The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1915-04-08
.HEPPERLEE TARGET
FOR GRAVECHARCES
BY FORMER DEPUTY
N. M. Hanson, Retiring
From Land Depart
ment, Writes.
LAND TOO CHEAP
Declares 5000 Acres Were
Sold in Hepperlee's Coun-
ty at Less Than Worth.

Pierre, S. On. M. Hanson, re-
firing deputy in the state land de-
partmcnt is out with an open letter
IN which he charges Commissioner
~Hcpperlec with misuse of state funds
TO ms own advantage and the tax
ing advantage of his position to help
out his family. relatives and friends.
He claiming that the commissioner
placed his son in the department as
a clerk, that he is keeping a relative
on the pay roll as a forest ranger.
and that he made sales of lands i'm
MCPHERSON county at low prices, that
Delhg his old home county. and fore
ed. offerings in other counties where
no sales We're made of any note as
an excuse for the Offering in Nc
Pherson when there was really no
market for land.
He is also bitter in regard to Gov
ernor Byrne, whom he charges with
being responsible for the dropping
OF Hanson from the department, and
makes charges as to what the intcn-
tons of the governor are i'm asking
for the creation of new boards and
increased salaries.
The letter goes into details of af-
fairs in the department generally as
to the management, and the forts
of the Hepperlee to secur an in
crease in salary through the last leg
~islative session in the bill giving each
of the state officers a monthly ex-
pense allowance of fifty dollars.
He closes with a statement that
Governor Byrne is politically dead
and that he will never be United
cial position within the gift of tho
state, regardless of any efforts he
may put forth toward. that end.
Mr.. Hanson says in part;
Did Heppeilec Pay 81 900?
'''In 1908. when Mr.. Hepperlee was
a candidate for state treasurer his
spokesman openly .boasted that ii
given the endorsement he would put
1000 or more into the campaign
fund If necessary. This no doubt
gave the governor his tip.
"Mr. Hepperlee did not, personal
ly seek the appointment as land COM
missioner and he should not be cri-
ticiscd too severely for accepting it
when rendered to him. He had been
successful in Il small way selling
socks and overalls to his own people.
and knowing nothing about the state
land department, he was not pre-
sumed to know that by temperament
education and training he vas posi-
lively incapable of g%rasping its vast
and intricate problems. He has put
in more hours at his desk than any
of his predecessors cver did. and that
is his only standard of estimating a
mans value to the state. He does not
realize that the mind of the head of
that department should be occupied
with matters of more Importance
than answering telephone calls, and
caring for routine and detail cor
respondence relating to %trespass
cases and other unimportant matters.
nor can he comprehend that fact that
he cannot successfully build roads
and fences by correspondence.
"In cne instance, II one instance
only, during the recent session OF
the legislature he called the entire
office force into his private office
and stated that while he had never
before asked the. clerical force 10 do
any lobbying, there was now a meas
ure OF such vast Importance pending
that he wished each nne OF rs to
use his best efforts toward securing
it's enactment. The bill which spur
red him to such heroic efforts was the
one providing $50 per month as add
tional salary or allowance for him
self.
Relatives on Payroll. -.
"Mr. Hepprlee has carried the prac
tice of nepotism TO the limit One oil
the forest rangers has absolutely
nothing to recommend him for that
position except that he married Mr..
Hepperlee's sister. He openly boasts
that he will be we'll cared for as he
owes Mr.. Heperlee considerable mon
ey. His salary was raised twice
within a year, and is for
another 500 raise on the first OF
July. He could be dispensed with en-
tirely without any loss to the Tor
lest service.
ON 1913 Mr.. Hepperlee had two
of his own boys working on the state
game preserve fence while out OF
school during the summer vacation,
and paid them and several other
school boys the same salary as was
mid men familiar with that kind OF
work, and necessarily greatly IN
creased the cost of the fence.
"On July i, 1914. he started the
older of the two boys. still a minor.
to work in the office at a salary OF
$40 PER month, paying him out OF
the funds which were appropriated
by the 1913 session for an increase
in the salary of other employees.
Mr.. Hepperlee admitted to me he
retained sos per month out of this
allowing the boy SIS. Did he thus
in spirit if not in letter violate two
laws That is. did he or did he Q
use the funds for some other purpose
than that for which they were APP
propriated. and did he or did he not
draw a double salary or other per-
quisites?'
THE boy resented having to work
Efcr.$I5 per- month and devoted con-
(. Ii - ~ ~. -,N -, tho NNtnn