The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-01-19
SAY men STUDIED
THE QUESTIONS
SERIOUS CHARGES AT MINE IN
sPEcToRs' HEARING.
FLOYD DAVIS is IMPLICATED.
o. c. Phillips, Ex.Member Of Board Of
Examiners, is Prosecuting Wit
ness-Politics of Board
the Cause of Grief.

Des Moines, Jan. 14.-D. G. Phillips
until recently a member of the state
board of examiners of mine inspectors
made several sensational charges IL
his testimony before Governor Gum
minis yesterday in the hearing relative
to the claim OF persons who failed in
the examination in March, 1904, that
the board was prejudiced, incompetent
and unfairly rated the candidates.
Mr.. Phillips testified that former
Mine Inspector John Werner had ask.
ed him to favor the issuance to him
and to Mine Inspector James E. Mil
Ter, now in Illinois, of a certificate
without compelling them to take an
examination.
President H. Booth of the mine ex-
aiming board said afterward that
Werner and Miller had asked for a
resolution which ne regarded.a as equiv
alent to a certificate, reciting their
perfect competency to pass an exam
nation. He opposed it, with Mr..
Phillips.
Ed Gray of the board said that he
had proposed the resolution, and it
was not more than a declaration that
the two men had nee passed an ex-
animation. The question of the pow
er OF the, board to do this was taken
to the attorney general and he de-
cided that men who had once received
certificates did not have to be re-
examined.
Governor Cummins took occasion to
ask Mr.. Phillips If he understood that
Mr.. Werner had asked him to do a
corrupt thing, declaring that he had
always believed Mr.. Werner to be an
honest man. Mr.. Phillips said he did
not know the motive.
Other Charges.
Mr.. Phillips said that Mr.. Werner
had told him that mine inspector ex-
aminations in Iowa had always been
open to suspicion.
John Price, attorney for the persons
who failed at the examination and
nov attack the examining board, asked
Mr.. Phillips if he did not know that
they always had been farces. Mr..
Phillips said he adid not.
IF | were summoned ! would testi-
fly to that fact myself" said Mr.. Price,
respecting past boards.
The inquiry had nothing to do with
past boards, SO that the testimony was
not taken.
This point was brought out when
Mr.. Phillips had said that the ques-
tions in the examination of 1902 had
been furnished beforehand to certain
candidates. Mr.. Phillips said in sub
stance:
Before the examination of 1902 had
gone very far, we had reason to be-
lieve that the questions had gotten
away from us. And since it has been
said by the man who had them, Floyd
Davis, that he did have the questions,
and there were men here studying
these questions. l have reason to be-
lieve that a mine inspector of the
state Of Iowa was n Of LIEN.
Il helped examine the candidates on
the oral questions. He had his les
SON we'll learned. For I was looking
out at the monument, reprehensible
as that may be, and after ne had an
swered a question he inquired If there
was not a second part of the question.
Nothing had been said to indicate
that there vas a second division TO
the question. i take it from that he
~ad been under special instruction
and knew our questions"
Mr.. Phillips referred to Mine In
spector Ed Sweeney, who denies the
charges, of course.
The examiners side of the contro-
versy is being heard Oy the governor
this afternoon.