The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-09-06

NO. AS&A iAlIAy win ZIG p0bAA1 hph hAV 0AN'S'Af
Attached to the requisition is what purports to
be extract from the minutes of the executive
committee meeting OF August y, which recites
that,
WHEREAS, The power OF the Washington
Worlds fair commission has been conferred
upon the executive committee, when the COM
mission Is not in session; therefore, be it
Resolved That the president and secretary OF
the commission, ex-ofsicio chairman and secre-
tary OF the executive committee, be instructed
to prepare acquisitions upon the state auditor,
attaching thereto q copy OF this resolution.
Now, 1t Is not true that the commission con-
ferred upon the executive COMMITTEES, when the
commission is not in session, the powers OF the
commission, and certainly the act Itself did not;
In fact, upon that point was the hardest nght on
the adoption OF rules and regulations The execu-
tive committee, which had then already been
reelected strove hard 10 have such full powers
conferred uponthem, but the commission refused,
and when the rules were first read over this,
after q heated discussion, was passed for later
consideration. When IL came up again the COM
mission wisely added TO the rule the qualihca-
ton that the executive committee should have
such power only in matters wherein the law did
not expressly require the action OF the commits
sion. The rule, as finally adopted by the COM
mission, read as follows:
T. The executive committee is authorized and
empowered to act for aud instead OF the COM
mission, when said commission is not in SEES
sion, and have all the powers OF the commits
sion, except in cases in which the act Oh the
legislature and these rules and regulations re-
quire the action of the commission.
Now as I stated to the commission a number
OF eminent attorneys and the attorney general
had decided that the drawing OF acquisitions
was made one of the express duties of the COM
mission, and therefore it could not be brought
within the powers Of the executive committee
under the foregoing rule.
There is a suspicious roundness OF numbers in
the item of $3.50 appropriated on vouchers not
yet field" that smacks of irregularity, in view OF
the incident in the commissioner meeting.
1t now transpires that this amount was drawn
by DR.. Blalock, not as executive commissioner,
not as president, but as plain DIR. Blalock, TO
pay for collecting exhibits, working without
bond, without authority OF law, and in fact I'M
dertaking to do work that had been ex-
pressiy assigned to me executive com
missioner, and which l was prevented
from doing because the funds had beea
drawn by him, and my repeated requests for
part OF the money that the committee had
drawn under the pretence of placing 1t at my
disposal In the prosecution OF my work, were
ulsregarded. Referring to this, DR.. Blalock
stood up before the commissioners and said that
the reason that no more than $500 was allowed
me in actual possession was because vouchers
had not been filed for that amount But there
was no rule requiring me to file vouchers az
such intervals, and had been required to give
bonds in the sum of $1,000, with sureties ap-
proved by the committee, which / did, for the
faithful accounting for of every cent received.
Why should they refuse me the money drawn
on my account, and for the purposes of my Of
flee, when they were fully secured in its proper
disposition, and at the same time give $3.50 OF il
to an unauthorized person, giving no security
The fact was that the $3.50 they had secured
through the auditor by telling him it was to be
used for the purposes of my Office in preparing
the exhibits, they desired to and did check out
Co..
allow me only paltry 500. / now
know that all this action was in furtherance of
a conspiracy entered into by certain members of
the committee TO prevent me from doing eff
fective work and thereby drive me from ii and
obtain control for themselves and have "har-
mony." They have succeeded in their scheme.
At the outset they heralded far and wide that
had made criminal and malicious charges
against the committee. They influenced the
commissioners to such an extent that they forgot
all about the business of the commission and
thought only of withdrawing the executive
committee. Having done this they were
ready TO return home and leave everything to
the executive committee that they could. They
secured harmony, indeed, for DR.. Blalock 10 now
commissioner, president of the commission,
chairman OF the executive committee and
executive commissioner Surely these four
Offices filed harmoniously.
While was working to get the force organized
this committee was working to prevent any
thing from being accomplished, directing the
secretary to write to my assistants TO discourage
them from proceeding with the work, saying
that they would not get their pay, and actually
visiting in person some of these TO persuade
them TO desist. They paid q man $50 per month
for doing this kind of work. / submitted the
appointments made by me to the executive COM
mlttee for consideration. No accusation was
made that they were incompetent, nor that
their work was not needed, nor that the labor
was misapplied. II was simply an outrageous
act that cannot be justified. Had they Tor any
reason refused to confirm any of my ap-
pointments, 1 should have complied with their
wishes and made others in their stead but no
disapproval was ever communicated to me-
The executive committee passed a resolution
to pay DR.. Blalock's private note then held by
the Merchants National bank, for 81 ,5O0, out of
the appropriations for this exposition; the
money had been used, it appears, In lobbying
the bill through the legislature. A member of
the commission rose at the meeting and asked
that the items of this expenditure be read to the
commission, but the request not complied
with. If tile executive committee has ali the
power of the commission what is to prevent its
paying this money now, in accordance with its
resolution already adopted? The only thing
that prevented their doing so heretofore was the
veto Of Auditor Reed, but his objections can be
easily overcome by making the estimate for one
purpose and using the money drawn for this
OI auOtnef. rs tney nave Deen won't 10 do.
In the item OF expenditures is one for $500 for
DR.. Blalock as executive commissioner proceed
ing me for two months. No report has ever been
made to the commission Rs required by law II
he has done more than draw his pay the COM
mission and the public are entitled to know it.
Strange that in his position, or positions rather
he should comment upon his aversion to the
"one man power" and receive applause for the
sentiment
Much has been said about the harmony exist
ing in the committee, but nothing as to the
methods practiced to bring this about Thomas
IL. Cavanaugh, one OF its members, wrote to DR.
Blaloek, denouncing the use of money paid to
f. s. Meany as a perfectly useless expenditure.
but soon there came n "perfect UNDERSTANDING
between the three, and the unauthorized ex-
penditure went On. This letter was suppressed
L, had accomplished it's object, and to make il
public might defeat some other.
have written this that the citizens of the
state may know why the change was made and
who the power is that is now manipulating the
affairs OF the Washington Worlds fair commits.
SION. but THIS Is not the end. Z MEEKER
500 per Day.-Block 6, Lake Dell addition. on
top Of last hill overlooking Lake Washington
one block north of Yesler avenue graded and
fenced. ia offered tO1ay at e. 600 Co.. o.gk