Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1910-11-03
WEST COMPELLED
To return coin
Democratic Candidate for Gov
ernor Is Caught Doubling
Witness Fees.


Oswald West, Democratic nominee
for Governor, not only collected mile
age and witness fees from the govern
ment for his recent trip to Washing
ton, but he also charged and collected
from the state mileage as Railroad
Commissioner for making the same
trip. From the government West
claimed and collected SS65.20 in mile
age and fees for going to Washington
last January. At the same time he
charged and collected from the state
1853 for railroad fare and other ex-
penses for making the same trip.
While he later returned to the state
treasury $315.20 of the amount col
lected from the government, he did
not make this restoration until he had
been accused by certain Federal Of
ficials of being CRATER"
Visit Really Political.
West went to Washington last jan
uary, ostensibly on business connected
with Oregon Railroad Commission, OF
which he was a member under ap-
pointment by Chamberlain. At the
same time he appeared before COM
mittee in the House of Representa-
tives in the interest of bill then
pending and materially affecting the
interests OF the settlers on public
lands in the Siletz Indian reservation
AS a matter of fact, the real mission OF
West in visiting Washington on this
occasion was apparently to consuEr
mate the deal with Bourne and Cham
berlain by winch it was arranged that
he (West) was to be the Demscratic
nominee for Governor in the contest
now pending in this state.
Before leaving for Washington West
was served with a pubpoena command
ing him to appear in this city as a
witness for the government in the
trial of Binger Hermann, which was
then about to be called. After reach
ing the national capital, he wrote the
United States district attorney ex-
planning that if he should be notified
a few days in advance he would re-
turn to Oregon and testify as de-
sired. The requested notice was serv
ed and West returned.
Later West appeared in the Federal
court as witness against Hermann.
On his discharge by the district attor-
ney as a witness West went before
the clerk of the court and claimed
mileage from Portland to Washington
and return, amounting in the aggre-
gate to S365zU. Upon making the re-
quired affidavit, attesting the facts
that he was called back from Wash
ington and that it would be necessary
for him to return to Washington to
the business he was engaged |
in, West received the full amount OF
$36520 in payment of his claim.
Vouchers Tell Tale.
On the day that he collected from |
the government, this money to which |
he was not entitled, he was charged |
by certain Federal officials, who had |
witnessed the incident, with taking |
money to which he was not entitled. |
Two days later he turned into the |
state treasury all but $50 of the |
amount he had accepted from the gov
ernment under an oath which was in |
consistent with the facts in the case. |
The facts are that West did not re-
turn to Washington after returning to
this state to testify in the Hermann |
case. AS matter Of fact, having been |
served with the necessary papers in |
this city, West, who was then res
ident of Salem, was entitled to mile |
age from the government only from |
Salem to Portland and return, which,
with his fees as a witness, would not |
have amounted to more than $11 or
s14.
Records at the State House in Sa-
lem show that West for this identical !
trip charged and collected from the
state $3.50. Vouchers for this amount |
are on file in the office Of the secre- |
tary of state. There are two vouch-
ers, one for the o. r. & N. company |
for a round-trip ticket from Portland |
to Washington, D. c., and the other |
is Vests own voucher for meals, hotel |
bills, etc.
The public business" upon which
West was ostensibly called to Wash
ington, according to the statement in |
his own voucher, was In re Wells |
Fargo & Company rates, old reports
and car demurrage rules"
1t was for these alleged services
that the taxpayers footed the expense |
bills of his trip, yet 1t is known that |
the major portion Of his time was de-
voted to lobbying for the Siletz home
steader's bill and to matters political.
The statement In re Wells-Fargo & |
Co. rates, old reports and car demur-
rage rules" causes state house at
taches who are familiar with the |
game of politics, to |
wink at one another and the whole /
incident is regarded as a huge joke /
in official circles 1t is the prevail |
ing opinion that Vests mission to |
had nothing whatever to
do with the official business Of the
Railroad Commission, but that he sim
ply seized the opportunity to make
the trip at the expense of the taxpay-
ers.
The records show that West at
TEMPTED to double shoot" the game
bv charging and collecting mileage
and expenses from both the state and
the government for the very same
trip. That be was not personally
doubly paid for this service, may be
attributed to the fact that attaches Of
The Federal offices in this city open
" charged West with being graft
y" in that he was seeking to collect
money TO which he had no title from
he government It is very pertinent
10 the situation to note that West
made no pretenses Of turning over to
The state treasury any part Of the
mileage he had Obtained illegally
rom the government until after he
had been called to account by the
government officials for his grasping
ind questionable methods. Even then
he turned over to the state $50 less