The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-05-05

respectfully urge that you give this
important matter your immediate and
earnest attention. and that such action
be taken as Is warranted by law.
S. r. Van SAINT, Governor
May 4, 1904.
Mr.. Donahower said to-day:
IT have not had opportunity to ex-
anime the documents, and cannot tell
for some time what my action will be.
AS the governor requests me to make
them public. I do So"
The reports cover sixty-nine cases.
One Is the Akeley case, already made
public. A case against Congressman
G.. B. Buchanan of Little Falls, which
was settled for less than the estimated
value of the timber, is treated in
separate report, and another report
gives the record of sixty-seven other
cases.
Sensational features are found in
the testimony of state cruisers, who
say it was the talk in their camps that
men Of influence could make easy set
state.
How 1t All Started.
The governor thus passes on to the
attorney generals department for ac-
ton the results of months of investi-
CATION in the records of the state au-
ditor's office, by the employees of
Public Examiner Johnson. 1t all
grows out of the investigation con-
Quoted by the house committee on
public accounts and expenditures,
which had John Barry, the expert &C
countant, go over the records as we'll
as he could in the limited time al
lowed. They recommended a further
investigation of several subjects, in
Guiding that Of timber trespass. This
was carried or under Public Examiner
johnson by John Barry, but he did
not go far into the matter and most
of the work has been done since Jan.
by P. M. Kerst, deputy public exam
liner, and other employees of the de-
partment. Only small part of the
record has been transcribed.
The records show that r. G. Dunn
while state auditor, made it rule tc
settle trespass cases for about the
value of the timber as returned by his
cruisers. These values are always
low, and the prices received at state
sales run so and 100 per cent higher
than the estimates. The number OF
cases shows that trespassing wa.
prevalent, and the record shows tina
the same firms committed wholesale
trespasses year after year, settling a
values much less than the state re
ceived at stumpage sales.
Did Not Carry Out Threats.
The law makes willful trespass {
felony in order to force the penal set
Elements of treble the actual value O.
timber illegally cut. This recourse tt
criminal prosecution was otter
threatened by Auditor Dunn in cases
which he would afterward settle fo
the cruisers estimate, or very littl
over. The threat of criminal actor
was not carried out.
The most fragrant case referred to i
that of Congressman Buchanan, VIII,
succeeded in settling for ASSOC
feet of timber valued by the cruiser
at SO a thousand and therefor
worth 50 in a trespass settlement, 70
$4,000. The records show this settle
ment made by the state timber board
which has nothing to do with the cas-
according to law. The matter Of tres
pass settlements is all in the hands o
the state auditor as land commission
err The governor and state treasurer
who were the other members of tn
timber board, do not have any recol
lection of such action by the board
Payment was made in 1902, afte
A summary of trespass prices, com
pared with prices secured at stumpag