Arizona republican., 1913-03-04
BILLIARD TELLS
 OF OFFICE WORK
Attorncy-Gencral in Answer to Resolution of Senate Explains Why Squatters on Tempe Normal Land Were Not Elected

eral George Purdy Bullard is neglect ing the duties of his office for pri- vate practice, made in the senate Sat urday afternoon by C. M. Roberts, are absolutely refuted by General Bulard in q communication addressed to the senate committee on public lands, for warded yesterday.
 The matter came up when Roberts introduced a resolution demanding to know why the attorney general had not proceeded against squatters who are living on d section of land belong ing to the Tempe Normal school. This question is fully explained in General Bulard's letter, which follows:
 Phoenix, AriZ., March 5, 1913. To the Committee on Public Lands of
 the Senate of the First Legislature
 of the State of Arizona.
 Gentlemen: | have this day re ceived q copy of the motion passed by your honorable body relative to the Tempe Normal school lands, which reads as follows:
 T move that the committee on pub lie lands be instructed to ascertain from the attorney general why action has not been brought to secure the | possession, for the Tempe Normal school, of that certain section of land | belonging to said Normal school and | for the possession of which a special act was passed by the last session of l this legislature at the request of the l attorney general"
 After the last session of the legisla- turc adjourned and the law referred l to in your communication had gone l into effect the Normal school board, ] through C. r. Leonard. Esq. applied to 1 this office to take some action against l the settlers who had been upon the 1 school land controlled by the Normal | school Being extremely busy with l other state business at that time, l ] turned the matter over to one of my 1 assistants, who, as soon as he could l obtain the data from MT Leonard, pre- pared for the Normal school board the 1 notices to quit required by law. Sub 1 sequcnty, it was reported to me that l the Normal schooI board and the occu- | pants of the land had arrived at q l tentative agreement under an arrange 1 1 to remain by paying an increased rent | and back rent Just about this time | ten injunction suits were brought 1 against myself and the authorities Of l the state of Arizona. Personally. 1 dropped all other business. private and | state and threw myself into the work of preparing to fight said cases. This 1 office also had upon it's hands at that l time the investigation of the Phoenix Street Railway company. the Pacific Gas & Electric company. and the Tue son Gas X Electric company once l or twice after 1 was given to under stand the case was practically settled ] MT. Leonard informed me that the l settlement was dragging. and I told 1 him to take the matter up with either Mir Carpenter or MT. Hardy, as I was l head-Over- heels in work, which work | was solely the work of the state AS a matter of fact, I was working at that time on an average of fifteen hours a day, and on no other work than that which appertained to the state. Mir l Carpenter and MT Hardy informed me that MT. Leonard did not again bring up the matter to them. Mr Hardy be- came curious and not hearing from MT Leonard again stopped him upon the 1 street and was informed by MT Leon ard that the parties were arriving al an amicable agreement, and that both the Normal school and the settlers desired to avoid any litigation if ar 1 amlcaDle arrangement could be ar rived at or words to that effect
 l would ask this committee to re-
 member that never in the history ol
 the territory, or practically of anH other state, has as much work accu-
 mulated in the office of the attorney
 general as has in the office of the at
 torney general of this state. If youl
 committee desires to have further
 negotiations in this matter dropped
 and suit brought at once, it shall b,
 done.
 Neither l nor any person in my of
 ice has ever been offered or accepted
 or been paid a retainer or fee from the
 Pacific Gas X Electric company, anC
 if any person so informed any mem
 Der of your honorable body they were
 guilty of uttering as deliberate ant
 malicious falsehood. Neither I no1
 any person in my office has ever beer
 offered or accepted or been paid
 retainer or fee by the Phoenix Stree
 Railway company, and any person SC
 alleging to any member of your honor
 able body is guilty of a wilful, delib
 crate and malicious falsehoOd
 Neither l nor any person in my offic,
 has ever been offered, accepted O
 paid any retainer by any public ser
 vice corporation since I have been at torney general. and any person so al
 leging is guilty of a malicious false
 hood; but we have been employed
 in one or two instances, by a pubIi
 service corporation, in no way relate,
 to the ones above mentione; wher i private individuals have brought sui
 Tor damages on account of personal in
 Juries against said corporation Tn
 state was not a party to these suit
 and could not become a party to tn
 same under any possible interpretation
 or construction of the law. The em ploYment was temporary and ende
 with litigation, and our right to ac
 cept this business the most exactin