been suffering critically
from heart trouble for the last two
months at his home. He was IS years
old.
When DR.. Wiley became chief
chemist of the department Of agri-
culture in 1883 and took charge Of the
little cubby-hole laboratory in the
basement from which the present
f~ar-reaching federal agency was de-
veloped, probably he did lot know
that he was embarking on a 30-years-
war Of his own. But 80 years brim
full Of battle and controversy under
the "pure food" slogan began for him
that day: conflicts that were to de-
mand repeatedly action by the presi-
dent himself, and to end only when,
INDICATED and upheld by President
Taft in his last clash, the scientist re-
signed after stubbornly refusing to be
kicked out Of the federal service.
There r q score of bloodless but
bitter battles, history Of which might
be written on DR.. Wiley's honorable
discharge from the official pure food
army. There was the what is whis-
key, campaign in 1907 which re-
volved around him as the storm CEN
ter: the battle of Benzoate of Soda"
which still was rumbling in 1909. and
finally the Board Of Personnel Of
fensive" in 1911. The board. in what
was known as the DR.. Rusby case,
recommended that DR.. Wiley "be per-
mitted to resign" Secretary Wilson.
of the agriculture department and
Attorney General Wickersham ap-
proved the boards report, but Presi-
dent Taft sustained DR.. Wiley and
praised his work.
Resigned Victorious
Then only did the scientist tender
his resignation because of "i-recon-
cilable" differences with his super
Tors and the consciousness Of an
essentially inhospitable" official n
yironment. That was in 1912 and
President Taft having expressed re-
greet at his retirement, DR.. Wiley
turned to the more peaceful pursuits
of contributing editor Of a national
monthly magazine that dealE with
food problems for the home.
DR.. Wiley vas born In Kent. Ind,
October Is, 1874, and Hanover Col
lege of that state was his alma mater.
although Indiana Medical College,
Harvard and Vermont later awarded
him degrees. His active career be-
gan as professor Of Latin and Greek
at Butler College, Indianapolis, but
turned soon to teaching scientific
subjects in various colleges which led
him to his federal post.
The controversy that preceded his
resignation grew out Of the charge
that DR.. Wiley. DR.. L. F. Kebler, chief
Of the bureaus drug laboratory, and
DR.. w. d. Bigelow, assistant chief OF
the bureau, permitted an arrange
ment to be made with DR.. H. H. Rus
by. of Columbia university, whereby
DR.. Rusby was to receive a salary OF
81 600 a year, with the tacit under
standing that he was to do only
enough work to secure this amount at
the rate of $40 q day. This was
declared to have been in violation Of
the act which held that no class
filed scientific investigator should re-
ceive more than 50 a day.
President Taft, after lengthy cor
respondence. instead of carrying out
the recommendations Of Attorney
General Wickersham asking "condign
punishment" for the chemist. vim
dicated tbs scod expert and his as
Continued on page nine)