The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1906-11-01


trespass collected since John A. Johnson
became governor, also a record of the
amount of back taxes collected through
the public examiners Office during the
same time:
Copy
STATE OF MINNESOTA
AUDITOR OF STATE.
st. Paul, October 20, 1906.
Hon. r. c. Dunn, Princeton, MINI.
Dear Sir:-In reply to your inquiry |
SEND you herewith the following figures:
The total amount Of cash paid into the
treasury for trespass of timber on state
lands, from January I, 1905, to October %,
1906, is S2o.474.75
In this amount is included the amount
paid for timber cut in trespass during
your administration, but collected since
January I, 1905, from the following named
party, n. r. Brown $2,e1e.e7
The following back taxes, or omitted
taxes ware collected during the same time
as follows:
From railroad companies 49,. $9,512.6e
From express companies. 5,2e0.s7
From telephone companies..... 1,38o.05
s1e,1ss.e1
Very truly yours, IS. G. iverson,
State Auditor.
For Current Trespass.
You will observe that the state au-
ditor's letter is in reply to several in
quiries made by me, but I am now deal
ing with trespass matters only. The to-
tai amount of trespass collected and
covered into the state treasury since
John A. Johnson became governor is
$2O,474.75. The bulk Of this amount was
for trespass committed since Mr.. Johnson
became governor-for current trespass.
The H. F. Brown item is the only tres
pass that was committed under "the
former state auditor" That I had made
every effort to collect this trespass is
evidenced by the following letter written
to Attorney General Douglas just as I
was leaving the Office in 1908:
Copy
Jan. 3, 19O3.-Hon. w. 3. Douglas, At
torney General.-Dear Sir: 1 enclose You
six drafts which have been in your Office
before, and which were taken out by US
two or three weeks ago in order to try
and effect settlement with Mr.. H. F.
Brown of Minneapolis. No settlement
was effected with him, and 1 believe he
does not intend to settle. 1 have given
him every opportunity to pay up and
have waited and waited and received ex-
cuse after excuse from him. Now, as I
am going out of Office, I find we are no
nearer settlement thar when the matter
was first brought to Mr.. Browns atten-
ton. This is the only unsettled trespass
case during my administration. I re-
specially request and urge you to COM
mence immediate action, and take no ex-
cuses, to enforce collection of these
drafts, with interest. This matter should
be given your immediate attention, be-
cause it has already dragged along be-
yond all reason. hope you will COM
mence proceedings at once and secure
judgments against him. All the evidnece
necessary can be obtained in this office
Any further information can be received
from Mr.. Iverson. Push the collection of
these drafts Very truly yours,
R. c. Dunn. State Auditor
1t was not until eighteen months after
I had left office that legal proceedings
were instituted against Mr.. Brown and
then Public Examiner Johnson was given
the credit for unearthing the trespass
AS a matter CT fact, up to date. there
has not been single dollar paid into the
state treasury for tr ,spass committed DUR
ing my administration as state auditor,
save the item herein referred to, and the
letter | have just read tells why that was
rot collected by r7e.
Gross NIisstatements
Here is a quotation from Gov Johnson's
Red Wing speech, as the same has been
published and circulated broadcast over
the state:
'Tbe revelations already made are
startling. In a single county in this state
on less than half a dozen sections, there
are discrepancies of millions of feet of
tlmoer' l am convinced that proper
steps in the future and the proper prose-
cution along the lines of inyestigation
which led to the recovery of hundreds Of
thousands and perhaps millions of dol
lars, which belong to the school children
of the State of Minnesota
Read the quotation over carefully
There is no sense in it. The assertions
therein contained. whether made by the
governor or not were published for the
sole purpose OF misleading and deceving
the voters.
Wild Flights of Rhetoric.
If Gov Johnson makes such reckless
and absurd assertions in preDared
speech he must indulge in wild fights o.
rhetoric in his axtemporaneous talks all
over the state. (which led to the re-.
covery Of hundreds of thousands and nor
maps millions of dollars" am at n loss
to know what the governor means. IF he
"'S'eS 10 convey the impression that he
has recovered those fabulous amounts he
wishes to convey false impression. for
| as yet not dollar has been recovered
save what have above mentioned. Rnt
TO a man not possessed Of the vivid inn,
ag'na11on Of Gov. johnson few hundred
thousand or a million dollars more or less
| is not matter of much Importance
Facts Are stubborn Things.
| Now for the facts with reference to the
half dozen sections referred to by the
! governor. I use the word "facts'' ad-
| visedly for the information was Obtained
from the records in the state auditors
| office and from State Auditor Iverson
| personally, and the data is in my pos
| session.
! A.. Individual whom the governor refers