The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-03-12
CHARGES
"GIGANTIC FRAUD"
Findings of st: Louis Fair Committee
Submitted to House.
ARRAIGNS AWARDS SYSTEM
RIBBON SYSTEM CONDEM NED
UTAH OFFICIALS CRITICISED.

I n TERMS of no uncertain meaning,
the report Of the special house
committee appointed to investi-
gate the Louisiana Purchase exposi-
ton commission, which was submitted
late last night. 7rraigns the officials Of
Utah'S commission as having been
guilty of gross carelessness and neglect
in conducting the exhibit and in rem
derinG a final accounting of state
moneys: reaffiTms the charge of fOrg-
cry against John Q. Cannon. secretary
of the commission, in having signed
the name of Governor Heber NJ. Wells
to warrants; and, in an appended re-
port from the subcommittee, which
went to st. Louis, alleges a gigantic
conspiracy on the part OF the officials
c. the exposition in the matter of
awards" and prize ribbons"
The report was drafted by RepTeSen-
tatives KuchIer and Miller of the COM
mittee, was submitted to the COM
mittee and approved Friday and was
considered in executive session and
approved yesterday afternoon 1t was
at first intended 20 present the report
Monday, but a few minutes before re-
cess was taken last night, at IL o'clock,
it was returned TO the house and
unanimously adopted.
The report is in the form of a gem
eral and a subrepOrt, the former as the
findings of the special house commit
tee, composed of Kinney, Miller.
kuchler, StoOkey, Joseph, Gundry and
Peterson. This contains in effect the
testimony adduced at committee hear
ings. The subrepOrt covers fully what
was learned by Representatives Jo-
Seph, StoOkey and GundTy during their
stay in st. Louis. Together they con-
tain over 5000 words.
Report of Sub Committee.
Following is the report of the sub
committee:
Committee Room,
Salt Lake City, March 9, 1905
Hon ClessOn S. Kinney. Chairman St.
Louis Purchase Exposition Commission:
We your subcommittee, after visiting
st. Louis as directed, beg leave to fur
Their reoOrt follows:
That after as thorough an investigation
as the time at our disposal would permit,
We are unanimous in reporting that ac-
cording to our knowledge and belief the
so-called awards consisting of medals,
ribbons. etc, supposedly given as marks
of merit by the st. Louis official award
ribbon committee. by authority of the
Louisiana Purchase exposition TO the
sO-called successful exhibitors at the said
Louisiana Purchase exposition, is in our
opinion an immense and gigantic fraud
with President Francis standing as spon-
SOr for and approving the same we are
convinced from the result of our inVesu-
cation that the people have been deceived
and have been led to believe that the
aUards resolved reDreSented real merit of
exhibits offered, while in fact they were
nothing but q mock and a fraud. issued
by . straw incorporation for the sole
purpose OF being sold to be used in a
commercial way advertising matter,
and in order that they might appear as
genuine on the face they were issued IN
der the authority of the president, Mr.
Francis. and the exposition commission,
which gentlemen according to the infor-
nation received, in turn for issuing these
awards under their authority received a
handsome profit.
Story OF an Agent.
We met one of the agents. a Mr. Page
who was employed specially to sell on
commission these awards He showed us
one award which was issued as superior
over ali others, which. he assured us
that as agent for the St Louis official
award ribbon committee, by authority of
the Louisiana Purchase exposition" he
had sold for $500 and received his COM
mission thereon. He also showed an