The age-herald., 1900-01-07

AA1tStA eIaAs anu litl1 Qef1VeQ. no TnVpnlIa from them and would not for years to come and possibly never, unless sold now when an opportunity offers at a fair price. The land commissioner MT. Fftts, was present during this statement, and being called on, corroborated what the governor had said as to the scattered condition Of the lands, his failure to lease and proprdetv of selling at the same time exhibiting a map showing some three or four well bodied tracts con taining about twenty-seven or fwentv-eight thousand acres, which he said, in his opin- ion, with transportation facilities could be profbably leased.
 Commenting further on the price offer ed, the governor said: Colonel Caldwell, who is present, is the owner of coal lands and has recently sold quite body near these lands, and he ought to be able to say whether the price was a fair one or not l replied that 1t was true I had sold some lands between the two rivers, and having others for sale, felt a delicacy in fixing valnes on these lands, and with the consent of the board I would ask to be excused from voting, because I did not desire. by word or act, to influence a member of the board in his judgment as to what was a fair price for these lands. I got the best price could, and from my information the highest given in that section at that time, and that candor compelled me to say that I had sold at a less price than $12.50 and was satisfied with the sale The governor added: I consider the price offered a fair one, and the University ought to sell some of her lands to meet her necessities, and relieve the people as far as possible of the 10000,>S appropriation which they pay to meet the demands of the University, in ad- dition to the interest which they now pay on the University fund; and when these lands are sold they will realize about $56 GOO,
 which can be funded and become endow
 ment fund to help pay growing needs, and rnnxl
 erty and will increase the revenue of the state.'
 'At some point in the discussion, which was more colequial than otherwise-I do not remember at what particular point
 Judge Richardson said that neither the question of lease or sale had ever been re- ferred to the executive committee as far as he knew, which committee was composed of Captain Webb, MT. Pratt and himself, and that he had never heard until that
 evening of any proposition being made to lease or sell these lands To which the governor responded that Captain Webb fa- vored the sale
 After many things were said for and
 against, all of which I cannot recall the
 vote was taken, and the resolution passed.
 This action of the board think. has been intemperately denounced It has been char acterized as robbery of the University:
 as a scheme to get hold of the property of the University to promote personal ends. It Is charged that the scheme was concoct- ed by the governor and consummated by his
 dupes; that the transaction was not in pur- suance of the statutes-was done in secret and on improper notice-was a fraud perpe- trated by the governor and his business as- soc.ates, to gSt he,a ef w.I.r,,-
 an inadequate price to enable him to make money for himself in a sale to others at an increased price. Tn effect, that the gover- nor, representing the University. was a sell
 CT and buyer for himself and his associ- ates to make money at the expense of the
 University, whose property he was bound to protect by every constdera ton of law and good conscience. If these things are true they are reprehensible. and the truth should he known; but do not think hazard any thing in saying that no trustee who was present at that meeting thought for a mo- ment that the governor had any improper motive in proposing and advocating the sale
 of the lands Nothing that he said or dsd challenged the attention of the board as to the possibility of his intending to wrong the University f1r the selfish purpose of gain: otherwise. think, know the rnem- bers of the board who were present well enough to know that no such impression was made or the action would not have been taken.
 But so much has been said by individ- uals and the press in denouncng the gover-
 nor and In criticism of the board, am ready for one to say. threw on the search light of investigation and let the truth. the
 whole truth, and nothing but the truth be known to a waiting and anxious public. LeN
 the investigation be had without passion. prejudice and without reference to political results. I suggest this to those who may have the investigation in hand to the end that calmness, deliberation and q desire to
 do justice may characterize their labors in an effort to get at the truth"