The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1906-06-16
BOWERS MAKES REPORT ON
CONDITION OF PUBLIC FUNDS
SAYS HIS COMMITTEE WAS THROTLED AND FUNDS AP-
PROPRiAIED FOR OTHER PURPOSES

er forty acres the timber was sold foI
J $3.50, which indicates about TWEEN
ty-five thousand feet at IS cents pei
thousand feet. A re-estimate OF
this piece gives nearly five hundred
thousand feet. Many similar instan.
ces might be cited. showing a total
disregard for justice and the law
which provides as follows: "On all
| lands wherein there is timber ap-
praised at not to exceed two and one
half dollars per acre. the appraised
value of the timber shall be added to
and considered as a part of the value
of the land, and such land shall be
deemed agricultural or grazing land,
and when sold shall be paid for as if
no timber was growing thereon"
BY fragrant disregard of this
| clause of the law and by fraudulent
| estimates, the State has doubtless
| been robbed of many thousands of
| dollars. In one instance gentle
man of character and well qualified
/
| Board to make estimates of timber
On certain lands. After careful ex-
| animation he made his report, but
| his estimate did not seem to suit
somebody who must have had an
interest In the matter. Then another
| party was sent to estimate the tim
| Der on the same tracts of land and
| made report of about one-half the
former estimate. The timber was
sold at the lower estimate. 1t is
evident in this instance that the Sc
cond estimate was not made in the
interest of the State
1t was part of the intended work
of this committee, which has been
pronounced dead" to uncover as
many a possible of these shame
full transactions and where it could
be done, to restore the values to the
State, and in those cases which were
beyond the reach of correction to
determine who were the active part
les in the premises, and thus let the
public know who were the land pi-
rates. 1t Is the view of those who
seek thorough insight into these
matters, that these timber sales
which We're made on plainly fraud
ulent estimates, and in disregard of
the law, could be and should be an
nulled by legal process in the courts
If the United States government can
annul fraudulent sales in Oregon. ii
is but reasonable to suppose that the
State of Idaho can do the same with
in her domain. And further, ii
seems only fair to assume that those
great amount of which the State has
been dispoiled, are as reprehensible
as those who perpetrated the frauds
in the first instance.
TO call attention to the Public
Buildings Fund firmly establishes the
necessity of a rigid investigation.
AS nearly as can be ascertained
that fund is shown as follows:
For Public building Fund.
Total timber sold. $65,1O5.44
Total land sold. 5000. 72,S10.2S
Should be in fund $137,9l5.72
OF this amount there is accounted for
as follows:
Invested in Warrants. :. $40. 1887
lnvest'd in State Bonds. $4,000.
invested. in Sch'l Bonds. 1900. 90
Not invested. ..,....,.. $4,000
Total Acct'd for. sos, 659.37
These figures reveal the tremen-
dous shortage of $42.256.35. What |
became of this shortage, or who got |
II are inquiries which we now address |
to the authorities that have pro-
nounced this committee dead" viii |
they kindly tell us?
The most charitable supposition
as to this statement is, that this
amount has been mis-applied to some |
other public fund than that to which |
ii legally belonged.
II seems inconsistent with the best |
interests OF the state, that man who |
was agent or representative of some
of the timber companies in 1901 or
1902 and effected large purchases of |
timber at prices below the legal re-
quirement, should now be and has |
been during the present admins
tration an employee in an important |
position in the Land Department. |
This man at about that time, in con-
nection with another party, was also
engaged in checking up special land
grants, at cost to the state of about
SO, 100000. This person, without Of
fetal oath or bond, and employed os-
tensibly to make maps and plats is
left in sole custody of important mat
ter for which the Register of the
Department is under oath and bon Is |