The Saint Paul globe., 1905-04-15
REPORT QUESTIONS
JOHNSON'S METHODS
Serious Charges Are Made
Against Former Public
Examiner

Charges seriously rejecting on the
official integrity of S. It. Johnson,
former public examiner, are contained
in report filed with the house yester
day by p. E. Bowling, chairman of a
subcommittee of the house public ac-
that the other four members of the
subcommittee agreed to the report. 1t
will be considered by the house today.
= The allegations against Mr.. Johnson
cover a wide territory, from neglect of
duty in not examining state banks and
county and state offices to discrepan-
cies in the accounts of himself and his
deputies in charges against the state
for railroad fare and hotel bills.
= Mr.. Johnson is i'll at his home at
Minneapolis, and attached to the re-
port is letter from his family physi
clan, who says that il would be sui
cidal for his patient to attempt to ap-
pear before the committee as re-
quested.
The report alleges that in 1902 Mr.
Johnson rode on railroad passes and
collected fares from the state. A num-
ber of items are cited where alleged eX-
cess fare was charged the state over
the regular fare between given points.
Sixteen trips outside the state were
enumerated between points on lines
which railroad officials swore Johnson
hoa DtSSGS vi. All ODllllOIl
from the attorney general, in the re-
port, holds that il is illegal for a state
official to ride on passes and collect
fare from the state.
The report declares that some ex-
pense accounts of Deputies E. w. Nc
Grew and S. H. Bezoir are unduly
large and in some cases illegal. One
OF the deputies charged for three meals
wheR-he had taken a night trip to Chi
m
eastern trip were $3.50 a day, the re-
port says, and the former public ex=
aminer audited and approved the ac-
counts. A bill of $120 for bonds for his
deputies, written by Mr.. Johnson in a
company represented by himself, had
been paid, but later refunded to the
state. Mr.. McGrew's laundry bill of
81, charged the state, and Mr.. Bezoir's
Sl.SO for tips to the bellboys of the
Spaulding hotel, Duluth, were criti-
cised by the committee
The report declares that Johnson
failed to examine eight state banks in
1902 and sixteen in 1903, while a num-
Der of state institutions and offices
were not examined in 1902. 1909 or
1904. The board of control the report
says, has been examined but once since
July, 1902, and then by a man who
spent but four days in the Office.
Roseau county, it is alleged, has never
had its books examined. In 1902 four
teen counties escaped examination, in
1903 six were not visited and in 1904
two escaped. Charges are made that
illegal charges amounting to SS,O53
were unearthed in Beltrami county in
1902, with wrongful charges of $4,92O
in 1903, but the discrepancies were
not called to the attention of the gov
ernor and the former examiner did not
attempt to enforce refundment of the
illegal charges.
p. NJ. Kerst, the present examiner. is
commended for establishing a system
or requiring daily reports from the
deputies. The committee finds that the
cost of conducting the department is
being materially reduced by this prac-
tice. He is also commended for making
prompt report to the governor of all
of1cial misdeeds. The installation of a
civil service system for the office by
the next legislature is recommended
by the committee.