The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1900-10-25
AN INVESTIGATION INVITED
Thr State Fair Commission Submits
an Open Letter to the Public.
ENDOF FAIRY STOKES WANTED
The Commercial Club and Leading Republican
Business Men Asked to Expert the Books
Of the Commissioners and Give Their
Findings Publicity.

North Yakima, Wash, Oct, "a, 1900.
To the Governing Board of the Yakima
Commercial Club:
Gentlemen: The integrity of the pre-
sent state fair commission has been at.
tackled through the public prints recent
w. While the commission feels that this
is done for purely political purposes, and
that the community here at large know
without any action upon the part OF the
state fair board that the charges made
are untrue,in view of the fact that such
attack may injure the fair in the future
in state legislatures, we have concluded
that the best way to place an impartial
statement of the facts before the people
of the state is through your honorable
body, and we now wish to state to you,
First: That every cent of money taken
in by the state fair commission and paid
out by it, is shown by the books OF the
comm ission, which have been carefully
kept and are now in the hands of the Sec
rotary at his office in North Yakima,
Washington, open for inspection.
Second: No commissioner has ever
received one cent of compensation for at
tending meetings OF the commission.
Third: The fair has been carried on
by the present commission at a cost of
one third less than by any former COM
mission.
| Fourth: The present commission has
paid all of it's debts and obligations,
while former republican commission at
the present time has an outstanding in.
debtedness Of eleven hundred dollars or
more, owing to citizens of this commun-
ity.
Fifth: The alleged agreement in writ
ing, held by Mr.. Lee, was entered into at
his request, he refusing TO do any work
outside Of committee meetings OF the COM
, mission without receiving compensation
therefor. 1t was never intended for
moment that any surplus from the state
fair should be divided among the COM
missioners, but it was intended that in
the event of any surplus remaining after
paying all other debts, that should the
attorney general advise that it was legal
so to do, that then such members OF the
commission as did special work, outside
of board meetings, should be paid $500
day for such service The board was
advised that this was within it's power,
by competent legal authority, and 1t was
further advised that no payment though
should be made without submitting the
question to the attorney general first, but
inasmuch as there never was any fund
out of which to make this payment, and
inasmuch also as Mr.. Lee, the member
who particularly desired this agreement
made, shortly after resigned, because the
governor re-appointed DR.. T. b. Gum
instead of appointing Mr.. John G. Boyle,
whom Lee wanted appointed, and upon
which account Lee resigned. the question
was never submitted to the attorney gen.
eral. and no money was ever paid to any
commissioner under said agreement.
Ot1tn. luo pIooo uho coCu ~ W Chihk
the name Of Mr.. Henry ]. Snivelv into
the controversy. The commission desire
to say that Mr.. Snively never has drawn
one cent from the fair commission fund
directly or indirectly, nor has he had
anything whatever, directly or indirectly
to do with the management of the fair
or the conduct or management OF the
fair by the commission, nor has Mr..
Snively at any time attempted in any way
to influence or suggest any course Of con-
duct to the commissioners. When the
commission took charge Of the fair
ground they found the water rights to
the ground in dispute; they secured Mr..
Snively's services to straighten 1t out al d
to examine and determine what the stale
rights were, for which the commission
expected to pay HIM q lee, but Mr..
Snively refused to charge fee for these
services and rendered them gratuitously
to the commission. The only connection
that NJ Snivplv has had with the fair