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Show 4. why the Board Did Not 1" Who is Hlirtiflg Utah? Opportunity for FnO f rJLTcr: INCOMPETENCY OF UTAH STATE LAND BOARD SHOWN Z,2T I to complete it. STORY OF THE PIUTE PROJECT ggig!i ; H ' It will be remembered that, the stale b" land commissioners of Utah nt a mcct- l in held on August 12 in star chamber I' session, regardless of the law which L provides that, all meetings of the board i- must bo open lo the public, that all records of the board shall be open to . public inspection, the star chamber scs- fv sion was held, nuwspnper rcprosentn- r tives wore barred and The Tribune was t denied access to tho records. Later this order was rescinded and tho records ', were made accessible to a Tribune rep- t ' rosentativc. The matter at issue was the I Pinto project, a reclamation schoino P which was undertaken by tho land ; board, a scheme upon which a vast Bum of money has been expended and which c to complote will necossitato an expendi- f '.- tu re of half a million dollars more and fivo years of time, if dono under the . supervision of the state land board. L- m After a lengthy star chamber session f: on the date above cited the doors were h thrown open and the common pooplc f were permitted to enter the sacred prc- I'inetfl of the board. I Tribune MakoB Inquiry. In view that the state land .board was so anxious to hold on to the project and delay completion, if it ever is completed, for several years, Tho Tribune begun an inquiry into the records. The in-oonipetoiiey in-oonipetoiiey and misrepresentation of the project by the state land board brought out by this inquiry, tho manner and method of paying- for work alleged to have been done upon the project which a search of the records disclosed, hIiowh some of tho reasons why the incompetent in-competent board desirod to continuo. j The people be damned, is the only con-elusion con-elusion that can be reached. The botird wants n personal machine built up and it has been buildcd, and places for relatives rela-tives of members have been easily found. Under tho system which this Pinto project is being constructed the opportunity for fraud and graft and thott is easy. The records toll the story. Me who cares may read. What was found .by The Tribune is detailed herewith. here-with. TJio story follows: Story of Piuto Project. It was perhaps not without reason on his purl and on behalf of the board of stalo land commissioners that the Fee-ret Fee-ret a ry of the board attempted to withhold with-hold from inspection the records of tho expenditures on' tho Piute reservoir project. When tho books were finally produced upon a third and formal demand de-mand what they disclosed was not so apparent as what they attempted to hide. A ledger account that blocked together to-gether anywhere from ten lo thirty vouchers and entered them in a lump 7iim is not of itself a valuable record. Jt did not. show the amount of each voucher nor did it stato tho name of the payee. Neither did it disclose the branch of work upon which the moneys mon-eys wore expended. The very first entry en-try in the ledger account is an exposition exposi-tion of the method. Nov. 1. 11)07 129S, -1303, .$215.17. Which appears from the warrnnt register reg-ister as: 3K.7 1 1 H. S. Kleinschmidt $13.05 33.712 H. S. Kicliischmidt 6-1 -51 33.713 Raymond Spencer 31.05 33,71 J Raymond Spencer Sjj'-s 3Y.71C w'. M. Cox V h'.7S And the difference is fnirly indicntivo of the methods in tho two offices. Ono is a public office where public records are Uopt for public bcucfit and the other , Many Discrepancies. There are many discrepancies in tho accounts of the two offices and items that should have been charged to the v llalchtown project have been charged J.T to the Piute in ono case amounting to $1001.28. No trifling sum, it may be said, even to tho slate board of land comniissi.oner.s, even now looking for GOmc method lo raise the wind financially financial-ly for the purpose of completing this very project. The system of approving personal expense ex-pense vouchers when the most trifiiug examination would show that a largo proportion of tho receipts attached were never signed by tho persons' whoso names were- appended tends almost to the borders of criminality. If Mrs. Lehi Peterson of Salina r.vcre to change her pens and her handwriting every hour of tho day she would have towork overtime to keep track of her variegated variegat-ed signatures. But Mrs. Peterson is not the only oie so confronted; there are others by scores. One of tlu rules of the state auditor's audi-tor's office that original signatures only will bo itcceotod unless on written nn- thority did not apply to tho Piute proj- .1 . ect workers any old thing seems to V have gone once the)- got into tho field. " '? useless to say that it was afar n LSf - off and ordinary business methods were l; Hjgr difficult if not impossible. Other cor- 4 K A porations have met far greater difli- W Bj . cullies of this character successfully and m Hi honesflv. Ij Bl Highly Improper Methods. M HI":' At the firut some employees received j HI their wages from the engineers who flll charged (he amounts in their personal H Hk expense accounts which was highly im- H BH. proper. For instance, in the month of January, 1908. H. S. Klcinscbmidt's expense ex-pense account contains two such items: December IS. Paid Preston Llnford for services from December 1-16, Inclusive, nl $50 a mouth, SL'a.SO. December 17 Paid Asel Curtis for services from December 1-17, Inclusive, at $2 pur day, 5128. In February. 190S, warrant No. 30,-044, 30,-044, payable "to Asol Curtis for $27.4u for salary, but warrant 30,055 to Raymond Ray-mond Spencer for personal expense includes in-cludes an item for $25 paid to Asol Curtis for board, of team. Jf Curtis could get one warrant why uot another, and at tho same time relieve tho employee em-ployee Spencer, who only received a salary sal-ary of $60 per month, from advancing out of his personal funds an amount almost half of his salary to one person; per-son; in fact his oxpense account in that month, totalled .fufi.SO against his ,60 salary Caleb Tanner's Expense. In Caleb Tanucr's expenso account appear three items: For board and lodging ono week for two men and two weeks for ono man, ?1!i3. (Signed) W. D. WOODARD. For board and lodging for two men one week, $Hi. (.Signed) "W. J. -WOODARD. For board and lodging two weeks for two men nnd one week for one man. ?'J6. (Signed) D. W. WOODARD. From subsequent receipts it would appear ap-pear that D. W. Woodard is the correct cor-rect signature, and who ever signed tho other receipts either with or without with-out authority, and there is no authority shown from Woodard, should at least have sufficiently informed himself what lo write when he wrote. Another item in the personal expense account of this Caleb Tanner, stnto engineer, en-gineer, appears in May, 3008, when he appears to have advanced of his per sonal funds the sum of $305J.SO for tho purchase of a transit. Why this amount was not paid by regularly approved vouchor does not appear nnd wliy 6uoh an expensive instrument was purchased when tho character of tho work is considered con-sidered indicates a waste of public moneys. Hereafter should it bo 11ce.es sary to look up tho purchase of this instrument it would be a sorry job for the individual who sought the information. informa-tion. There are legitimate items for such personal expense accounts but a $393.80 transit is not 0110 of them. Hero Is a Queer Voucher. Tn the Fobruary, 1908, vouchors appears ap-pears nn item presented by one Horace W. Shclcy, as follows: Paid to secretary of stato for certification certifi-cation of amendment to articles of incorporation in-corporation of Otter Creole Reservoir company and statement of laws required re-quired for irrigation company incorporations incorpora-tions in Utah, ?C.S0. This Shclcy, it appears, was a draftsman drafts-man in tho office of the state engineer and why he should pay out lo the secretary sec-retary of slate from his own funds for a certification by a stale officer of an amendment to tho Otter creek reservoirs reser-voirs is not stated. Why was this item not paid by voucher to the state department? de-partment? is it that' the credit of the state board of land commissioners was nor. good with the secretary of stale? Why. if the expenditure was necessary, did it become cither tho duty or the privilege of Shcley lo advance the state the sum of $5.S07 The voucher shows that it was assigned to T. O. Callister, the thou secrctaiy of tho board why again? Caudland Family Appears. In May, 1908, R. W. Caudland first appears upon the payroll in an unstated capacity, but-with a salary of $50 per month and expenses, and his vouchors generally bear tho receipt of R. W. Caudland por D. W. Candlaud. who is the chairman of the board n clear case of nepotism, or perhaps better called paternal enthusiasm for a son's advancement. ad-vancement. In October of the same year j-oung Caudland 's salary was raised to $00 per month and his hotel bill at Richfield was $17.50. In May, 1909, this salary was again sweetened to the tune of another $10 making $70, and his hotel bill the same mouth was $15,50. In July, 1909. however, his services seem to have been dispensed with. Up to and including tho month of July, 1909. tho monthly oxponse accounts ac-counts of Cale.b Tanner, Joseph .Jensen. II. S. Kleinschinidt and Frcoinan Tanner all contained items of wages and board of supposedly subordinate employees engaged on tho work This becanio so pronounced in .July, 1909, that while Joseph Jensou, superintending superintend-ing engineer 011 both the Pinto and llntrhtowu projects, drew as his proportionate propor-tionate sharo of 6alnry from the Piute project the sum of $1I3.3H, his expense account due him from thcj fund was $1190.313. Among the receipts turned in against this expenditure are: Munson Handy Man. Silas Munnon, hauling 5 -tn.uO I'lftcen tluys. teams al $4.50 G7.S0 Thlriy-two days as miner in May and June, at 3.50 112.00 Tola $22-1,50 This is duly signod by Silas Munson, who appears as a person of many and various abilities a miner, a teamster, a foreman later, who uot only bossed the workers but who himself drove two teams at the same time at all events he drew the pay but as .1 general all-around all-around utilil" man ho was best at signing sign-ing receipts, for among the receipts in the .lulv voucher of Joseph Jensen is found signed in undoubtedly tho hand of Silas Munson the following. Tho j spelling is his: '.Mark Talker, pur S. M $lS.fl0 Tom Burt, pur S. M 2S.00 .Karl Potlonson, pur S. M ,.. IC.Oi) .iolin BaniHon. pur S. iI , SS.OO Guy Price, pur S. M 22.00 D. Marls pur S- M lrt.ni) O. Senvy. pur S. M S.00 Aiktow Bnrnson, pur S. 31 20.00 Joo Bollent-eii, pur S. M 30.00 In addition to this, signed evidently by S. M., as judged by tho handwriting, Ron Banib-on SU.00 the "per'" was forgotten. That this form of payuient must lmvo become offensive.' to somo of the stato authorities becomes evident from tho fact, that on August 9 tho following was spread upon the records: Salt Lake City. Utah, Aug. y.1903 ilim. Jcshc D. Jcwkos, state audi lor, Halt l.nlto City. Utah. Dear Sir: At a duly authorized meeting meet-ing of the board of state land eommls-iionerR eommls-iionerR held in this cily on tho 3rd day 1 of August, A. D. 1001). It was ordered .luii payroll of Joseph .Tenncn for cx-pensosi cx-pensosi incurred on the Piute retyjrvolr project be paid from tho reservoir land fjmnt fund interest, ns an Investment In said project of one thousand six hundred hun-dred nnd sixtv-elglit nnd Lwuiuy-flve one hundredths (Slfit;S.2r) dollars. We", the duly authorized officers of Ihc Plate hoard of land commissioner, request re-quest you to draw a warrant upon the reservoir fund Interest for Investment in bald payroll in accordance with the net Ion of the hoard- Said warrant t-o re.tiucsted should Jo-puo Jo-puo In tho Hum of one thousand six liun-dnd liun-dnd a nd sixly-fluhl nnd twenty-five one-hundredths ($lCCfi.2,"i) dollars, pay able to the order of tho slate board of land commissioners. "W. D. CANDLAKD, President. W. IT. FARNS WORTH. Secretary. tuinly badly and incorrectly slated. If others than Ross worked their names should show on a regular force tie-'count. tie-'count. If it was a contract, reference should be made lo that instrument; but tho inclusion of an amount for work dono greater by far than tho person's salary would indicate that this was one of the methods adopted to slip through payments that would not stand the test of' the vouchor and warrant by itself. Iniquitous Payroll. Tho September payroll is 110 longer a payroll at all. The form was changed to one that can only be denominated as iniquitous to a degree. I u the original on tile in the state auditor's office it can bo soon in all its nakedness. The ! column usually devotod to "receipt acknowledged ac-knowledged by"' has lost; .its caption entirely en-tirely aud in its place appears: .louse D. .lewkca. State Auditor 1, the undersigned, hereby authorize - you to pay Caleb Tanner, state engineer, Iho warrant drawn in my favor for the amount set opposite my name. From a regular payroll it has become an authorization to pay Iho amount set opposite tho laborer's name. To Caleb Tanner the state engineer, who approves the document whatever its character is for payment and who now, after its approval by the slate board of land commissioner.1; who must necessarily depend de-pend on the stalo engineer alone for their information as to the allowance or nonnllowanco of nil such matters, is authorized to receive such warrants and dispose of I hem an he 111:13' see fit. llcre is Iho first of these assignments with the names of the purported signers writton on a blank slip of paper and attached in the proper column b3' mucilage. muci-lage. Of the thirty-ono signatures twenty-two aro by tho samo man, Silas Mun son, twice for himself and twenty J.imos for others "pur. S. M.'J Here is tho iniquitous document: Poor Show for State. "What chance has Iho stato auditor, the slate treasurer, tho state board of land commissioners got to protect itself from fraud? When, as in the case of Jose Bfittenscn, as signed on tho so-eallod so-eallod pa3roll as "pur. S. M.'.," and the endorsement on the back of tho warrant war-rant No. 40582, appears as .lose Bcttcn-son, Bcttcn-son, per Lura .1. Stark. What is there to prove that first Jose Bcttcnson ever existed as a laboring unit on tho Piute project? Second, thnt he authorized Silas Munson to sign his name on tho authorization roll to Jesse 1). Jowkes. tho state auditor, to pay his warrant if might wcro due to Caleb Tanner: and third, if ho did exist, and did authorize Silas Munson to so sign his name, what evidence is there that he over received the money due him? Not one iota. Lura ,1. Stark signs his name on the warrant, but on no more authority, apparently, than Silas Munson. Did ho get tho money? Tho pcoplo of tho atato of Utah would liko to know. On a previous payroll the names of Earl Bcttcnson and Jose Bcttcnson were signed by the same person, cither one for the other or somebody some-body for both. This appears from tho signatures to tho payroll both in tho ulni-n V.n(,vrl nf Innd crt linn ! Hin lll'TK and the state auditor's office. Another Queer Payroll, Tho next payroll prepared, who shall say where, apparently by Joseph Jen-sou, Jen-sou, reached tho office of tho state auditor audi-tor with its authorization plainly, clearly aud unmistakably written Jby tho hand of one man, whose, it is not possible at this time to say. but tho letter of Mr, Jensen to State Engineer Tanner, u portion of which is quoted as follows- Panguitch, Utah. Oct. 27. 1900. Mr. Caleb Tanner. State Fnglnuer, Salt T.ake City. Utah Dear Sir I lmvo your letter of 22nd Insl.. Inclosing payroll for September with tho ijlatoinent that I he slate auditor bus refused to pay the. state engineer on the payroll submitted, for the reason that the signatures of the. various parties performing the services were, according to Ills opinion, written by Hie same man." 1 wish to otate most positively that the slate auditor's opinion Is wrong. Jt is a fact 1 hat In some Instances ono man has signed for two or threo parties, with authority to do so. On thh; particular payroll these aro as follows. The first three signatures were written by 'I. A. Alger. These men worked together and discontinued without notice on September Septem-ber 10. At the end of the month Mr. Alger came hack to sign his payroll, and, with authority to sign for Ids two companions, com-panions, naturally ho wuh allowed to do so. Port liurlow discontinued work without notice September 11. At the ond of the month his payroll was signed, hy requesl. bv ills eompanlon, Ira M. Ray. William Wilson was a. transient who was discharged by the foreman on June 2fi. A time chock wn Insuud for bis time, which ho sold lo n local merchant nnd Is still held by him. 1113 payroll was signed by tho timekeeper, na wore also tho names of Arthur Wooley. C .1. Snyder and Silas Mumion. nil of whom had discontinued dis-continued to work regularly before September Sep-tember 5. when we bad no payroll blank:! on hand. All the other names wore writ-ton writ-ton by tho Individual men who "performed "per-formed the service.." Rcspoclfullv yotirn, JOSISPM JKNSEM. After close aud critical inspection The Tribune cordially indorses tho statemout of the stato auditor. Opportunity for Frauds. "With tho initiation of this authorization authoriza-tion rdieet and its immense and almost unlimited opportunity for, if not in- T 1. vitation to, tho spoiling or despoiling of tho stato funds through tho Ptuto project proj-ect began the incroaae of tho payrolla Piute Project. FOR TIIK MONTH 13ND1NG JUI.Y 1300. v. o aa &kj ' ? flo ppJisSeS. We, tho undersigned, nc- ; ' c, '' n ? ? knowledge to have ri!- ame. .jj s ; 5 ; r celved the ntnount set op- : - c )a posltc our names. I 3 ' 1 Jacob Mohr Miner 15 $3.r.O $ 52.f"0 ? 52.50 Jacob Mohr. 2 John Barnnon 1 Tennis 47 -1.50 211.50 211.50 John Bnrnson. . :i D. IT, Norton Team 20 4. DO 117.00 117.00 D. 11. Norton. . 1 Sam Winn Labor 20 2.00 52.00 52.00 Sarn AVinn. 5 Roland Uarnson Lalwr 22J 2.00 45.00 45.00 Roland Bamson. G Gnv Price Labor 2li 2.00 43 .00 43.00 Guy Price. ' ' 7 Wlifoiil Coats Labor 21 2.00 -IS. 00 4S.00 "Wilford Coats. S John II. Stoncv Team 1CJ 4,50 71.25 74.25 John II. Stonoy. 0 Joso TJoltonscn Labor 21 2,00 42.00 -J2.00 Jose Bottonscn. 10 Karl Betienscn Labor '.i 2.00 6.00 G.00 Karl Bottonscn. , II Mark Parker Labor 21 2.00 42.00 42.00 Mark Parker. 12 Henry Howes Team 21 4.50 01.50 04.50 Henry Howes, per Frederick. ' 13 Silas Munson Team 251 4.50 114.75 114.75 Sllns Munson. 14 Silas Munson Miner 31 3.50 108.50 108.50 Silas Munson. lr. Tom "Winn Team 11 4.50 0.75 6.75 Tom Winn, pur S. M. ill David Chancy Le.bor 14 2.00 28.. 00 28.00 David Chaney. 17 Andv Kpllng Miner 281 3.50 09.75 09.75 Andy Epllng. 15 7 W Thurston ." Miner 29 3.50 101.50 101.50 J. W. Thurston. III H. Harmon Foreman 31 4.00 123.00 124.00 II. Harmon. Minor 0 Abe Mcintosh Team 25 4.50 112.50 112.50 Abo Mcintosh. 21 Joseph Ackcrman Labor I 23 2.00 46.00 46.00 Joseph Ackcrman. 2" I lcouard Tanner Team 151 2.50 3S.75 38.75 Leonard Tanner. 23 I Lafayette Carlor 2 Teams 30 2.00 60.00 00.00 ILfayctto Carter. j ' 1 I $16GS.251S16GS.2.- " (Signed) JOS. JENSEN. Engineer. Approved for payment, Aug. 3, 1909. CALEB TANNER. Stalo Engineer. Receipt acknowledged Aug. 13, 1009. STATE BOARD OF LAND COMMISSIONERS, O. P. JSLDREDGE. We hereby certify (hat the within claims wore allowed and approved by the Board. Aug. 3. 1009. 3 ' -W. D. CANDLAND, President. V. 1 1. FARNSWORTH. Secretary. ' And this was the payroll and note which should be made of tho signatures of Joso and Earl Bcttcnson, which sirrt ovidnnf.lv In the. samo handwrit ing. Silas Munson, the ambidextrous, drove team with one hand for 25 days at $4.50 per diem, while with tho other ho mined HI days. Good .boy, Silas! Tom Winn was apparently not on hand when the representative of tho stato board of land commissioners appears -as angel pavmastor, but Silas Munson stepped in the broach and signed for him, "per S. M." Several Ways of Killing a Dog. Tn addition to the amounts on the payroll, the expenso account of the same Joseph Jensen shows: July 27 Hauling freight, cement and machinery. 4 days nt $1.50. . .SIS. 00 (Signed) D. H. NORTON. See payroll, line 3. July 27 Hauling freight, cement and machinery, 4 days at $1.50. .$18.0d (Signed) ABE McINTOSlI. See pavioll. line 20. July 27 Hauling freight, cement and machinery, G days at $4.50. .2.0t (Signed) JOHN BARNSON. See payroll, line 2. Julv 27 Hauling freight, cement aiid machinery. 4 days at 5-l.uO. .$IS.0( (Signed) SILAS MUNSON. Sec payroll, lines 13 and 14. July 27 Hauling machinery, 2 days at S4 50 $ n-00 (Signed) ROr BARLOW. Julv 27 Hauling freight, cement and machinery. 3 days at $4 .50 . . SLj.BO (Signed) HENRY HOWES Per Frederick. See payroll, line 12. Receipt in bolh cases per Frederick. "Why these amounts did not appear on the payroll is porhaps significant ol. the fact that there aro more ways oi killing a dog than feeding him butter Munson Figures for Month. Silas Munson also appears to have received at the hands of Joseph Jensen Jen-sen $5.75 additional, as appears from his receipt attached to this same personal per-sonal account for 200 pounds oals $s-5 Hay for team, 3 day?, at.. -i,c (Signed) SILAS MUNSON. So that in the month of July, 11)09 Silas Munson. team. 254 days ai $4.50 ;$lM.i Sllas Munson. miner. 31 days at Silas Munson', hauling 4 days at $4.60 ; Silas Munson, grain and bay Total "$2-17.00 Had a long Month. In II. S. Kleinschinidt 's personal expenso account appears: August 31 Paid F. M. Ross for,54S hours labor, with learn, at 50 cents per hour, and 21S hours, single-handed, at 25 cents per hour, improving flood washes leading to culverts $..JS-i0 How Ross put in in one month 700 hours at labor in a month containing all told only 7-14 hours is not slated. IT the charge were a proper ono it is ccr- so-e.allod. The names as signed on tho authorization sheet, many of them do not compare with 'the aignaturo on tho New Scheme of Iniquity. The same pu3'roll or authorization sheet and the warrants drawn in accordance ac-cordance with it show the hrst development, develop-ment, of a now scheme of iniquity pr rather an old one with a new name. Up to this time for tho most part there had boon sonic pretense that the payee named on the face of the warrant had received the warrant aud had indorsed his signature on the back, but in tho April warrants appears the initial movement move-ment is tho new scheme. Warrant uS-S95. uS-S95. payable to Snin Winn, bears the indorsement in-dorsement of "Sain Winn, per Hon Ras-musscn," Ras-musscn," no written authority whatever what-ever being attached. This is followed in the May payroll by tho wholesale. US' the warrants redeemed by the treasurer treas-urer up to August 23, and oh file in the office of the stalo auditor, from No. 5I-UI7 to 51-102, only one payable .to J, Y. Sainuolson bears tho personal indorsement in-dorsement of the payee. The rest arc indorsed por lien Kasnnisscn. It is not possible, lo believe that twenty-fivo men on ono payroll should have authorized any such "action in a matter vitally connected with their financial existence and Iho only possible theory that can be advanced in favor oF tho uulhoriza- tion sheet, namely, that the signature of that eheot Bhould bo somo test of the future indorsement on the warrant ia destroyed doubly bo when the signature sig-nature on tho sheet as in somo case is niade per Freeman Tanner, see authorization author-ization of "W. H. Well3, tho onginocr who certifies to tho correctness of tho roll it3elf in its very initiation. Significant Items. A very significant item in tho Juno warrants aro throe warrants, No. 54-532, 54-532, payable to J. It. Hoggan for sixteen six-teen and one-quarter days at $4, $05 j No. 54533, to W. J. Hoggan, twenty-three twenty-three and one-half days at $4, $92; No. 54534 to J. "W. lloggan," twenty-threo twenty-threo and one-half days at $4, 402; total, to-tal, $249. These are. indorsed "Pay to National Bank of tho liopublic, Jl Jt. Hoggan, by J. W. Hoggan. " "W. J. Hoggan by J. "W. Hoggan, and by .1. W. Hoggan Hog-gan for himself. J. W. Hoggan is a contractor upon the project. and while he received only $563.04 under his contract con-tract in that month, it is hard to believe that he hirod himself out for twenty-three twenty-three and a half days while tho work under his contract was going on elsewhere. else-where. More Opportunity for Graft. A lino of action that was started early in tho history of tho Piuto project proj-ect and which would seem absolutely wrong both in theory and practice, involving in-volving duplication of work and opening open-ing the door to great possibilities, is disclosed first by warrant -No. 378S6, issued in May, 1908. upon requisition of tho stato board of. laud commissioners, commission-ers, No. 189, as follows: Salt Lake City. Utah, May 22, 1008. Hon. John A. Edwards, State Auditor. Salt Laku City, Utah: 1 Dear Sir At a duly authorized meeting meet-ing of the fitato board of land commissioners commis-sioners held in tills city on the 22nd dav of May, A. D. 190S. it was decided Here Is Pay Boll. . ' g 'yj h . Jesse D. Jcwkes, stato auditor: : R 2. 3 1, tho undersigned, hereby o? x- V . ' 2 authorize you to pay to Caleb ; G " iNome. p o y g Tanner, the warrant drawn In . g ! . s C -t p P my favor for the' amount set : p. : . : oppostt to my name. ! 1 Joseph Ackcrman.. Labor 23 ?2.00 $ 46.00 Joseph Ackerman. T6."560 2 Henry Howes Labor 27 4.50 121.50 Honry Howsc. 4G.510 3 Wilford Coates Labor 2SJ 2.00 57.00 Wilford Coatcs. I Silas Munson Minor 31) 3.50 105.00 Silas Munson. ' 5 Silas Munson Team 25J 4.50 114.75 Silas Munson. G ham Winn Labor 25 2.00 50.00 Sam Winn, pur S. M. 7 Walter Nlel.son Miner 15 3.50 52.50 Walter Nlolson. pur S. M. 8 I Carl Rogora Labor 14J 2.00 20.50 Carl Rogers, pur S. M. Miner 0) H. Harmon Foreman ' 31 4.00 124.00 II. Harmon. ....... 10 J. 1 1. Logans Carpenter IS 4.00 72.00 J. H. Logans. ' 11 I Jacob Mohr Foreman 21 3.50 S 1.00 Jacob Mohr, Concrete ...J... 12 C. .T. Snyder Labor 10$ 2.00 21.00 C. J. Snyder. ' 13 J. W. Thurston Miner 31. 3.30 108,50 J. W. Thurston. . 34 Jose Hollensou Labor 3 2.00 G.00 Jose Botte.nson, pur S. M. ...... 15 Mark Parker Labor 3 2.00 6.00 Mark Parker, pur S. M. 16 David Chancy Labor 12 . 2.00 24.00 David Chanov, pur S. M. 17 Ouy Priuo Labor 21 2.00 48.00 Guv Price, piir S. M. IS Willis Rlood Labor 154 2.00 31.00 Willis Blood, pur S. M. ...... HI Andy Epllng Minor 27J 3.50 06.25 Andv Epllng, pur S. M 20 Arthur Wooley Labor 325 2.00 25.00 Arthur Wooloy, pur S. M. 4 21 D. 11. Norton Team 23 4.50 103.50 D. H. Norton, pur S. M, ...... 22 Arthur Wooloy Miner 4 3.50 14.00 Arthur Wooley, pur S. M. 23 Roland Barnson Labor 17 2.00 34.00 Tloland Barnson, pur S. M. 21 Daton Johnson Labor 4 2.00 8,00 Baton Johnson, pur S. M. 25 Asa Hales Labor 10 2.00 20.00 Asa Hales, pur S. M. 2C Raymond Johnson Labor ISg 2.00 36.75 Raymond Johnson, pur S. M. Shout No. 2. 1 Orson Harris Labor 0 2.00 18.00 Orson Harris, pur S. M. ...... 2 John Stoney Team 4 . 4.50 18.00 John Stonoy. pur S, M. 0 Abo Mcintosh Team 21 4.50 01.50 Abe Mcintosh, pur S. M. 4 John Barnson , Team S 4.50 3C.00 John Barnson, pur S. M. 5 T. A. Alger - Labor 13j 2.00 27.00 T. A. Alger. I I I I S1631.-I2 I Certified JOSEPH JENSEN, Engineer. Approved for payment CALEB TANNER, Stalo Engineer. indorsement of tho warrants: for instance, warrant 53090 in May account, ac-count, made to Clarence Anderson for $23, is indorsed by Clarance Anderson. Warrant 53997 is signed on the authorization author-ization sheet Wilord Johnson in an illiterate il-literate and labored hand. Jt is in dorsed fluently Willard Johnson. No. 5399S to W. Harding for $22 has no rescmblanco to tho original, while No. 53999 to Edward Harding is so boldly fraudulent that it might not bo difficult to locate' the indorser, who most certainly was not he who signed tho authorization sheet. No. 54000, paj'able lo H. P. Johnson for $26 and No. 54001. Harry Jensen for $11.50, are more than doubtful indorsements, whilo Hrncsl Poulson signs nia namo to" No. 54000 Karucst Poulson with a characteristic char-acteristic difference in the handwriting. handwrit-ing. Here arc fac similes of signature Note tho wide variation: to Invest thirty-five thousand fivo hundred hun-dred and thirty ($35,530) dollars In tho reservoir, fund, principal, for the purchase pur-chase of lands for the public, reservoir site, as follows: Heppler and Sevy 511,000 Maltlo Llsonbce 320 Carl P. Barnson 10.000 William H. Luke 6.000 C. E. Harris 2.300 Jesse O. Harris... 300 John S. Baler. Jr 200 David W. Stoker 2,200 William Howes 1,200 John D. Bowers 3C0 J. C- Peterson 1.350 T. C. Rcchsnilzer 300 335,530 We, tho duly authorized officers of the stale board of land commissioners request you to draw up a warrant on the reservoir fund, principal, for the amount of thirty-five- thousand five hundred and thirty dollars, in accordance with tho of cement; each sack has cost tho stato 10 cents, which tho cement companies H refund on the roturn of the sac.lcB. Not H a single snck has been returned for chin H credit; not a cent has therefore como 1 back to the state on this account. "Wherd H aro the sacks? H Object of Suspicion. j H Among the very many items that are jiiBtly the object of suspicion in tho H transactions of tho state board of land , H commissioners is claim No. 4376, voucb- J cr warrant No. 34254, in favor of Caleb H Tanner. It reads as follows: 'H November 30, 1S07. H Slate board of land commissioners to H Caleb Tanner ; 'M Filing application No, 136-t $ 2.50 , Publishing application Nn. 1361. . 7.50 . Preliminary filing fee for appllca- ''H Hon No. 153-1 2.50 Balance of filing fee on appliea- fffH tion No. 1534. for 1000 cubic lH feet of water from Scvlcr 1 'ffH river -930.00 .'H Publishing application No. 1534.. 7.50 Preliminary' ice for filing appllca- 1 '''H tion No. 1624, to appropriate 1 '''H 300 cubic fcot of water from '''H the natural flow of the So v I or -''H rlvor, received In state cugl- '''H nccr's office October 21, 1303... 2.50' 'rl Total .$l,012.5o! ; iH Approved for payment December 4, 1007. ;fffffl CALEB TANNER, State Engineer. :H Charge Is Irregular. 'H This chargo has been irregular toj say, tho least from its initiation. If1 1 jlH tlm filing fee was proper, why was tho j if claim made by Caleb Tanner and not' jH by Caleb Tanner, state engineer? Tho ' warrant was drawn payable to Tanner,! IH indorsed by him and again by Thomas1 ''H C. Callister, secretary of the state board, 'H of laud commissioners, who cashed tho 1 ''''H same through McCornick's bank. Tn. 1 j'H the record of fees collected in the stato ; H engineer's office nnd filed with the stato; jH auditor there is no rocord of this $990 i. filing foe, and it has never to date' , 'H been reported. The state board of land ' commissioners lmvo chnrpod this) Trrfl amount to tho Piuto project and claim i that they havo this money on hand, I jH carriod in tho office in a "suspense ac- ' H count," Why such nn account 13 iH opened at all in this office is open to, . jH grave questions, for from the roscr-i ; ijH voir fund it came, to the reservoir fund JH it must roturn and tho explanations of - I'H tho thon president and present and past, :H secretaries of the board aro decidedly. .H due as well as tho $1012.50 which may, 'H or may 1 not be on hand. It certainly is. iH not where it belongs in tho hands of tho stato treasurer. Noed of a Grand Jury. ! : There has been much talk of a grand jH jury in Salt Lako countv. Never was! vH there a moro serious condition surround-, H ing the affairs of tho state than ap- ' H nenrs from the investigation which has! H been made by The Tribune on this Piuto ' project and its exploitation by the stato' .H board of laud commissioners and tho . state engineer and his subordinates. 1 'H Estimated to cost in tho first placo IH $100,000, it now stands charged on the' books of the state board with $288,-1 452 41. This does not agree with tho H state auditor's account, but they aro jH their own figures. Tho stnto engineer H now estimates that it will reqnire $80,-. 000 more lo complete the work and if I his present estimate is as close as his original it will tako at least ono hun- dred and fifty thousand dollars more : i-aH .before the project can bo in full opora- 'H tion. It is timo for Governor Spry to iH awako and inform himself as to tneso : ,H matters. It is timo for the stato audi- H tor and state treasurer to get together ' 'H and devise some means of preventing jjH tho door of opportunity to fraud and r lH almost invite crookedness. The stato' iH officials can help tho grand jury and,' J JH the grand jury can help tho people ' now. It should be done. f ,H Signatures on authorization sheet: Endorsements on warrants: . . J&JbxAjiyYuzJL CXmctctcTv. AiMaycJ- ane&k& I iiX ;, I action of the said board of state land commissioners. Said warrant so requested should issue In the sum of thirty-five thousand five hundred nnd thirty dollars ($35,530), payable pay-able to the order" of the state board of land commissioners. WILLIAM J. LYNCH. President. THOMAS C- CALLISTER. Secretary. Why Such a Warrant? Why such a warrant should be drawn with the payee as named and not to the several persons with whom the board appears ap-pears to have alreadv contracted for the land, is capable of grave misconstruction miscon-struction of the purpose of tho board or a misuse of tho funds by tho board. Tho right way, the safe way. was to draw the warrants directly in favor of tho persons named, then the record would be correct and tho transaction complete. The r.tatc auditor has for his receipt the signature of the chief clerk of tha state board of land commissioners; commission-ers; as to who has tho receipts for the money expended in detail is yet another story. Where Aro Ccmont Sacks? Thoro have hoon consumed on tho Piuto project many thousands of sacks r |
