The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1915-01-26
REPORT FILED
SOUTH DAKOTA LEGISLATIVE
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS
PROSECUTION OF FOR
MER OFFICIALS.

Pierre, Jan. 26.--The report of
the 1918 legislative investigating
committee was filed with Gov. Frank
NJ. Byrne. The committee consists of
Alan Bogue, jr., Walter Cheever and
r.. f. Lyons.
Cutting the melon" in the land
department Is criticized. By long
continued custom the commissioner
had divided the unexpended appro-
priation among the clerks at the end
Of the year. Employment of George
A. Roskie as forester and Frank p.
Glassner as field clerk, in which ca
pacity the latter largely waged his
campaign for secretary OF state, M
mediately after each had been :
member of the 1911 session., is con-
demned. The committee thinks the
office might well spare one clerk and
the forestry department one forester.
A legislative appropriation is rec
commended to prosecute further for
mer for interest or state
money. These sums were found to
be: John Schamber, $41,612.90; c.
B. Collins, ~s51,468.54; Kirk G. Phil
lips, first term, $25,395.70. and sec
ond term, $~26,496.30; C. H. Cassil,
$50, 900.
Hans Ustrud's famous educational
department automobile was found to
have cost originally $400, 1925 of
which was enormously taken from
| the reading circle fund. After slight
use ii was stored in a Sioux Falls
| garage, where the keep has sold II
piecemeal to pay repair and storage
charges.
The practice of clerks in the secre-
tary of states office to work some
side line, as selling lists of automo-
| bile owners and new interpretations,
is condemned. A $40 fee for the
| charter of the Farmers State bank al
Unityville was found u~naccounted
for. The executive accountant had
found a discrepancy of 500 in AS
sistant Secretary John T. Nelson's
and $485 in Assistant e. A. Platt's
accounts, both of which were due to
oversights. The practice of taking
money out of the cash box and plac-
ing slips therein to be held against
| salaries at the end of the month is
| called unbusinesslike.
The alleged excessive travel ex-
pense Of the attorney generals office
was found to be erroneous. The con
stitutionaI $1,000 a year salary paid
the attorney general is characterized
AS a shame to the state, and a recon-
mendation is made that ii be increas-
ed to $4,000.
The allegations that the Spearfsf
normal school football team was
drawing on the state treasury for ex.
penses is explained by the fact thai
some $500 of private subscription
athletic funds had been turned int
the state treasury, S348.95 of which
Is still there. An appropriation i
recommended to return these funds
to their rightful owners.
The majority of complaints as t.
the soldiers home are characterized
as those of peevish old men. How.
ever, the committee ascertained that
many discharges from the nationa'
| sanatorium, residents OF other states
send for their wives, establish a lega'
residence in one Of the southwestern
counties of the state and immediate
~ petition and are received into the
state home. Preventive legislation Is
asked.
DR.. Lane of Miller had ALLEGED
that DR.. o. N. Hoyt of Pierre had Of.
fered members of the state board Of
health portions of the salary If they
would honor him with the presi-
dency. The committee used every
means, including a visit to Miller. to
get DIR. Lane to testify, but with nc
success. Various Sioux Falls real es-
tate firms said there was graft In the
purchase of the penitentiary farm
but likewise would not swear ia
their assertions.