The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1910-04-12
Entered as second-class matter at the
postofflce at Wenatchee, Wash.
VOTERS WILL TAKE NOTICE.


If shame and indignation does not
possess the mind of the voters of
the state of Washington as a result
of the disclosures of fraud and in
competency with respect to the ad-
ministration of the department of
public lands made by the legislative
investigating committee in it's report
to the governor, then decent govern
ment in the state is impossible.
Having examined some 200 cases in
which fraud was charged, the COM
mittee after citing evidence in some
particular instances to indicate the
extent to which fraud was practiced,
says:
THE cases herein mentioned and
referred to represent sales in differ
ent counties on the west side of the
state, and have been mentioned as
fragrant instances of fraud and in
competency. The looseness and lax
ity of the land laws, the dishonesty,
incompetency and inefficiency of
cruisers, together with other condi-
tons, convince the committee that
the state has been for years system
atically defrauded, and the people
of the state have lost millions of
dollars by the sale of state and tim
Der lands for grossly and ridiculous
ly inadequate consideration. Reliable
cruises that have been made under
our direction disclose that careless,
inaccurate and perhaps dishonest
cruises, heretofore made by state
cruisers. have resulted in the loss
to the state of great amounts OF
money, running into incredible fig
ures."
In the last meeting of the legis-
lature, every effort was used by
those who were implicated in these
frauds, to prevent the enactment of
a measure providing for the crea-
ton of this committee. 1t will be
recalled that Land Commissioner
Ross was one of the most active
agents in the work of attempting
to suppress inquiry into the admin
istration of various departments OF
the state government about which
ugly rumors were floating. He was
the defender of Schively and worked
hand in hand with those interests
throughout the session. His ser
Witty to powerful interests in their
opposition to measures affecting the
public good is now unmasked by the
committees report.
No state in the Union has been
more completely disgraced than has
the state of Washington in the con-
duct of some of its administrative
officers, and only the courage and
tenacity of Governor Hay, backed
by a thoroughly aroused public SEN
timent wrung from a reluctant and
venial faction in the state senate,
the authorization OF this committee
which has disclosed to the people
of the state the extent to which they
have been robbed by incompetent
and dishonest officials for years
past. In the legislature, there Is
body of as high-minded men as can
be found In any legislative body In
the United States, but there is
strong faction whose chief work has
been to block the enactment OF
measures demanded by an intelligent
and to suppress and
checkmate inquiries into official
1t is with pleasure that Chelan
can point to the record OF
Representative Holm as being on
the side of decency and honest gov
eminent.
This fall the people will have an
to elect another legls-
lature or a partial one. 1t goes
without saying that they will not
be fooled to any great extent by
party names. They will vote for
men whom they can trust to do the
work of housekeeping and do 1t
thoroughly. The last vestiges OF the
result of old time machine politics