The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1913-01-02
eENATE C0MMIT1EE
uLWhIL UUITIIVIItiLI
CANNOT AGREE
Difference of Opinion of Members
Shown in Various Ways--Probe
is Continued.

Oklahoma City, Jan. THAT the
senatorial investigating committee
will work right UP to the reconvention
of the senate, one day before the reg
ular session, Monday, January 6, and
then present split" report of its
investigation now appears probable.
Chance remarks let drop by one or
Cwo members of the committee indi-
cate considerable difference of opinion
already brewing among the seven SEN
ators who have been conducting the
probe, and it is understood that this
difference affects several of the pre-
liminary findings the committee is
making as various points in the in
v stigation are passed.
The first vote in committee which
might show how the wind blows came
Wednesday afternoon over the ques-
ton of allowing Assistant State Game
Warden Don G. Lawhead to answer
a query as to what he knew of alleged
"crookedness' in the state printing de-
partment.
Mr.. Lawhead had just stated, in SUBJ
stance, that as assistant to the state
game warden, he had ignored the state
printing department as much as pos
sible because he wanted the printing
affairs of his Office kept clean.
Split on Question.
'I wish you would tell this commit
tee" said Senator Mcintosh, who was
cross-examining what you know Of
crookedness in the state printing de-
partment?"
Senator Carpenter at once objected
to the question. The state printing
department was not being probed, he
said, in brief, and the senate COM
mittee should not burden the records
with such irreyelant matter. The leg
islature probably would investigate
that Office in due time, anyhow, he
believed.
Senator Echols, seconded Senator
Carpenters objection on the same
grounds He too indicated the legis-
lature would investigate the state prin-
ter's Office in due time. 81 would be
only too glad to go into it now" con-
cluded the senator, "but I do not
think it is part of the committees
business. "
Senator Mcintosh urged that any
thing which would mitigate the re-
fusal of the game wardens Office to
pass its printing out through the usual
channels should be allowed.
Four Favor Testimony.
Upon vote, Senator Echols, Carpen-
ter and Barefoot were against the ques-
tion being asked Mr.. Lawhead; Sena-
tors Thomas, Mcintosh, Jones and
Franklin were for it.
But when the lid on what appeared
to be a sensation was lifted by Mr..
Lawhead answering as to what he
knew OF the alleged "crookedness," it
developed he was not referring to any
thing in the way of criminality or
graft, but to the fact, he stated, that
the printing department was unfair in
letting printing contracts. To sub
stantiate this, he introduced into the
records three requisitions for printing
synopses of the game laws, each for
the same kind of work, he said One
of these, he said, the printing depart
ment let to the Shawnee News-Herald
Victor Harlow's paper then, for
$22440; another to the Anadarko
American for $142; and the third, to
quote the witness, to poor little
country newspaper, the Waynoka Dem
ocrat, for $500" This, he said, was
unfair discrimination, and was what
he meant by "crookedness"
The fact is, as has been plainly
shown during the investigation, there
are serious disputes between various
departments, possibly two or three of
these and the references to such make
up some of the most interesting fea-
lures of the senatorial investigation.
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