Weekly journal-miner., 1919-01-22
GOV. HUNT MADE MERRY WITH THE
 STATES CASH
GEORGE AND LOUIE HAD SOME WONDERFUL TRIPS ABOUT COUNTRY AND. MADE STATE PONY UP FOR THEIR JUNKETING.
Especial to JournaI-Miner)

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 Governor Hunt, in company with military geniuses of the Louie Low enthal stripe junkered about the country on trips from Phoenix to the Mexican border in Texas and from Phoenix nearly to the Atlantic sea board, how this was accomplished at the expense of the people of Arizona while ostensibly on official business for the Arizona Council of Defense, how the expense money to the tune of over $500 was forthcoming through the simple expedient of Hunt approving his own and com panions unaudited claims is the amazing story revealed today in probe conducted by the Tucson Git izen.
 The details of this story are taken from documents in the office of State Auditor Jesse L. Boyce and of the state headquarters of the Council of Defense. No eInbellishinent is need led Here are the hard, cold, brazen facts, unvarnisned and uncolored, taken direct from official records.
 Cancelled warrants No, 3,881 and 3.882 in the records of the state ,au- ditor show that on November 20, 1918, there was paid out of the treas ury of the State of Arizona two amounts of $l6O50 each. These war rants show that the money was used by George w. P. Hunt and Louis | w. Lowenthal for an official trip to Laredo. Tex to attend the first Pan-American Labor conference called by Secretary of Labor Will
 son" Hunt received the total amount of the warrants as that of Captain 1 iLowenthal was assigned to Hunt. These documents show on their face that the total of $32l was charged against the Council of Defense allot
 nent of funds from the general fund. | The Lowenthal warrant shows that he travelled as aide to the governor. But the strangest notation of all per haps IS that which shows that Hunt approved both claims, ill other words that he acted as his own auditor in the use of public funds, though tech nically perhaps the auditor of state may have been considered to have passed on the claims for both war rants are countersigned by him. Each of these claims is itenlized to show mileage of 1,205 miles at 10 cents mile and $ a day for expenses for eight days. Both warrants are sworn to before A. B. Welch, a mo- tary public, as being just and correct. On December 21, 1918 on Warrant No. 4812 there was paid from the Council of Defense fund the sum of $345 to one, Francis E. Shine of Bis bee. This was for an alleged official trip to Washington, D. C., and An napoliS, Md. This claim was as were the others mentioned above, approv ed by Hunt as governor of Arizona and ex-officio chairman of the Council of Defense. It appears from the warrant that Dr. Shine went Gas medical attendant to the governor of Arizona and as chairman for the Arizona medical section of the Coun- cil of National Defense and attend ing the conference of army doctors at Washington, D. C., for the pur- pose of planning medical rehabilita- ton of returning wounded soldiers. 1 The mileage is given at 2,750 miles, figured at 10 cents a mile and the extra allowance of $ day for trav- cling expenses for 14 days is also claimed, bringing the total to $345. 1
 Warrant No. AVG paid December 24 shows the payment from Council of Defense funds of $345 for the trav- cling expenses of Louis w. Lowen- thai to Washington and Annapolis as military aide to the governor of Ari- zona and ex-officio chairman of the | Arizona Council of Defense, and for the purpose of attending confer encc of governor at Annapolis and f conferring with the Council of Ma tional Defense and war and navy de partmcnt officials in Washington and [ Annapolis on state, military and Council of Defense postwar rcor- ganization. The total claim is made up of two items ono of 2,71O miles at 10 cents per mile and the other $ a day travelling expenses for IA days. This claim was duly sworn before a notary public
 Warrant No. AVS shows payment from the Council of Defense fund of $345 for the expenses of Hunt to at tend the Annapolis conference of governors and for the purpose of conferring with cabinet officers and National Council of Defense officials in relation to state and Council of Defense activities in postwar con struction work. This claim as were the others were endorsed and ap proved by Hunt as ex-officio chair man of the Council of Defense.
 So much for the documents. What do they show?
 First-That Hunt and Lowenthal wanted to travel
 Second-That the governors con tingency fund was 50 well nigh ex- hausted by previous expenditures