The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1915-01-07
PROBE CALLED
Of DEPARTMENT
TSK
Legislature Decides TO lnyesti-
gate State School Land Office
Harrison Amendment
PUBLIC HEARING PROVIDED
House Member Declares Per-
jured Testimony Was Given
at Previous Examination.
PUBLIC HEARING PROVIDED

The house this afternoon adopted g
resolution by Harrison sf Seminole
county calling for an iuyestisstion Of
the state school Land depaamsnt.
There was no opposition 10 the reso-
luton but some amendments were Of.
fered which were adopted.
Representative Ben Harrison Of
Hughes county who was . member Of
the board Of school Land commission
err until he resigned % secretary Of
state offered and secured the sdcp-
tiou Of amendments fer public In
Vestigation and for eiimiDatleu Of the
special expert to assist The committee
which was provided for IN the origin
n rssclutisa.
Harrison Amendment.
The Harrison amendment was that
the state examiner and Inspector shalt
BE- the expert accountant work provided
for In the original resolution and that
the special expert who was to have
been paid 81 a day be eliminated.
The Harrison amendment providing
for public hearings which also was
adopted was offered according to Its
>author in order TO prevent the possi-
bility Of an unfair secret probe. Rep
resentatiye Harrison Of Hughes coun-
" stated that he was satisfied that
perjured testimony was introduced
before the committee two years ago
which probed the state school land d.
partment and that be a. n member OF
the board was asked questions In re
buttal Of other testimony which he
had not even heard,
"No member Of the school land de-
partment objects to thorough probe.
said Mr.. Harrison. The books q the
department are cpen but demand In
the name Of fairness that the hear
ings OF the COMMITTEES. be thrown open
to the public"
A resolution providing thst the
state board Of affAfx3 shall be In
sfrssted N Let the hpunb printing con
tract to company that VIII not farm
Il out 70 concerns that have not sui
ficient equipment 10 do the work
themselves was introduced by Repre-
sentative Tom Hunter OF Hugo. II al
legged that the state had suffered In
the past from the letting Of the print
Ing contracts to firms that were not
fully equipped TO handle the printing
for the legislature and had farmed the
work out to other companies.
The resolution would suggest 10 the
board that II let the contract to only
responsible firms which have full
equipment to do the work.
In support Of the resolution Repre-
sentative Hunter stated that the state
had suffered In the past from letting
the printing contracts to persons who
let out the work TO sub-contractors
mentioning the case Of J. NJ. Rule
who had the 1911 printing
Paul Nesbitt stated that he oppos-
ed tying the hands Of the board Of
affairs, but declared that II should
ue given a free hand. One member
said that no honest board Of affairs
would let the contract under such q
condition.
A motion to suspend the rules and
adopt the resolution today lost and
the consideration OF the resolution
went over until tomorrow.
The board Of public affairs wal
scheduled TO let the house printing
contract this afternoon, but up to Z
llnte hour had not acted.