The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-02-28
SENATOR CHARGES GRAVE
ABUSES IN LAND OFFICE
Henry Anderson, Chief Clerk of State
Board, Denounced on Floor
of Senate.
Commissioners Are Charged With COntrbuOy Negligence and
Official Investigation Is Ordered.

Charges of fragrant misfeasance i'm
office were made against Harry Ander-
son, chief clerk of the state board of
land commissioners. on the floor of the
senate yesterday afternoon by Senator
Benner X. Smith, of Salt Lake The
allegations are that Anderson has on
at least two different occasions during
the past year, having in his official
capacity obtained knowledge of the in
tention of a citizen to select state
lands. fraudulently and i'm order to OBJ
tain an advantage and pecuniary prof
it, interfered with the lawful rights Of
citizens seeking TO acquire such lands,
and prevented the acquisition af the
same"
The state board of land commission
ers is also implicated, as it is charged
that in both instances certain members
Of the board had the matter called to
their attention and made no effort to
correct the evils complained of.
The statement By Mr.. Smith fell like
a bombshell 1t the beginning of what
promised to be an uneventful session.
Accompanying his assertions he pre-
scented resolution asking that the
charges be investigated. and before
anybody knew what had happened the
resolution was passed under suspen-
sion of rules and President Love named
Senators Benner Y. Smith, e. T. HUI
laniski and George NJ. Lawrence as
members of the probing committee.
Broad in its Scope.
Under the terms of the resolution the
committee is not only authorized to in
quire into the charges, but TO investi
gate the administration of the land
office to subpoena ard compel the at
tendance of witnesses and to admins
ter caths
Mr.. Smith would say little regarding
his charges when seen after the ses-
sion. although he divulged the names
of the citizens who he claims have been
fraudulently deprived of their rights by
the alleged Illegal entries. That ii is
believed by him thet startling testi-
mony regarding the conduct of the af-
fairs of the board Of land commission
ers and that the practice complained of
has been going on for some time, how
ever. seems evident. The committee
" i'll begin its work Saturday.
Facts Concerning Cases.
Although the statement read TO the
senate. by Mr. Smith does not mention
names. he revealed the parties impli-
Gated in the alleged shady transao-
tiOns after the session.
The first case cited occurred in July.
1906, when George Mueller, proprietor
of the Royal bakery, 232 South Main
street. applied through Mr.. Smith. his
attorney, for a tract Of state land.
After the application had been filed,
but before the deal had been consum-
a1-f ix~a Of
Chief Clerk Anderson, filed on it in the
United states land office, This was
done, said Mr. Smith in his statement
''fo~ the purpose of preventing tht bona
fide applicant from acquiring the state
lands, and for the purpose of obtain
ing d pecuniary profit and advantage
for the employee by said entry"
The second case occurred about five
months ago. This time former Judge
W. G. Hall of the district court, applied
to the land board for a client name0
earns to purchase a parcel of state
land. As soon as the application was
filed. it is charged that Anderson went
to the United States land office and at
tempted to homestead this tract under
the federal land laws. Being refused. it
is alleged. he thereupOn caused a friend
and acquaintance, Archie B. Pascoe,
salesman for Gray Brothers, VINO re-
sides at 1877 North Main street. to file
a homestead entry covering the same
land. This was subsequently relin-
quished, but taken up again by another
party under the desert entry law. An
derson's application in his own hand
writing is said to be on file in the land
Office.
The statement of Senator Smith to
the senate, which was carefully pre-
pared, and read from manuscript
bristles with characteristic statements.
and In it he defies the politicians OF the
party which elected him.
The Statement in Full.
The statement in full, which is self
explanatory, follows:
1T is not my desire to unjustiy criii-
else public officers, nor to cause unnee-
eSsary trouble; yet my duty TO the peo-
pie of the state as a member of this body
requires that l lay before you what APP
pears to be some fragrant instances OF
malfe7sance in public office By an en-
ploye of one of the public boards of this
state. In making this statement, / fully