The San Francisco call., 1895-11-17
PAID FAIR DIRECTORS,
Alleged Conspiracy in the
Los Angeles District
Board.
A w. BARRETT'S VERSION.
Governor Markham Was Consulted
and Authorized the Payment of
the Money.
A w. BARRETTS VERSION.

In reference to the statement telegraphed
from Sacramento and published in yester-
days CALL that six directors of the Los
Angeles Agricultural District Board had
been charged with Misrepresentation OF
money, and in answer to a personal re-
quest from Governor Budd had visited
Sacramento to square themselves, Adju-
tant-General Barrett in an interview last
evening impaired some information.
'To begin at the beginning" he said,
"in 1880 or 1881 the association at Los An
geles was $4,000 in debt. The managers
agreed that if the debt was paid they
would deed the racetrack to the State.
Then 130 certificates of membership, each
share representing 500, were issued and
taken up. The association had some forty
acres of land outside of the driving park
and it was stipulated tina. each owner of
certificate should be entitled to lot in
this tract, in addition TO the privileges of
membership which the certificate con-
ferred on the owner and his family. The
property of the Agricultural Park to my
mind is worth $250,000 to-day. 1t is near
the city, some of the land being within
the city limits.
"When its real value began to be appre-
ciated syndicate of two or three started
in to purchase the certificates. Following
this bill was introduced by John Lynch,
which passed the Legislature at its last
session. This bill was retroactive, and
aimed to make the holders of these certifi-
Gates corporation. l did not like the bill
and opposed it. believe now that it is un-
constitutional, and think that the parties
who favored its passage are now convinced
of that fact. In the course OF time Lewis
Thorn, who was secretary of the associa-
ton, was discharged, and he at once pre-
ferred charges that the directors had mis-
appropriated the money of the association.
'Yes, / am director and so is Senator
Androus. Now here is how this comes
about You know in the first place the
last Legislature made no appropriation for
district fairs, but the year before under
Governor Markham there was an appro-
priation. We sent man to see Governor
Markham to ask him if we should not be
allowed a per diem once month for at
tending meetings and per diem while the
fair was going on. The Governor thought
we should be paid. Therefore each direc-
tor charged SIS for each monthly meeting
and So day from the opening until the
closing of the fair. We did not spend the
money to hire s1perintendents and Judges
as some other associations did, but each
director performed the work necessary in
his own department.
1.-THE amount allowed was So day and
the service performed was worth the
money. We lad also the opinion of the
Governor that we had a right to receive
the money. Our association is out of debt.
Our fairs have been highly successful. We
have offered the largest premiums and
paid them. There is no agricultural dis
trict society of the State in better condition
than the Los Angeles society.
"Now as to a reported conspiracy on my
part to gain possession of property belong
ing to the State, L can say that opposed
the bill introduced by Lynch"