OCR Text |
Show GOVERNOR PA01SE0 125,000' FOflPROBE "Bill Is Introduced in the Senate for Appropriation Appropria-tion to Be Used by the Chief Executive to Carry Car-ry on Investigation and Audit of Books of State Departments. GOOD INVESTMENT, LEGISLATORS SAY Mr. Bamberger Refuses to Discuss Further His Statement, Only to Add He Ha3 Every Reason to Believe Pledge Will Be Re-deemed. Re-deemed. An appropriation of $25, 000, to be used by the governor in his investigation investiga-tion by which he has promised to re-turn re-turn to the state more than $2,000,000, is provided in a bill introduced yester-(daj yester-(daj afternoon in the senate. The propped pro-pped measure ivas offered as a substitute substi-tute for senate bill Xo. 80, which provided pro-vided for an audit of the books of state departments, an was Place'l uPon tne , calendar -without reference to any committee. com-mittee. On the strength of the governor's promise the members of the legislature figure that the appropriation will be a most excellent investment and furthermore further-more they are anxious to get to the bottom of anything that may have been done in the past which affects either the state government or the people of L'tah. ' Former state officials resent bitterly the blanket charge implied in the pledge of the governor and have indicated indi-cated that they are as eager as the legislature and the chief executive to have the matter probed to the bottom. Barnes Is Insistent. "I'm not simply a Republican, " protested former Attorney General A. E. Barnes; "I am a resident and a taxpayer of Utah as well, and if there is a discrepancy of the nature intimated by the governor I most assuredly want to know all about it and want it investigated in-vestigated from every angle. "1 sincere! v hope and trust that the legislature will see fit to pass the bill carrying the appropriation. Having been connected with the state government govern-ment for eight years, I naturally resent the charge inferred by the governor and am anxioii6 that he should be given -yftill authority and ample funds to make 7K. most thorough investigation, which now will be a necessitv toward exonerating exoner-ating former state officers." A chorus of hopeful expressions went up from other former state officials and one and all, to whom was communicated communi-cated the information that the Appropriation Appro-priation bill had been introduced in the legislature, to tho end that the money be appropriated and the investigation made. Bamberger Is Pleased. Governor Bamberger declines to discuss dis-cuss further his promise other than to assert that he has every reason to believe be-lieve that his pledge will be redeemed. "I did not make the assertion without with-out some preliminarv investigations," be declared last night. "What those investigations included or revealed I am not free to discuss at the present time. I am very glad to know that the senate has confidence enough in my promises to see fit to arrange to provide pro-vide the funds for a complete and thorough investigation. When that has been done there will be ample time in which to disclose the result of our work. ' ' Governor Bamberger offered nn insurmountable in-surmountable wall to all questions as to what the investigations or the disclosures dis-closures might embrace by the simple statement that he was not prepared to answer. He asserted sthat he knew whereof he spoke and in regard to the short period of time in which he had had to make investigations which would reveal so much declared that much of the work hal been accomplished before his inauguration. Substitute Presented. Senate bill No. 80, introduced by Jtrmstrong, originally provided author-jtv author-jtv for the governor to order an audit of the books of various state depart-r depart-r nients. It was reported upon favorably (Continued on Page Three.) GOVERNOR PROMISED 525000 FOR PROBE (Contained from Page On several days ago and took its place on the calendar. The substitute bill presented yesterday yester-day was prepared under the direction of Senator Frank Kvans and carries all the authority of the first hill and many others, as well as an appropriation of $2.'i.0o0 for investigation purposes. Dy its terms the governor is authorized author-ized to appoint auditors and accountants account-ants and employ counsel with rhe right to examine all books and records ot any state oftVr, department, institution, institu-tion, board, commissioner, agencv or persons or corporations in control of ; any public fund or property. Tiie gov- i ernor a!o is authorized to commence I and prospcute such actions as he mav ! deem advisable to recover any monevs, j funds or properties, if any. improperly j converted or disposed of, and for such Free Access Assured. In order that free access may be had by the representatives of the governor in the process of investigation the bill provides that it shall be the duty of all state and former state officials, persons per-sons or corporations having or having had control of any public funds or property to submit all books, records, accounts and papers of every description descrip-tion to the persons properly accredited by the governor for tne purpose of making mak-ing the investigation. No action other than placing it on the calendar was taken yesterday. It 'noT stands fifth on the calendar with the indications that the public utilities bill will block the way for two or three days. It is probable, however, that some special action may be taken on the substitute bill todav or , tomorrow. |