Weekly journal-miner. [volume] (Prescott, Ariz.) 1908-1929, 1913-03-19
SPECIAL MESSAGE
TO LEGISLATURE
In Which Governor Hunt Declares He
Will Ignore the Law Requiring Bids
For State Supplies.
Special to the Journal-Min-r.

Hunts defense 10 inc Cidl &c tiiat
he violated the law in the purchase
of supplies for State institutions
without advertising for bids for the
same as required by statute, is con-
tanned in the special message he
sent to the legislature last We'd
nesday, the text of which is as fol-
lows:
To the Senate and House of Re
representatives.,
First. Legislature of the State of
Arizona.
Gentlemen:
There has come to my attention
report submitted to the House
of Representatives, under date of
the 9Th inst, by the committee on
State institutions and public ex-
penditures 1t purports to be a
report on the report of the Board
of Control, for the fiscal year ended
June 80, 1912, but, practically ig-
noring that report, in reality con-
stitutes, as its authors designed,
an assault upon myself, and an ar
raignment of the manner in which
the business of the State. during
my administration has been con-
Quoted. Distasteful as it is to me
TO give attention to attacks of this
character species of warfare gen
orally left to the questionable acti-
vities of maIevolent political foes
deem it proper, in justice to the
members of the Legislature who
may wish to be correctly informed,
30 make reply to the accusations.
At once the most cunning, the
most insidious and the most SER
ious charge incorporated in the re-
port, is that supplies have been
purchased from time to time by
the Board of Control OF which the
Governor is chairman, from the
Old Dominion Commercial Company
of Globe. These were for the
prison, asylum and industrial school,
and during this entire period the
Governor was president and secre-
tary of the corporation"
The law prohibits officer OF the
State from being interested in any
contract made by them in their
official capacity Is quoted, the pen
alties set forth, and the suggestion
made inferentially that may be
held responsible for criminal If
Irregularities.
Passing that phase of the ques-
ton with the assurance that | shall
be only too happy to make legal
answer to any charges that may
be preferred, while regretting that
the law is inadequate, in the pres
ent case, to hold the instigators
thereof responsible for their ut
terances, will briefly recite the
circumstances, that you may judge |
fairly, from an ethical standpoint
OF the merit of the accusation.
The purchases stated to have been
made for the prison, from the Old |
Dominion Commercial Company of
Globe, in which concern I held a !
considerable interest, were not for
8he prison at all, as the committee |
might have determined. had its time |
not been so limited. They were
neither made for the State, paid !
FOR by the State-except as it ad- |
vanced the money, to be later reim-
bursed-or purchased under any law
of the State relating to purchases
or contracts. They were not au-
thorized by the Board of Control,
of which l am a member, nor made
at my instance, direction or sug-
gestion, direct or implied, as the
officers who were charged with the
duty of making the purchases can
and will readily verify They con-
sisted of supplies purchased for the
maintenance of the Globe-Ray con
vict road camp, under an arrange
Inent with ella county, whereby the
county was and is to pay all the
expense, less the regular per capita
cost of the maintenance of con-
victs at the prison. The purchases
therefore were not made for the
prison, nor was the prison affect
ed. directly or indirectly, adver-
sely or favorably, one cent. Meth
or were the officials of the State
OF any thereof except as they
would naturally wish to see the
interests of ella or any other county
properly safeguarded, concerned in
the transactions, with whom they
might be consummated or at what