The Saint Paul globe., 1905-03-10
DUNN REVIEWS WORK
AS STATE AUDITOR
Explains Mineral Lease and
Timber Transactions to
House Committee

pernatorial campaign was the speech
OF r. c. Dunn, former state auditor,
yesterday before the house committee
on public accounts and expenditures in
| reply to structures of former Public
examiner Johnson as to the conduct
OF the auditors Office. Mr.. Dunn had
oeen cited TO appear before the COM
| mittee to give evidence of the alleged
losses to the state school fund by rea-
son OF favors shown lumber men in
line settlement of trespasses on the
state pine lands.
He came, and for an hour he spoke
before the committee. The former state
auditor justified his every official act.
he declared that his settlements. while
In some cases not being strictly ac-
cording to the law. had been for the
pest interests of the state, and that
ne would do the same thing again.
The late Republican candidate for
governor defended his official record in
the matter Of mineral leases as well
as In the sale of the state pine. He
claimed credit for the Virginia silver
case. but admitted that II had been
boomerang against him in the late
campaign.
Mr. Dunn took up the matter of pro-
posed changes in the laws relating TO
sale OF pine and in the selling of state
..i@AtNAoA iCoSCS- lie
declared that Gov. Johnson did not
know what he is talking about when
ne recommends a state mineralogist to
examine lands for which leases are is
sued before contracts are entered into.
de could not resist the temptation to
give his old friend, Sam Fullerton, a.
slap on the kpuckles when he said that
while the state limited the auditor TO
$4,000 year for the care of the states
timber and mineral lands. ii annually
appropriates $25,0 for the protection
OF a few moose and partridges.
Dunn Talks Right Out
Mr.. Dunn's speech was delivered in
characteristic fashion. He inveighed
against his accusers and lauded his
OVID official acts and those of his office
associates. Frequently he referred to
my deputy. Mr.. Iverson." as being
able TO -substantiate his statements,
and Mr.. lverson was present to add his
word TO his former chiefs declarations
or official integrity. Mr.. Dunn had
brought with him a map showing the
timber belt of the state. 1t showed an
area Of $4,000 square miles, extending
from Little Falls to the Canadian
boundary and almost across the state
from east TO west.
Mr.. Dunn detailed the circumstances
of the Merrill case, where he claimed
that in one case where he attempted TO
strictly enforce the letter of the law
the state was out 500, and the auditor
had TO defend a suit for damages in
the courts. He said:
1 have not followed the strict letter OF
the law because / found it impossible 10
DO So do claim that i made the best
settlements possible for the state and
defy any man to prove to the contrary.
Had the legislature followed my sugges-
uons years ago the state would have been
DerIer OH. Il dDnrOVa of the hill
pending to provide for appraisals by the
state cruisers. My recommendations for
claims that / was trying 10 get too much
power for the office. You are doing Just
what should have been done years ago.
Scores the Governor
Mr.. Dunn took up the matter of min
eral leases issued by the state au-
ditor's office, and on this subject grew
more vehement, If possible, than on the
state pine land question. He continued:
The honorable governor has called at
tention to mineral leases and has made
some recommendations regarding the
procedure With all respect to the hon
orable governor. he does not understand
what he is talking about when he sug
gests a mineralogist to examine the char
acter of the land before contract is is
sued. The law does not give the state
auditor any alternative In issuing a min
eral lease. All this talk about mineral
leases is rot and nothing but rot. II
there was any one thing in my admins
tration that I thought l had a right to
be proud of II was the securing for the
state of the Virginia silver. But II was
boomerang: they turned IL against me
in the last campaign. A few days before
/ went out of Office my land clerk brought
a paper TO me and asked me II would
sign 1t IL was lease to the tract TO
Mabel Evans / will take my oath that
never looked at the paper. and didn't
know who was the lessee named. II
had. All l saw was the s25 for the state
didn't know Mabel Evans. / found
afterwards that she lived in my own
town, but she came after had really left
there ten years before. But land grab
bing syndicate had been formed with
headquarters at Cincinnati and a tool of
theirs at West Superior tried to get pos
session OF the land. They claimed II un
der scrip filing. Mr.. fverson success
fully carried the case to the secretary OF
the interior, who held that the land was
the state. He won the fight that / had
laid the foundations for in claiming the
land as swamp. and the states royalty
will be anywhere from 500 900 to $500 600
on the ore to be taken from the mine
i have been abused from one corner
of the state to the other on account of
titled to credit for anything II should be
for the laying Of the foundation for this
claim.
Rap at Fullerton
Defending the failure of the state
cruisers to detect timber trespassers in
all cases. Mr.. Dunn said:
II / had had three times as many cruis-
ers could have stopped the trespassing.
The legislature has appropriated $4,000
every year TO protect few moose and
partridges and they are now asking il to
be increased to $4,000. / suppose you will
give II to them 1 asked for more money
for cruisers time and time again and was
insulted by successive legislatures. / urge
u again now. and II this investigation
does not do anything else than TO give
the auditor decent appropriations for the
protection of the enormously valuable
land, timber and mineral interests of the
state, II wiD have accomplished something
worth while.
BURNING BOX CAR