The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-09-06
WORLDS FAIR MATTERS.
Letter From MIR. Meeker Commenting
on Methods of Executive Committee.

Letter From MIR. Meeker Commenting
on Methods of Executive Committee.
PUYALLUP, Sept. 5.
To THE EDITOR: If a man complains that you
accuse him of dishonesty because you lock your
store door against him or do not give him full
liberty with your till, You would suspect him.
So the other day when the meeting OF the
Worlds fair commissioners was over and came
to think of the terrible cutlery raised by the ex-
ecutive committee OF self-accusations of dis
honesty implied from the words of simple truth
had printed, began to think and look and won
der what prompted the cutlery. II must be re-
membered that charged no one with embezzle-
ment OF misappropriaton of funds; the charge
made was that they drew funds from the state
for one ostensible purpose and having thus Sc
cured possession of the money, used Ii for q
widely different purpose.
IL your bookkeeper should tumble up your
accounts, you might not regard him as strictly
dishonest, but because you objected to that way
OF keeping your accounts, he should fly into q
passion and straightway charge you with hav-
ing accused him of dishonesty,it would per-
pick your mind as to whether this was not an
indication of dishonest motives
That is just what happened with this commit
tee that had Illegally come into the possession of
$500 OF the states funds and spending IL In
iumbling way that nobody could tell where
1t was going, and owe the taxpayers OF the
state no apology lot exposing the situation OF
affairs; il concerns them as well as me-
Let US 'turn on the light" and bring the facts
together. This committee drew funds ostensi-
bly, for one purpose and used them for an en-
tirely different purpose. No one that know of
alleged that this was q crime. I know did not
l did aLege, however, and repeat that 1t was
unousness-like and reprehensible. Under the
act of the legislature the commission is to make
acquisitions from time to time for money sap
proved by the state auditor and accompanied by
estimates OF the expenses to the pawn Mt of
which the money SO drawn Ii to be applied"
Clearly 1t cannot be right to attach estimates to
arequisition, showing to the auditor that ii is
intended to apply the money for certain pur-
poses, and then, after in this wav procuring his
approval OF the estimate and recuisitien, obtain
the money and use it TO- an entirely different
purpose. This is a fraud upon the auditor and
direct violation CT the law that wisely intended
to place check upon improper or useless ex-
penditures of the approprai ions.
By the statement made by the executive COM
mittee the following facts appear:
REoUIsITIoNs UPON THE STATE TREASURY
EXPENDITURES
For executive commissioner 5000 %
BY Elk. Com. Blalock .........$ S76 96
By Elk. Com. f. Meeker 500 90
For expenses of ex. committee 240O 90
Expenditures ofex. committee
for themselves and secretary 1,3A "a
For expenses of commissioners 500 90
Expended for commissioners
meetings. LIS 90
This is intrinsically bad showing aside from
the misapplication of funds referred to. What
do taxpayers have to say to this $3.50 for ex-
penses of executive committee to 1916 for the
real work of the commission? Twenty-six
hundred dollars drawn from the state treasury
for the executive commissioner whose direct
duty under the act was TO collect and arrange
the exhibits, and but less than 500 paid to him
for that purpose, the ba ance diverted to other
objects, and the executive commissioners bills
left unpaid and his work effvctually stopped for
want of funds.
That tn ere may be no misunderstanding the
following report Ia printed and which is now
part OF the records Of the commission:
the committee appointed to consider the re-
ports of the executive commissioner ana the
treasurer and executive committee reported
that the executive commissioner had paid out
$532.17 and that he had received $500.
Also, that from the report of the executive
committee it appeared that the executive COM
mittee had m ade requisiton for s. 800, and had
authorized the following expenditures:
For expenses of the commissioners at
meeting at Olympia on March %, 1891 3 S27 90
For expenses OF meeting OF commission
ers at Elieasbu.y... .................... $40 90
Total. ......;.....,:........,..s1, 77s 90
committee in attending meetings of
For salary OF DR.. Blalock, acting execu- ~
tive Commissioner, two months .. 300 90
+. .. Meany. press agent. ........... COO 90
For incidental expenses of DR.. Blalock rs 96
Appropriated on vouchers not yet fled $50 GO
For incidental expenses of Meany. rs a.
Executive commlssloner..-.... 500 90
si27 90
report. 1,252 10