The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-10-31
EXPLANATIONS
DON'T EXPLAIN
EXCUSES FOR aDUNN's OFFICIAL
RECKLESSNESs" ANALYZED.
Gave the State Worst Of It by Laxity in
Enforcing Laws for It's Protection in
Lumber Cutting Records Positively
Contradict Assertions in His Behalf.

a. Is. ROBBINS mas addressed COM !
munication to The Journal, which /
subjects treated Of, and has secured
some new and interesting information,
Mr.. Robbins letter calling for the in
vestigation is given in full. He
writes as follows:
To tho Editor of the Journal.
In an editorial of your issue yesterday
you PROFOUND several questions which
I think justify the assumption that these
questions amount to challenge for re-
ply to the charges which have been made
against Mr.. Dunn and referred to in this
editorial. To these queries I wish to make
reply.
First, you ask .'has any one explained
why he should permit the lunr bermen to
take out scores Of permits for cutting tim
Der on state lands without recording the
log merk?'' My reply to tnts query is:
At the time permits are issued it Is I'm
possible for the party receiving the per-
NIT to incorporate the log mark in the
lease given him at that tine for the rea-
son that there are hundreds of log marks
recorded In the office Of the surveyor gen.
eral, and it is the practice to apply to the
surveyor general for a log mark before
outing is entered upon which will not
conflict with marks already on record. No
without first making application to the
surveyor general, 1t frequently occurs
| that requests for the use of certain log
marks must be refused by the surveyor
general because they are like or so near
like other marks already in use that the
requests could not be granted. ~
| To your contention that scores of per-
mits are taken out on which no log mark
is recorded, the answer IS that that scores
of permits are taken out and afterwards
Cancelled because the parties holding them
cut no timber under them. A large num-
Der Of permits were Cancelled by Mr..
Dunn during his administration, and it was
his duty to make this cancellation. He
| has been criticized because he did not
| cancel more. It is plain that If the party
| holding the permit did not cut timber he
would have no use for a log mark and
would make no application to the surveyor
general for one. There is not q case where
a party holding a contract proceeded to
cut timber under it that a log mark is not
recorded. No man would cut logs and fail
to mark them so that they could be iden-
titled as his property. Any logs: found
in the streams Of the state bearing nc
mark can be appropriated by ! any one
who takes possession: OF Them $50 =
TO your second query, ''Has any one
explained why he should settle with tres
passers for less than is. ordinarily OBJ
tanned for timber at public or private
sale?' the reply is: First-The. record
does not show settlements at less price
than could be obtained at the time settle
, ment was made at private sale. The pub
lie examiner would have found and re
ported, If he had stated the whole facts
that the reports Of the cruisers in man!
cases fail to disclose the parties who tool
the timber from state lands. It would b.
folly and waste of the funds Of tn
} state to bring suit in cases where no evi
, dence could be produced to convict. Wher
} such evidence was lacking. the auditor,
he realized anything Eor the state, woul
make the very best settlement possibl
with the party whom he suspects, an
whom circumstances surrounding the tres
pass would indicate as the one most likel
to be guilty of the trespass.
To your fourth query, Has any one ex
planned why he should have allowed 40.
! 900 acres Of state institution lands to b
certified to the Duluth & Iron Range Rail
: way?" Such an error did occur. 1t is no
y difficult to understand how in the certif
' cation of a vast amount of state land
: such an error might creep in, but why no
give Mr.. Dunn credit for the recovery Q
these lands to the state when the erro
| was discovered. This last criticism fail
of valid ground to justify it, because i
: the transaction Of 80 vast an amount {
b business, some error might be. made wit
Y the most careful attention to the bushes
r Of the office.
9 Since you have propounded these ques
n TONS I take it for granted that you wi
n be willing to publish the replies mad
u herein, because your editorial conveys, a
J. I understand it, an invitation to do thi!
q Respectfully,
!. A. B. Robbins.
r., Minneapolis, Mimi, Dot. AZ, 1904.