Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1919-07-02
HOMESTEAD R0MR
proved BOOMERANG
INVESTIGATION BY RETRENCH.
MENT AND REFORM COMMIT.
TEE HELD AT DES MONIES.
MANY WITNESSES ARE EXAMINED
Iowa Homestead's Malicious Dope Not
Fathered BY Pierce But By Con.
ceited College Assistant.
(By G. L. Caswell.)
Des Noines lime 81

SSiSu SuhAStS AooAcNs""
(By G. L. Caswell)
Des Moines, June q, 1919
Investigation by the Retrenchment
and Reform Committee of the Iowa
House and Senate of the doings OF
the Panama. Pacific International Ex.
position at San Francisco in 1915 has
resulted in several very importan,
conclusions to most of those hearing
the testimony given at Des Moines
this week. Among these conclu-
sions are:
That the charges OF the Iowa Home.
stead that funds provided by the
state appropriation Of $75.OOO for this
exposition were grossly misused II
not actually stolen by members OF the
commission were unwarranted.
That In fact $4,000 OF the funds
provided were not used at all by the
Commission.
That every effort was made by the
competent young lady bOOkkeeper In
charge to have receipts and vouchers
for every expenditure, under direct.
ton Of the secretary.
That five separate reports were
made by the commission to the state
executive council as required by the
act providing for the appropriation,
with all the vouchers Obtainable.
That the state executive council
was in fact dereEct in requiring and
auditing such reports and vouchers
and had left the final report without
approval for the past two years.
That James NJ. Pierce has not writ:
ten anything for the Iowa Homestead
himself for ten years, but has relied
entirely upon assistants, among whom
was Austin Haines, young Harvard
college man who knows no more
about farming than any other Iowa
city boy.
That said Austin Haines admitted
In his testimony that he had no proOl
OF fraud or dishonesty Of either Wood
worth Clum, the Commission secre
tary. or any member OF the Expo
sition Commission, but based hi
charges or insinuati0ns Of fraud upOl
the reports filed and made no further
investigation OF the charges preferred
since the filing Of the fifth and fina
report Of the Commission.
That Jas. NJ. Pierce had made NJ
Investigation of the facts alleged II
the charges made In the Homestead
Whatever, but relied altogether upOI
the statements made by Mr.. Haine'
In the matter.
That the furniture and material'
contained In the Panama.Jacific Ex
position building at San Francisc'
were returned to Iowa as completed!
as possible after the exposition wa'
over, and that the alleged second
hand typewriter paid for by the Com
mission was q new typewriter and hai
been admitted now being In the for
mer Office OF the Commission at Clin
ton.
That, in fact, members Of th'
Greater Iowa Association and thou
sand contributors to the exposition
biudlng or guarantee fund paid hal
Of Woodwork Clum's salary and alst
for most of the furniture used In th'
building, along with many other ex
penses not charged to the state.
That one item Of $45 paid to r. E
Bales for assistance In the publicity
and promotion work OF the exposition
Is about the only questionable trans
kction exposed in the three.day ses'
sion Of the X. 6 r. Committee II
this hearing.
That ever these insignificant mat
ters prominent Iowa men have beer
slandered and abused publicity fol
having performed a great service tG
the state In most liberal manner
and almost without any compepsa'
tion-even expenses in some cases.
Conducting the Investigation.
1t is hardly likely that the Iowa
Homestead will in the future be sc
persistent or emphatic in demanding
investigations and examinations OF
state affairs on evidence it pretends
to have showing rottenness and fraud
of all sorts.
For two years the Homestead has
been attacking the Greater Iowa
Committee and the Pacific
Exposition Commission having in
charge the affairs of the states ex-
hibit at San Francisco, claiming es.
pecially that Woodwork Clum, Sec
retary of both organizations, had been
guilty of graft" in connection there
with and that he had used certain
amounts of the states money for pri-
vate purposes. In its conceit it bonn
barded the last legislature every week
with circulars or open letters, pur-
ported to have been signed sby Jas
NJ. Pierce, publisher of the Home
stead, charging that the Commission
had not made reports as required by
the law showing the use of the $75,-
900 fund provided by the state for
this San Francisco exhibit, and ION
behalf of the farmers" demanded this
investigation be made on six counts
it alleged where there was irregular
ity and fraud and graft.
Ten members of the Retrenchment
and Reform Committee. composed of
Senators Kimball, chairman; Foskett,
Wilson, White and Stevenson, and
Representatives Wichman, Finley,
Harrington, Rogers and O'Donell,
met at the state capitol building
Tuesday. June oath, ready to hear