The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1914-09-24

land board to Allen demanding thu
payment of interest on the loan tha'
has been secured by the alleged "dum
lows:
In 1912 Lewis w. Ensign Of thi:
city who wrote Aliens official bono
as well as other bonds of state Off
Gals and George B. Wood also CT this
city made application and borrowed
from the public school funds of the
state two loans of $4,000 and $500 re-
spectively. They made swoln aft
davits they were the Owenrs CT the
lard constituting GAO acres in Blaine
and Gilmore counties which they val
ued at $29,71O and wanted the money
to improve it. They are the alleged
dummies" and had made arrange
ments to buy the same land for $3.50
an acre and later did buy it for that
price, or $4,000 for the GAO acres.
They did not own the land when they
made the sworn affdavits they did,
| it is alleged. The state appraised
the same land for which they paid
$3.50 as worth $40 an acre
Interest Unpaid
In 1918 the present land board paid
the money over to Ensign and Woods
taking their notes, and on the same
day the money was paid, they decided
the property to the Boise Investment
company of which State Treasurer
Allen was president and his deputy
Fred Coleman and c.. L. Swormstedt
of the secretary of states department,
were the other members. Under date
of December 49, 1913, Register Jen-
ness Of the state land board sent in
terest notices to State Treasurer Al
len as president of the Boise Invest
ment company calling on him to pay
the accrued interest on the Ensign
and Wood notes amounting up to date
to $S3197, not cent of which has
been paid although long overdue. The
land on which the money was bor-
rowed for improvements and on which
besides the notes the state took
mortgage became delinquent in taxes
and was sold for delinquent taxes so
that in order to redeem it the state
must pay the taxes and all attached
penalties. Van Deusen further chars-
ed that A. d. Watkins of Hill City
was one Of the appraisers of the land
and that Coleman had tried to get
him to appraise the land at $50 per
acre but he refused Later he ap-
praised it at $40 per acre. The law
permits loan on land to only one
third of the value but the transac-
ton shows Allen secured lean of
$4,000 from the public school funds or
the full amount paid by the alleged
dummies" for the land Van Deu-
sen further charged that Watkins was
in the saloon business in partnership
with Coleman and Swormstedt, both |
state employees at Hill City.
Explanation Offered
From reliable sources it is learned
hat when the state treasurer ap-
pcared before the committee to ans
Wer the charge he gave a long ex-
PLANTATION Of the transaction which |
was not altogether satisfactory. II
developed after the explanation the
interest on the loan long overdue has
let been paid although demands had
'een made for its payment.
While ION the carpet the state
treasurer was questioned and cross
Questioned by members of the COM
nittee. Allen is said to have finally
lsreed to clear up the loan and in
crest matter within a short time. 1t
claimed it was clearly intimated
o him that he could either do this
n resign from the ticket or run the
nance of being repudiated. Reports
onflict about the session both be-
ore the state treasurers appearance
nd afterwards. One says it was a
Gated one and the lie was passed in
ne instance, while others are to the
fleet it was comparatively mild
'apital News.
Phone 355, Mcvicar, regarding hour
Or dancing lessons. Class and pri.
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