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Show DIMES ATTEMPTS I DEFENSE OF THE ACCUSED Salt Eake. Feb 16. - Expressing doubi aa to the authority of Governor Bamberger to suspend William J. Lynch, secretary of the state land board, and branding as wicked the chargo by inlerence that irregularities existed in -Mr Lynch s department, former for-mer Attorney General A. R, Barnes and his law panner. G A. Iverson, as rep-reaehtatlvea rep-reaehtatlvea of .Mr. Lynch and the members of the land board, made the following statement last night after a conference with their clients: Tho state land board every member mem-ber of ii is and has been willing and anxiou6 for a thorough audit of its books, covering this, as well as former for-mer administrations There was an audit at one time by an outsider former Slate Auditor J. A. Edwards but an audit at this time from the beginning, be-ginning, which was statehood, would take the lime of the mopt reiiable and I dependent men of a period of several sev-eral years. Welcome Audit. I speak for myself and all past stale Officials when I say that we would be plad to have a thorough audit of every department of the state government. There is and has been no disposition disposi-tion upon the part of Mr. Lynch to interfere with or to balk a ihorough Investigation. Two acooun'ants, Brown k Brown, were sent to the office of-fice some lime ago to audit the books They were given access lo everything every-thing in the office during business hours, but Secret arv Lynch declined to permit them to work in the o ! 1 1 r when he was absent Tin-. was per feetly proper. Mr. Lynch is under i ci i is, viiii im ?d"i,uuu anci Hiioiii- er of ?10.0fin, and a number of the! most prominent business men in Salt; Lake City are his sureties. Mr. ' Lynch was simply protecting himself; and his bondsmen when he refused to' let Brown & Brown work in the of-! flee in bis absence. He could do nothing noth-ing else and do his duty to his bondsmen. bonds-men. When a board is appointed bv proper prop-er authority to take charge of the ofJice 1 mean by lhaf appointed by i the governor ntid confirmed by the senate and that board has appoint ed a secretary, who has given a good and sufficient bond, everything will be turned over All the present board members want is protection, and each is under a bond of $10,000, with Mr. Lynch, the secretary being under un-der $500,000 additional bond So far the present board is concerned. con-cerned. I have had close personal acquaintance ac-quaintance with each of th members during the past eight years and I am positive that everything connected with the olflce is as straight as a string. The charge by inference that the members Ol this board are crooked is I wicked, libelous and vicious in the i extreme and I do not believe the people peo-ple of the state will lake any such irlen William J. Lyncb is known aa la high-minded, honorable man, and , so are the other members. W. D. I Candlaml A fl Clminma T V Phi. dester and T 11 M. rnll, and I am' i confident that the decent citizens of! the state will not uphold any such' charges and insinuations I am posi tive that there h;is been no loss to I the state through, the land board within the past eight years and I do not believe there ever has been. Doubts Authority. Mr. Lynch, secretary of the land board, will be on the job at the usual I hour Friday. He has millions of dol- lars of state property under his Charge and he is responsible for it not the governor. Mr. Barnes also expressed doubt as to the authority of the governoi to suspend sus-pend a state official, as he has ordered' in the case ol Mr. Lynch. fin |