The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1915-10-31
FRANK GAULT
STARTS SUIT
|MORR|[LFUN
FUND WAS RENDERED TO BOARD
BY TREASURER ALEXANDER,
BUT GAULT WANTS TO GET IN
TEREST ALSO.

Oklahoma City, Oct. 30.-"T am MOI
here to be run down by the politica
machine" was the acrd comment oi
President Frank NJ. Gault of the state
board of agriculture, Friday morning
after reading in a morning publica
tion the comments OF State Treasurer
w. L. Alexander relative to the dis
position of the federal Morrill, fund
There was the CLINT of battle in
Gaults eye, when he commented 81
have this day requested the attorney
general to institute mandamus pro
ceedings to compel Alexander to turn
the fund involved over to the treas
urer of the state agricultural board,
C. B. Campbell
"The attorney general has render
ed an opinion" he continued, that
this department is entitled to the
funds under the Morrill, act, and fol-
lowing his advice we have elected
a new treasurer of the board to ac-
cept the fund referred to.
1T is true that the fund was ten
dered to the new treasurer Thursday,
but to remain in the care and custody
of the depository, with interest fig
ured at $296.61.
when figuring the interest on the
daily balances for the four months,
or rs days, that this money has
been in the hands of the depository,
| find that it would amount to $439.96.
| should like to know, therefore, what
has become of the remainder of the
interest due on the fund.
"Mr. Alexander says that he sees
no reason why the school children OF
this state should be deprived of the
interest at the regular rate on this
fund during the time that it has been
in his hands. Neither do | see any
reason why the state treasurer, act
ing as depository, should not be
amenable to the rules and regulations
as laid down under the law by the
attorney general of this state.
Nor do ! understand why it was
necessary for the state examiner and
inspectors office to send Homer Ham,
monds to Washington in an attempt to
procure this money for the deposit
ory department. or why, when he
failed, Fred Parkinson himself made
a trip to Washington for the purpose
of requesting that the money be
placed in the state depository.
"As a matter of fact, | do know
why the Morrill, money, which is a
federal fund, should not be placed in
a national bank that is under bond
as a federal depository.
'1n our department we propose to
follow the law as it is Indicated or
by the attorney gen 'ral
of the state and disburse the fund
under the direction of the secretary
of the interior and secretary &c the |
federal board of agriculture at Wash. |
ington, d. c., and render an account. |
ing to them for it in the future as
we have in the past.
"Our books have been checked |
twice year, and the state treasurer
should be given to understand that
the board of agriculture and the treas
urer of the board are held respon-
sible for the safe keeping and dis
bursement of the fund. |
The salaries of the teachers of the
agricultural schools are four months
past due, and still the disposition of
this fund is held up on a technicality.
and arbitrary acts in violation of the
aw as construed by the attorney gen.
eral of the state How much longer
t will take to jar the fund loose re-
mains to be seen.
"The fact that state officials, draw
ng salaries from the state treasury,
20 and come at will to Washington
It the states expense when it is not
necessary, as every letter from the
ederal department indicates that the
money must be handled by the state
BOARD OF agriculture, should be de-
,idedly interesting to the taxpayers.
Now we are going into the courts
o have this matter settled once and
or ALL"