Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1910-05-02
Those Land FRAUDS
STATE SCHOOLS ROBBED OF MIL.
lions OF DOLLARS.
The Third Article From the Spokane
SpOkeSman-Review, Telling How
the State Was Robbed of NiiliOnS
of Dollars Worth of Timber Land.
Wanted...A Henev.

In the closing days at Olympia of
the session of 1909 desperate oppo-
sition developed against investiga-
ton of the offices of State Land
Commissioner Ross, Secretary of
State Nichols and Insurance Com
missioner Schively. The people sur
misd then that the scent must be
pretty hot. That surmise deepens
now into conviction since the legis-
lative committee has made its as
founding report to Governor Hay.
At one time it seemed that the
forces of evil had triumphed and that
all the shady transactions that are
now barred to the light of day would
be kept under cover. On March g.,
81 senators lined up against the in
vestigation, just enough to defeat it..
Commenting then on this greivous
disappointment The Spokesman-Re-
view said:
THE fact will not be forgotten
by the voters here three Spokane
county senator's, Graves, Huxtable
and Whitney, lined up with the shift
ty gang that defeated an investiga-
ton
Under the leadership of Governor
vestigation rallied again to the
charge, and public sentiment, being
now thoroughly aroused by the gov
ernor's threat to continue the legis-
latur indefinitely in session until it
performed it's duty, enough members
were won over to the side of decen-
cy and justice to order an investi-
cation. The results of that investi-
Cation are now before the public in
the cOmmitteee's official report.
A fair sample of the methods en-
ployed to grab the states valuable
lands is had in the deal by which
the south half of section 36. town
ship 13 north, range l west, was
passed to private ownership.
Applications to purchase that valu-
able tract were filed with the COM
missioner of public lands in April,
1906 and w. II. Kenoyer was as
signed to inspect and report on the
land. This unfaithful employe re-
ported that it was brush land"
with no timber of value, and he
placed a valuation of $4,000 on the
half section. The board of land COM
missioners appraised it at the same
figure and it was sold to the appli-
cants at the appraised valuation.
The attention of the investigating
committee was directed to the fact
that this land carried very consld-
erable quantity of timber, and Frank
A. Manning, sent by the committee
to cruise it, found over 100000
feet of timber on the half section
This SALE" says the committees re-
port, was absolutely contrary to the
! law of 1901 governing the sale OF
state lands and the timber on the
same. The attorney general has in
+, stituted suit to set aside the sale and
| the case is now pending in the courts
of Lewis county"
The committee declares that "this
half section is worth from $4,000
to $15,OOO." The state got $4,000.
Scores of similar frauds were un-
covered by the committee, although
the report declares that the investi-
gators We're only able, within the
! limited time and means at their CON-
nand, to make a fair beginning ol
the stupendous work of uncOverine
the thefts of years.
The committee was staggered by
the magnitude of the frauds and the
boldness of the consipartors, and un-
animously agreed that in the aggre-
gate the losses suffered by the state
will mount high into the millions
The people owe debt of graft
tude to Governor Hay and those men,
bers of the legislature who forced
this investigation, and the need now
is a Heney-a prosecutor of bulldog
tenacity, who, animated by a high
sense of scorn and indignation, will
scourge the rascals behind prison
bars-Spokane Spokesman-Review-
(rep.)