Show SENATOR CHARGES GRAVE a ABUSES IN lAND OFfiCE Henry Anderson Chief Clerk of State Board Denounced on Floor of Senate I Commissioners Are Charged With Contributory Negligence and Official Investigation Is Ordered j u Cb of flagrant misfeasance in iii office were made against Harry Ander Anderson son chief clerk of ot the state board of ot land sand commissioners on the floor loor of the senate yesterday afternoon by Senator Banner Benner X Smith of ot Salt Lake The allegations are that Anderson has on at least two different occasions during the past year ear having in his ha official capacity obtained know knowledge ledge of the In Intention Intention of a citizen to select State lands fraudulently and In order to ob obtain obtain tain tam an advantage and pecuniary prof profit it Interfered with the lawful rights of ot citizens seeking socking to acquire such lands and prevented the acquisition af at the same tame The state board of ot land commission commissioners ers era is also implicated as ao it is charged that in hoth both instances certain members of or the board had haJ the matter called to their attention and made mado no effort to correct the tho complained of ot The statement by Mr Ir Smith fell like lIko I a bombshell it at t the beginning of ot what I t promised to be an uneventful session Accompanying his assertions he pre pro presented rented a resolution asking that the charges be investigated and before anybody knew what had happened the resolution was passed under suspension n sion slon of ot rules and President Love named Senators Benner X Smith E T Hu Bu laniski and George M II Lawrence as as members of or the probing committee Broad in its Scope Under the terms of ot the resolution the committee is not only authorized to in inquire Inquire inquire quire into the charges but to invest investigate gate Fate ate the administration of the land office to subpoena and ud compel the at attendance att t of witnesses and to adminis administer ter oaths eath Mr Smith would say little regarding his charges when seen after the theses sea ses non pion lon although he divulged the names who he lie claims have been fraudulently deprived eI of ot the alleged all ged illegal entries That it is believed by him that thet startling testimony testimony testimony mony regarding the conduct of ot the af affairs afI affairs fairs of ot the tho board of ot land commission commissioners I ers era and that the practice complained of has hes been going on for some time how however ho hoever however ever seems evident The committee Ill begin its work Saturday I I Facts Concerning Cases CasesI I Although the statement read to the I senate by Mr Smith does not mention names he revealed the parties implicated implicated in the alleged shady transactions transactions I after the session I The first case cited occurred o in July 1906 when George Mueller lueller proprietor of the Royal bake bakey y South Main street treet applied through Mr Smith his attorney for a tract of state land landAt After At r the application had been filed flied I but before the deal del had been consummated consummated mated J P Sorensen a relative of Chief Clerk Anderson filed tiled on It in the I United States land office omee This was i done don Id Mr Smith in his statement for f the purpose of preventing bona bon bonafide I tide fide fid applicant from acquiring the state I lands and for the purpose of obtain obtaining obtainIng obtaining ing a pecuniary profit and advantage for the by said entry The Thes second cond cast cas cased C occurred about five months ago This time former Judge V Y C Hall of the district court applied a to the land board for a client named Garns to purchase a parcel varcel of land As soon as the application was filed it is charged that Anderson went to the United States land office and arid qt at attempted tempted to homestead this tract under the federal land laws Being refused it itis itIs ItIs is alleged he thereupon caused a friend and acquaintance Archie B Pas Pa coe salesman for tor Gray Brothers who re resides r sides s at North Norih Main street to filo fit fita a homestead entry covering the same land This was as subsequently relin relinquished relinquisHed but taken up again by another party partS under the desert entry law An Andersons Andersons Andersons dersons application atlon in his own hand handwriting handwriting writing is said to be on file in the land l nd office The statement of Senator Smith S to the senate which was carefully pre prepared prepared prepared pared nOd mid read from manuscript bristles with characteristic statements and in it he defies the politicians of ot the party which elected him The Statement Stat ment in Full The statement nt in full tull which is st sIf explanatory follows It is not my to unjustly crill criticise cise public officers nor to cause caus ounce unnecessary essary trouble yet et my duty to the peo people pe pepie pie of the state as a member of this body requires that I lay before you rou what ap appears appears appears pears to be some flagrant instances of malfeasance in public office by an em eta of one of the public boards of this tins In ln making this statement I fully u appreciate that It Involves one who wh owes tJ his office to political preferment and win winwill will be backed and defended by Ills his yo 10 o associates a Yet If It the charges are true and can be sustained by competent evidence I would be recreant to tD my mr duty daty as a member of this body bod and a citizen if I did not place them before you ou as I will not surrender the tue conclusions that the facts Indicate to personal p lIOnal or political In f terest and under the circumstance clr this body would lose Its Influence and respect I if there be any foundation for tor the thes charge and an Ine Is net mad to determine their truth or falsity and if true to suggest a remedy Rights of Citizens Congress has 1153 ry ty t the enabling act C granted to this state for certain I thousands of acres of public land hand to W bo b I disposed d of by the state an as may ma be pro provided provided vided by bi law subject to certain lions Former res have hav provided tI I by b law for the sale and disposition of f fI these lands to citizens of the state under I certain regulations one regulation being that any citizen who first applies to pur purchase hase chase stat sta lands shall have the prior right to have hae the state select the tho sam This Is H a valuable right and should not be fraudulently interfered with It has b been c en charged and I T that competent evidence exists exist to sustain I the charges that an of the stat board of Mad land commissioners has JIBS on at ot least last two different occasions during tho th j year 1306 having hang in his official capacity obtained knowledge of ot the intention of ot otI a citizen to select state stat lands fraudulently and In order to obtain an advantage and anil I pecuniary profit interfered with the law 13 ful tul UI rights of citizens seeking to such lands landa and prevented the acquisition r of the same The T e Circumstances The s as charged are in ii follows That in July 1906 11 6 an employs of the state land board in his official capa eap capacity city cit learned that a citizen was wag about to tomake tomake make application to purchase e certain state lands and that said 8 ld Im its Imparted Impart parted part d that Information to a relative and caused the relative to file an JiD application a for the selection of ot the same name lands t w application of the ther relative lathe rue prior to the application of ot the citizen l either Ither the information received from the of the land larid department or ur by his hi fraudulently filing the tha sam sarn ahead thead of the bona lmH fht was done for r f the pur t lf S the bona file tUe applicant from th the state lands and for fo the tho purpose of I obtaining a pecuniary profit and advantage tage tag for the by said entry It is further charged that during the year lar 1906 HOG another citizen made a bona bonafide fide Ide application for selection of lands lauds by b bythe the state for the purpose of ot purchase and anil filed tiled the same in III the office of or the land Ian department and that the same with the Intent to deprive said applicant of ot his right to purchase said lands and to obtain a pecuniary benefit for himself iJ attempted in his own name to homestead the same under the land laws of tho th United States but upon his application for a homestead being refused he there thereupon thereupon thereupon upon caused a friend and acquaintance to tofile file a homestead entry in the United States land office covering the same land and that he furnished the costs and fees and that the said entry was wai made for the pecuniary pecunia f profit and benefit of or said and with wit the intention of depriving the said bona fide ide applicant from acquiring said lands hands through said selection and that the filing riling of said homestead entry did In fact prevent said sall bona home fide applicant from acquiring said lands la Known by Land Board I I am informed and believe that both bothof i of ot these instances came to the knowledge I of certain members of the state land board time after the th occurrence and five or six months ago and that within the last month both of these mat matters matters mattern tern were called to the attention of the tho state land board and that no action has hal been taken to correct these abuses and andI I am extremely doubtful that the boar Intends bona Ide fide to take any action in reference to the same It is my m opinion that an Investigation should be had to determine the truth or falsity of these charges and if they are a e sustained legislative action should be bl betaken betaken I taken to correct and prevent any further abuses in the administration of the af affairs affairs affairs fairs of the state in the state land lan office offices s |