Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1910-11-03

incidental expenses" The question
naturally arises; Has West not col
lected for these same expense items
from both the. state and the govern
ment.
II is a perfectly logical assumption
that West intended to keep the mile
age and witness fees he obtained i'm.
properly from the government as well
as his mileage and expenses obtained
from the state as Railroad Commits
sioner, but for the fact that he was
caught in the palpable act OF fleec-
ing the government by several officers
of the government and his attention
called to the fact. If it had not been
for this timely discovery, there is no
question but that West would have
kept every cent of the money collected
from the state ana government for
the very same errand. Otherwise, why
did he undertake to square himself
by turning over to the state treasury
any part of the funds he had collected
from the government under what
amounts to a false oath.
So far as Vests claim against the
government is concerned, he was en-
titled only to the collection of mileage
from Salem to Portland and return,
including witness fees and not ex-
ceeding $14. This is true for the rea-
son that the subpoena compelling his
attendance as witness in the Her
mann trial was served on him in Port
land, before he had gone to Washing
ton. That is all he ever was entitled
to from the government. In addition
to making a false oath to get $S65.sO
from the government, West got his
fingers into the state treasury at the
same time by collecting mileage and
expenses for the same trip from the
state in his official capacity as rail-
road commissioner. Only the alert
ness of officials at the Federal build
ing saved to the taxpayers the $S15<20
West actually turned into the state
treasury from the funds he collected
from the government.
AS a matter of fact, If West was
entitled 10 mileage from the govern
ment at all, he was entitled to the
total amount The S365.20 in that
event, was his own personal property
The fact that he turned over $315.20
or any other part of the original
amount to the state amounts to a con-
fession on his part that he did not
at any time valid claim to the
money. Following this unusual
transaction a step further, if West
was not entitled to this money from
the government, then surely the state
should not have received it. 1t was
oI+0ra+bor n fropcaotiOu bofuoop Woct
and the United States government
If he had no legal claims to the money
surely the state did not. It should
have been returned to the same
agency from which 1t was obtained
irregularly. The state had no claim
to it, and the fact that West turned
the money into the state treasury in no
sense minimized his offense against
the government. If West was not en-
titled to the money, then the govern
ment surely was entitled to the funds
for it was from that source the funds
we're distracted improperly and ille-
gally.
The foregoing facts may be sub
stantiated by any person interested
if he will refer to the records in the
Federal court in this city and the of
flee of secretary of state at Salem.
Attempted juggling or misstatement
of facts in this particular instance
will prove futile. Vests paper even
admits that he collected $365.20 from
the government. The fact could not
be denied. The records prove it.
What the public would like to know
is: Was West entitled to the mileage
and fees he collected from the govern
ment, If SO, why did he turn any part
Of it over to the state? Why was not
the money restored to the government
to which it belonged? Why did West
charge against and collect from the
state travel pay and expenses for max
ing the same trip? These are few
questions to which an interested pub
lie would like and is entitled to an in
telligible explanation.