The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-03-18
'WHITEWASH' IS
TO Be GENERAL
TAKES ON A DIFF
ERENT TONE NOW.
Committee Seems to Have Given Up
Idea of Censuring johnson or Of Dis
putting Facts in His Reports-Will
Be Content with Exonerating For
mer Auditor Of Dishonest Motives.

Be Content with Generating For
mer Auditor Of Dishonest Motives.
The house committee on public &C
counts had another halliday session yes
terday afternoon with s. I. Johnson,
former public examiner, on his report
as to the state auditors office. Only
five matters were taken up, and it be-
came evident that the committee could
not begin to cover the ground. Another
session will be held Monday afternoon,
probably the last public meeting.
The final report, it is now agreed,
will be mild affair. The element head
ed by Chairman Bowling had intended
to force thru a report censuring johnson
and completely indicating Dunn. They
have found that this will not 90 thru,
and the strong showing made by John
son has made it impossible to. censufe
him. The house is disgusted with the
threshing of old straw and is ready to
throw the whole business overheard on
the slightest provocation. So it seems
certain that the report. will be a gen
eral whitewash, admitting the general
truth Of the johnson reports and at the
same time declaring that, in his dis
regard Of law, the former auditor was
acting for the best interests of the
state: Before adjournment Chairman
GAS far as the committee is con-
cerned, it might almost report that Mr..
johnson is right and Mr.. Dunn is right.
Mr.. Dunn evidently endeavored to pro-
tect the states interests always, and
Mr.. johnson has evidently done no
more than his duty in reporting on the
records as he found them'' >s
Mr.. johnson. replied that the COM
fnn n1crhf rf r>11o l,,%
he did not want his reports held up as
false statements. He was ready to prove
that every citation made was correct.
Lawyers Do Examining.
The style of procedure was changed
somewhat. Chairman Bowling. asked
few questions, leaving the examination
yers Of the committee.
William j. Stock said the only way
was to take up with johnson the cases
Iverson. W. G. Fraser said the com
mittee ought not to make a, selection,
for it was the jury, and not a party
to the contest. He thought Auditor
Iverson ought to make selection, but
that official declined.
Chairman Bowling asked Mr.. johnson
to pick out some cases. He brought up
the G. Miller trespass case concerning
hardwood cut near Perham, and re-
ferred to in part Of the report. Mr..
Dunn collected 5000 from Miller for
1900 feet scaled by W. A. Miller, a
cruiser. w. S. Dedon, sent later, reported
196,10o feet cut, worth ST. 1850, but
more money. johnson read letters from
Dedon to Dunn and Mo!ander declar-
ing that he had ample evidence of Mil
Ter being the trespasser, and that he
ought to be prosecuted criminally. The
papers bear pencil notation that &C.
ton was brought against Miller, but
| dropped for want Of evidence. This
note was in pencil and not signed, while
the records Of the clerk Of courts show
Presumably it was started in Justice
court. t2',' fl
Messrs. Thayer and Wyman claimed
that, as the evidence was not sufficient
in criminal action, it could not have
been collected for in civil action. Swan
B. Molander said they had failed. to
collect for the trespass because they
part Of this case was in the letters of
Dedon, where he declared that the peo-
pie believed the department had been
| bought up by the trespassers, and he
did not blame them. Unless something
was done, it was no use for him to in
| spect the state timber.
Made Private Settlement.
The next case was of timber per-
of 5,545,OOO feet and sold at SO thou:
| sand. The surveyor general scaled
| 2,12S,78O feet of green timber cut and
1,925,00O of dead and down: The audi:
| tor settled for the green timber at $50
| and for the dead and down at SIS. Mr.
Johnson said there was no warrant in
law for the settlement. There was nc
tween the auditor and the purchaser
and it might as we'll have been made
at SIS thousand. He declared the con
| tract was for all the timber at SO q
thousand. The cruisers report, or
which the sale was made, stated there
was 40 per cent dead and down.
Auditor Iverson said the SO bid was
evidently only for merchantable timber
While not stated in the contract, this
was now understood. In order to avoi6
such criticisms, the department. nov
sells the green and the dead timber or
separate bids. -..:
Illegality Admitted.
| Molander admitted that the settle
ment at SIS was by the auditor and not
| by the timber board, and Iverson ad
| m1tted that there was no legal Warrant
for the SIS settlement by Mr.. Dunn. This
was in response to questions by M. S
l Carl and r. H. Jefferson. Mr.. Jeffer
son maintained, with Mr.. Johnson, tina
the law requires all the timber over {
certain size to be removed and say
nothing about merchantable timber
Mr.. Thayer wanted to know why, be
fore the settlement was made, the sur
veyor general made separate seal
for the green and for the dead AM
down. Mr.. johnson replied that thi
was doubtless done at the request O.
the purchasers, as customary. -.
| @ Left Timber Uncut.
Mr.. johnson then called attention t.
permit on which Bonness & Co. sc
cured cut of 2,954,470 feet in March
1898. The cruisers estimate was onl
1,795,OOO feet. Mr.. johnson explaine
that under the state contract the com
pany should have been made to pay 70
all timber left standing as well as wha
they cut. There was 34l, 900 feet lief
uncut, but they were, never made t
, pay for it. "Later," said Mr.. Joh1
son, "the Commonwealth Lumber CON
pany trespassed on this property an
then settled with the state for $3.50
The price Bonness paid was So per LOO
feet. In settlement Of trespass tn
! law demands that at least double tn
: value be paid The settlement, to hay