The herald., 1896-01-04
Agricultural Park Directors Are
Investigated
ACCOUNTS ARE GONE OVER
No Great Discrepancies Are Brought to
the Light
The System Of Bookkeeping Adopted by ex.
secretssy Lewis Thorne Found to Have
Been Most Complicated

Governor Budd will not remove the di.
| rectors of the Sixth District Agricultural
association. The charges that were pre-
ferred against the directors by Lewis
| Thorne, the ex-secretary of the associa.
ton, have been fully investigated and they
have not been substantiated according to
the best reports now obtainabe.
For some weeks past Governor Budd has
had his own expert at work in this city in.
vestigating and checking up the books of
the association for number of years back.
The expert, George E. Housken, has COM
pleted his work and forwarded his report
to the governor.
Under instructions from Governor Budd,
Mr.. Housken also gave copy of his re.
port to the directors of the association and
these gentlemen know exactly what has
been discovered by the expert. They re-
fuse to divuge the contents of the report.
claiming that it is only by a courtesy of
| Governor Budd that they are placed in
possession of the facts and that therefore
all information must come through the
executive that is intended for the public.
However, it is known that Mr.. Housken's 8
report is simply review of the financial
transactions of the board for some five or
six years back. 1t is understood that it
does not in any sense cast any reflections
upon the board of directors or any indi-
vidual member. No discrepancy has been
discovered. The system of bookkeeping
maintained by ex-Secretary Thorne is said
by the expert to have been unnecessarily
cumbersome and unbusinesslke.
Expert Housken was seen by herald
representative and said: There is MOTH
ing sensational about the report, nor is
there any feature of it upon which criminal
proceedings can be based. 1t is quite ex-
tensive, for the reason that it covers quite
ptOI - A.
personally submit his report to the gov
ernor.
The investigation of the charges that
were made by testimony taken at Sacra-
mento some weeks ago. with this report of
Expert Housken, nov closes this matter
up. The whole thing has been somewhat
of farcial character. Governor Budd
was lead to believe that the present direc.
tory, when they advertised last November
to lease Agricultural park for term of
years. were seeking to tie the property up
for long time to come at a nominal
rental. 1t was the custom to lease it for
periods of three years to some one who
would care for the property and pay 500
per month rental. This arrangement was
considered all right.
When the governor concluded his inves-
tgation at Sacramento he told the direc-
tors to go home and transact their busi-
ness as usual. but to do nothing to tie up
the park property by lease or otherwise.
The directors admitted that they had
been drawing So per day for each days
service actually devoted to the association,
but this they claimed they had done with
the knowledge and consent of Governor
Markham. The other charges which were
largely of similar character they admit
ted. but denied that there was anything
wrong about.
1t appears very much as though ex-Secre-
tary Thorne's charges gains tthe directors
would not pan.