The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-02-10
Balance up before legislature. :
lotion Starts Things.

Immediately upon the reading of the
affidavit presented by Joseph Marks
arose and asked that the report OF the
committee be adopted. There were sew
eraI seconds. but before the question
could be put, ToIton got the floor and
made motion TO eXpunge from the
committee report ali reference tending
to eXOnerate and whiteWaSh the mem
bers of the commission"
The whitewashing section referred to
J is the part beginning we believe that
not one dollar of the states money has
been stolen. lost or Squandered-' TOltOn
explained that his motion was prompt
ed by the fact that while there had
never been before the house anything
tending TO show dishonesty on the part
| Of the commission, still the committee
report went to the extent of denying
| that dishonest or unwise methods had
prevailed in the expenditure of money
Joseph supported Tolton's motion. He
stated that he had heard two reports,
one coming directly from Secretary
John Q. Cannon of the fair commission,
the other from the house committee.
! These did not correspond, HarleyS affi-
! davit showing that the total eXpendi-
lures CT the commission had been in
the neighborhoOd of $50, 900, while the
fair committee found that only about
SOS. 900 had been spent
There was yet another reason, in his
| opinion for striking out any exonera-
ton of the commission-the report
made TO Governor Cutler by the COM
mission Dec. 81. 1904, which had been
made the basis Of the executives refer
ence to the commission expenditures in
his message 10 the Legislature The APP
preparation made by the legislature two
years ago. Joseph reminded the house.
was for $4,000 and it had been specific
ally stated that not more than this
sum should be expended The commits
sion itself had reported to the govern
| or that $4,000 had been borrowed in ad-
dition to the appropriation, and that
| there was still an overdraft on the
! bank.
Says Report Looks Queer.
Now this committee" Joseph said,
comes forward saying that there's a
balance of several thousands I'll leave
il to members of this house if that
looks right on the face Of it. My posi-
ton is this. The report submitted by
the committee does not carry out the
| functions or purpose Of the resolution
| introduced by myself in this house in
structing the committee on public funds
to investigate all deficits reported in
the governors message.
There is no itemized statement Of eX-
penses. In the last few weeks the mem
! bers Of this house and the people of
the state have been confronted with
! newspaper allegations of forgery and
fraud In the light of the rumors We
]
adopt that part of the report eXOneTat-
ing the committee"
Joseph then offered a resolution in
structing the Louisiana Purchase expo
sition commission to turn over to the
state any balance remaining in the
treasury, but the chair ruled that the
resolution was not germane TO the
question, and IL was Withdrawn.
Joseph then went on to point out sec
tions Of the session laws of 1903 per-
I tanning TO the st. Louis fair commits
sion. The commission. the speaker
showed, had exceeded the law IN that
mere than $50 900 had been expended
Joseph proceeded to read press eX
tract showing that various sections OF
. the chapter Of session laws. 1903. relaJ-
ing 70 the fair commission, had been
violated
Richards, at this point. urged the
chair TO rule reading of newspaper ar
ticles out of order. but the objection
was not upheld. Joseph stated that he
wanted TO put himself ION record as
being against unlawful deficits and for
safeguarding the rights OF the state"
Roberts offered an amendment TO
lotions amendment Ito expunge from
the committees report all except the
financial statement"
L had al first intended TO vote for the
adoption of the report" said Roberts.
but from the statements furnished US
by the previous speaker CJOseph) there
appears to have existed an oyerdraft of
some 81. 900 I'm addition 70 the expendi-
ture Of IS. 600 obtained by loans. The
report shows an entirely different state
of things. shows balance Of about a
like amount There is something wrong
and there is no use trying to blind our
eyes
Tolt0n again explained the purpose OF
his motion to strike out portion OF
the report. and then Wilson said.