OCR Text |
Show CLEAR ATTEMPT TO WHITEWASH SInco tho note on the first page of this paper was written tho report of tho committee of tho legislature on the Utah World's Fair commission steal has been submitted. The action of tho house of representatives represen-tatives on the report should not bo permitted to stand as It Is.. It. justice jus-tice to the taxpayers of the commonwealth, common-wealth, who are entitled to know what has been done with their money it should bo changed. In justice to tho house Itself immediate action should bo taken to clear away any suspicion of wrong doing that exists. There Is no use making mouths over tho matter; mat-ter; there Is no uso In attempting to conceal anything, the affair has worse than an ugly look. Nothing but a complete com-plete publication of tho entire transactions transac-tions of tho commission will satisfy the public mind. The report of tho commltteo which was charged with tho duty of Inquiring Into tho matter was a wishy-washy affair and the endeavors en-deavors of Representative Marks to justify tho action of tho committee wero pitifully feeble. Representative Marks was plainly In a hole and although al-though ho had all of tho speaker's untiring un-tiring efforts at shutting off debate at his command, ho was unable to stem tho tide. Thoro Is a nigger In the woodpile. In tho language of Representative Roberts Rob-erts of Cache, "It doesn't look good." The report wasn't much of a report. It cited tho amount appropriated by tho legislature, tho amount realized from tho notes given by prominent citizens, tho sum obtained from the sale of tho Utah building and Its furniture, furni-ture, together with a honey exhibit and tho money advanced by Mr. Cum-mlngs Cum-mlngs on account of tho educational exhibit. Sixty thousand, five hundred and four dollars and fifty cents was tho sum total. It also gave an account of money expended and closed with tho statement that there was left on hand over $2,000. Bouquets wero thrown at tho commission com-mission In several places In tho report. re-port. In ono instanco It was stated that tho committee had ascertained that no money had been "lost, stolen or squandered," and In another that tho members had dono a groat and mighty work, or words to that effect. Tolton, of Beaver, moved that all laudatory langungo bo stricken from tho report, becnuso ho did not seo any necessity for It, thero having been no charges filed. Joseph supported tho amendment and proceeded to ar-guo ar-guo It. It is but fair to Joseph to Bay that ho made a very able and well connected con-nected argument against tho report and that when Marks endeavored to explain ho was forced to climb a tree, figuratively speaking. Joseph submitted, first an affidavit, sworn to by Robert Harloy, In verification verifica-tion of a statement purporting to have been given him by John Q. Cannon, secretary of tho commission, last month, which showed a deficit of $10,-000, $10,-000, or about $2,000 moro than the report re-port of tho committee. Ho also "produced "pro-duced a report of tho commission to tho governor made January 2, In which It was shown thoro was an overdraft over-draft fronv tho bank of over $2,000 on December 31, 1904. "It Is strange," said Josoph, "that on December 31, wo had an overdraft of over $2,000 and now wo find we have $2,131.12 on hand." Mr. Josoph said this was a matter tho house could not Ignore and ho directed attention to the article in last week's Issue of Truth and read an extract from a morning paper. Then Joseph r.ead the law creating the commission com-mission and demonstrated that in many cases it had exceeded its authority, au-thority, although he did not find especial espe-cial fault on that ground, as neither does anyone else Ho severely criticised crit-icised the commission for not making quarterly reports to the governor, as provided by law, and for not making a final detailed report of its actions. Ho also stated that under tho statuto creating the commission tho members had no right to sell the exhibits, but were in duty bound to turn them over to tho commissioners of the Lewis & Clarke exposition nt Portland. Josoph also criticised the commission for soiling soil-ing for $1,500 a building .that cost the state $8,000, together with tho furniture. furni-ture. Representative Miller declared he was not ready to vote on tho report and wanted a whole lot of explanations explana-tions before casting his influence In favor or against. Ho was supported by Roberts of Cache, who said the overdraft of $2,000 on December 31. and the balance on hand now did not look good to him. There ought to be a thorough investigation, and ho favored fa-vored It. "This money didn't fall from tho skies," said Roberts, "and where did It como from?" Marks got tho floor and tho house agreed to give him all tho time he wanted. He had too much for his own benefit, because Tolton and Josoph cross-examined him to a finish. Replying Reply-ing to questions by tho latter, he admitted ad-mitted that tho vouchers wero not numbered consecutively and that about 34 or 35 wero missing. Joseph cornered him and forced an admission from him that the commltteo did not examine the vouchers very carefully, relying upon the books. He also stated, stat-ed, in response to inquiries that the books bore evidence of having been changed in places, but pleaded that tho commltteo did not think there was anything wrong. He confessed Ignorance Ignor-ance at the secretary's methods of checking up his accounts and endeavored endeav-ored to adhere to the statement that tho committee was entirely satisfied with what it has learned. Tolton asked If the committee had asked for tho missing vouchers, but didn't get any satisfaction owing to the interference of tho speaker, who was evidently worrying himself because be-cause of the trend affairs had taken. Josoph took another hand at this juncture and asked Marks If ho know tho furniture was reported as having been sold for 75 per cent of Its cost, Marks said tho furniture had not been sold. "Then," said Joseph, "the report of Director General Whlttaker is untrue?" un-true?" Marks' reply was too indefinite for Truth's reporter to Interpret. Replying to a question by a member, Marks declared the . nmlssion did not remind tho comml tee of the missing miss-ing vouchers; they oiscovered their absence when they checked them up. "Did you find any orders by tho secretary sec-retary on the treasurer missing?" asked Josoph. "Wo didn't find any such orders at all," was tho answer. Joseph gave vent to that peculiar snort of his and Marks continued by declaring that newspaper reports were not rollablo and then turning round apologized to tho press gang present, declaring ho believed them to bo truthful. Tolton wandered In with a question. He wanted to know why tho expression expres-sion that no money had been "lost, stolen or squandered" was Inserted In tho report, If there wero no charges made and tho committee did not believe be-lieve newspaper reports. Marks' answer an-swer was so lamo It had to go on crutches. Ho averred it was because when a body of men had performed a duty well, they should be commended for it. Applying this rule to banking tho directors ought to give tho cashier a vote of thanks every year for not running away with the deposits, or blowing them In at the races. Tol ton said as much amTth jTT: I a hand again. tpn took "What about those correal 1 erasures?" """''tlons and m Marks said there had ,r-n B but the committee had zatuL,- I, they were regular. 0(1 itse'f If "C-.ii you explain how ,t Waq fi was an-overdraft on Deerw8,?8 I over '$2,000 and that nn'v 1? for I $2,131.12 in tho bank?" vo have I Mnrks couldn't. B po'rlr yU r0a1 U,e '"nwirt re- I Marks hadn't. B Didn't I give you a cony 0f thn I port together with the stntPn.ent m'" I tained in Harley's affldavin " 1 Con" I Marks thought not. Bj "You know of this report0" Mnrks didn't. M "Did you over read, tho governor' H message?" nernors BE Marks had. H Then Joseph road tho figures from H the governor's message. BJ Marks, continuing, said tho commit- tee was not authorized to investigate B anything In the nature of a criminal charge; that such matters wero for the state and county prosecutinc-of. H ficlals to take up. This explanation was so Irrelevant that Joseph asked him If he thought there was anythlne criminal in the matter. Marks answered in the negative H Tolton resumed the conversation H "Wero you nwaro of the value of the H property sold by tho commission be- foro you made this report?" Bfl Marks said no. BR "Then why do you state In the re- Wm port that 'good judgment and ability H was manifested in tho sale thereof?" m Marks' answer was lost In the shuf- II fle that followed. Tho speaker made I a speech and Representative Stookey Bj tried to, but was cut off by that offl- BJ cial and compelled to sit clown, the BJ speaker ruling that no new knowledge BJ was being brought out. The speaker BJ was evidently in distress and took Hf this means to shut off discussion. Rob- BJ crts of Cache made a stirring speech in favor of further Investigation and 13 then some member moved to lay the i amendment to tho report on the table, m which prevailed, and the whole matter M went to tho desk where it will remain until some agitation looking towards M Its reconsideration Is attempted. m Now In view of the facts In tho case, M Eomething should be done. A proml- I nent member of tho bar from the r south who listened to the entire pro- I ceedlngs, declared afterwards that I 1 ad this thing happened In ono of the I 'cow counties" a grand jury would he I called to Investigate. Ho is right I Tho matter should bo sifted and sifted I thoroughly. If thero has been any I Fhenanigan with tho funds, and it is evident thero has been, it should je brought to light. The public Is cntlt- led to know what has been done, ii thero are people guilty of compound- Jng felonies by replacing money tahen unlawfully they should bo mado g . amples of. It Is high time this gran- II Ing business stopped. Let tho IW II of publicity bo turned on every trans- i action. Let every voucher bo produced, every entry examined. I By tho way tho expert who fixed up tho books for the committee is to nj . ceive $37.50 for his services, w m man; he earned It. |