The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-07-15
MAKES REPORT
OF CONDITIONS
IN THE ONEIDA
Special Committee Submits
Findings in Connection With
Idaho irrigation Scandal.
CHARGE SHARP PRACTICE
AND MUCH lRREGULARlTY
DISTRICT FUNDS FOUND TO
HAVE BEEN DEPOSITED TO
PERSONAL CREDITS.

special committee has found that
there has been sharp practice and many
irregularities in connection with the ad-
rninistration OF the affairs OF the Oneida
irrigation district In Idaho. The commit
tee. which consists OF Henry II. Rolapp.
A. c. Smith. A. c. Preston, Harrison d.
Vaughan and Isaac Jorgensen. has sub
Initted its report and has made recon-
mendations which It hopes may find a
final solution Of the tangle
The trite portion of the committees re-
port is that Treasurer Parkinson and Sec
Rotary Hart conducted the affairs OF the
district in "A manner that was far from
being in accordance with every require
ment OF the law. The report OF the spe
cial auditor Orson =. Rumel. made on
May Il, IL basis for the findings of
the special committee. Mr.. Rumefs fig
ures taken as being accurate. but
some Of the findings which he reported
at that time were modified when they
were inserted in the special committees
report.
There is a difference OF opinion as TO
whether criminal actions would lie
against Messrs. Parkinson and Hart or
against George NJ. Cannon. There is now
pending in the United States court an
action against Mr.. Cannon filed about
three months ago. I'm which the Oneida
matter Is taken up. IL is said there was
a difference of opinion among lawyers
az the time OF the filing OF the action
whether the pleadings were in proper
form. but IL was finally decided TO bring
g civil action.
The report OF the special committee
which is complete in its detail. in fun,
reads:
To the Oneida Irrigation DESTRUCTION
May 2S 1908, a mass meeting was held of
the taxpayers OF the Oneida irrigation
district in Weston, Ida, at which time
and place the undersigned were appoint
s-H a crAFtal On viii N
inspect the report submitted by Auditor
Orson p. Rumel. and said committee was
also delegated TO inquire into the obJec-
tons made 10 any part of said repor: by
the former officers OF this district with
a view OF making suitable recommended
fions for the adjustment OF the accounts
In said district. We have carefully per-
formed the labor assigned 10 as and have
been in session for many weeks at which
meetings the interested parties have been
present and given full opportunity to pre-
sent their claims in their own way. and so
far as we know. 10 their entire satisfac-
tion. and we have since such hearings
considered each OF the claims with absO-
lutte fairness and impartiality.
In making the necessary investigation
in connection with these hearings. your
committee has acted upon the assumption
that the taxpayers OF this district desire
n statement of the ultimate facts In each
case without going into details. and
whether such facts are contained in the
from any other source We haze also as
sumed that the taxpayers are more inter-
ested In the financial and physical success
OF the canal than they are In the crtti-
cism Of any person. whoever ne may be-
or OF any methods that are past and
gone. except that such methods must not
be repeated In the future.
For these reasons have proceeded
with our investigation and have made our
recommendations upon the following basic
principles. and none others.
The Basic Principles.
(a) Every person having in his posses
sion money belonging TO the district or
any debts owing to the district must inn
mediately return such money TO the
treasurer and pay such debts. And in
the event Of failure 10 do either OF these
things. steps should Immediately be taken
to compel such action.
Oh Money or proceeds received by any
person from district funds obtained con-
trary to statutory provision. whereby
losses have been caused to the district
must be refunded by such person
(c) While the district should not take
advantage OF mere technical violations OF
the law. such the issuance of war
rants beyond the debt limit. the issu-
ance OF them not In strict conformity TO
law. Sor that advantage should be taken
OF the mere lack OF Judgment. mistaken
Interpretation OF law: yet. wherever such
action has been financially detrimental 10
the district. or where the district has not
received actual value for the amount OF
such warrants or obligations incurred or
where such violations have resulted TO the
advantage OF the individual. then we
think the guilty person should recompose
the district
With these basic principles as our guide
We find the following facts and make the
following recommendations;
Figures Not Disputed
I'VE find that the correctness OF the
figures contained IN the AUDITORS report
has not been disputed by any person
2-We find that the taxpayers had ex-
plicit confidence in the Officers OF the
district and that in turn the officers con-