The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-09-30
DEFENDS MR.. DUNN
State Auditor Refutes State
ment of Public Examiner.
PunCtures Charge Made Against
Republican Candidate.
Shows That Reports Have Been
False and Misleading.
Princeton Man Is Exonerated
BY State Official.
From Saturdays Daily.

From Saturdays Daily.
State Auditor S. G. Iverson has made
public a statement certified under his
hand and official SEAL in which he
completely refutes the allegations made
by Public Examiner S. I. johnson against
K. c. Dunn, the republican candidate for
governor, charging that when Mr.. Dunn
was state auditor the state was the los
er, owing to Mr. Dunn's failure to en-
force the law relating to the sale of tim
Der and timber trespass. This state
ment has been made under the direct
and personal supervision of the state au-
ditor, S. C. Iverson, who has checked
every item and statement and is abso-
lutely correct, as shown by the books
and records of the state auditors office.
1t shows that the statements made by
the public examiner are false and untrue
and that his assumptions and conclus-
ions are unwarranted and misleading
in every particular. 1t also shows that
the public examiner is entirely ignorant
of the timber business in general and
the states timber business in particular
as is shown by the false construction he
places upon terms in common use in the
lumber industry. For instance, he pre-
tends to believe, and would have the
public understand that the term ''new
cutting, commonly used by timber
cruisers to designate timber which has
never been cut, means that such timber
has been cut or partially cut. He also
pretends to believe and attempts to
convey the impression, that when state
cruiser, after making an examination of
south and east" that this means that
the timber on the state land has been
cut on the east and south, when as a
fact such report means what it says,
namely. that timber on lands adjoining
the state lands on the east and south,
had been cut. 1t is stated by employees
in the state auditors office that the
meanings of these terms were explained
to the public examiners assistants but
that they disregarded all information
and explanation.
Any citizen possessed of ordinary in
telligence is invited to take the certi-
fed statement of State Auditor S. G..
Iverson printed below and compare it,,
item by item, with the published report
of the public examiner, and by so doing
can satisfy himself of the utter falsity
of the statements made by the public
examiner.
For the benefit of citizens who have
not the time to make complete com
parison as suggested, attention is drawn
to a few cases illustrative of the false
hood and Misrepresentation of the pub
lie examiners report. The items can be
identified in the state auditors certifi
ed statement and in the public eXamin
er's report by the description of the
land which precedes each item.
Take the first item in the public exam
iner's report, which says that $l7 ,225
for pine cut on section l6-55-22 was not
paid, State Auditor Iverson certifies
that this money was paid into the state
treasury on August l3, 1894, and that
the pine land investigating committee
reported the collection of this money to
the state legislature, filing its report
with the governor on Dec. 81, 1894.
Sections 33-5s-l9 and 36-59-l9, the Sec
ond item in the public examiners report
and the second and third items in state
auditors statement. is also cited to show
the falsity of the public examiners state
ments He alleges that no effort was
made to collect the balance of the money
due the state for timber cut from this
land. The state auditor certifies that
the cutting was done before State Audi
tor Dunn assumed office, for the most
part, and that the timber had been ship
ped out of the state. State Auditor
Iyerson also certifies that Mr. Dunn
placed the collection of the money for
this trespass in the hands of the proper
state officials, namely, the state treas
urer and the attorney general and that
they followed the timber to Cleveland,
Ohio, and that the attorney general col
lected $500, which was turned into the
treasury. but was unable to collect any
more as trespasser was bankrupt and
his bondsmen were financially irresponsi-
ble
Sections lG-55-S. The public examiner,
among other misleading and false state
ments says Cruiser Mckenzie reported