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Show Senator Townsend Upholds Hughes' Declaration That I Durand Resigned Under Duress. MAN WAS INEFFICIENT Democrats Congratulate Republicans Re-publicans on "At Last Having Hav-ing Found an Issue." Washington, Aug. 10. Senator Townsend, Republican of the census committee, made a statement in the senate today supporting tho declaration declara-tion of Charles E. Hughes that E. Dana Durand, former director of tho census, was removed trom office to make a vacancy for political reasons and taking issue with Secretary Red-field's Red-field's rejoinder that Mr. Durand retired re-tired voluntarily. "The secretary of commerce says Mr. Durand resigned," said Senator Townsend. "That is not correct. The fact is that Secretary Redfleld called on Durand in April and stated was in progress and that he ought to bo allowed to finish it. The next day Mr. Harris' (William J. Harris) nom-inaion nom-inaion was sent to the senate and the liext day it was announced that Mr. Durand had resigned." Senator Townsend said ho had explained ex-plained the facts to the census committee com-mittee and lelayed the confirmation of Harris. "I bellevo it is wellfor the country to know the facts," continued Senator Sena-tor Townsend. "Mr. Durand was practically prac-tically removed. He resigned tinder pressure after he had stated he ought to remain, until jtthoxcensusBxeports, were completed. Tho telegrams sent out by Secretary Rodfield absolutely was unfaithful to the fact. Mr. Harris was appointed for political reasons and his name sent in after Mr. Durand was forced out of office." Smith Congratulates Republicans. Senator Smith, Democrat of Georgia, said he "desired to congratulate congratu-late the other side In that they have have at last found, an issue." "My criticisms of the president and secretary secre-tary of commerce In this matter," Senator Smith continued, "is that they did not remove Mr. Durand frankly and openly from office. He was an inefficient as an executive officer. of-ficer. There was waste of money, duplication du-plication of work and carelessness of management in his administration, j He was a man utterly without execu-i tive capacity of tho kind needed in a director of the census." Senators Stone and Hardwick retort-ed retort-ed that the Republicans seemed pleased at having found an isBue. Mr. Harris Is now a member of tho federal fed-eral trade commission. Senator Penrose said that Durand was not the issue. "The lBsue here," he said, "Ib that the secretary of commerce deliberately deliberate-ly and publicly stated that Durand resigned and was not removed, and It later turns out that he was removed and tho secretary of commerce, to put it mildly, is detected in deliberately deliberate-ly misrepresenting the facts to the American, people. I am.not a tfanatioal civil sorvico reformer -myself, but I . abhor tho hypocrisy which character-izestthiB character-izestthiB whole, tnmBaxttion." s |
