The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1919-02-25
CHARGE ALEXANDER AND
MOODY M|SUSED STATE FUNDS

E.-Recommending the trial
of former state officials for the il
legal and criminal use of state funds,
and mentioning in connection there
with Moses Alexander, former gov
ernor and Representative C. S. Moody
former adjutant general, the special
investigating committee of the legis-
lature filed it's report with the legis-
lature today. Both the house and
senate adopted the finding on a strict
party vote. A minority report was
filed by Representative Goff, demo-
crat, in which he exonerated the state
officials, declaring they were within
their rights in creating the expenses
they did, as the country was at war
and an emergency existed.
Representative Moody was denied
the right to answer the charges
Thursday in the senate. He denied
and answered them in the house this
afternoon Immediately after the re-
port was read. Moody charged the
committee had been unfair in it's in
vestigation and that it had not per-
mitted him to see the documents in
troduced or to be represented by
counsel.
Need Was Urgent.
"We were at war;" said Moody.
"The Germans were advancing to-
ward Paris. The nation was crying
out for men. Idaho was trying to
supply its share. You of the major
ity would never have dared to make
a report criticizing the expenditure of
needed funds then. If you had you
would have been branded as slack
ers and driven from the borders Of
Idaho and you know it. did not get
one dollar l was not entitled to, and
you can't prove that did. l did net
spend one dollar that was not ap-
proved by the state board of examin-
ers and | challenge you to prove that
l did,"
The report is a voluminous one and
takes up numerous items including
travelling expenses, the sale of a
typewriter for $3.50, automobile ex-
pense for 1888 which Moody charged
to the state and which he claims was
necessary to attend to his draft duties.
1t charges Moody travelled 81,927
miles in performance of his duties,
which is held to be ian exhibition of
virile activity, which, while doubtless
the subject of admiring wonder when
displayed by globe trotter, is devoid
of much of its attractiveness when
viewed and considered from the stand
point of the poor and overburdened
taxpayer"
Ask Speedy Investigation.
Concluding the report says: "Con-
cluding our report we feel, from a
fair consideration of the whole rec
ord, that there has been gross, wan
ton and criminal disregard of the
sanctity of the public funds of the
state; that Mr.. Moody and ex-Gover-
nor Moses Alexander took advantage
of war conditions upon the ground,
apparently, that the people would
any extravagant and illegal
expenditure of the public funds upon
their statements of military neces-
sity; that the funds appropriated to
the adjutant generals office were
largely expended to serve the politi-
cal, selfish and personal purposes of
Mr.. Moody and Ex-Governor Alexan-
der, and we feel it incumbent upon us
IN order to create proper regard for
the public funds of the state, to rec
that thorough and search
ing investigation should be made by
the attorney general and the prose-
cutting attorney of Ada county to the
end that those responsible for wanton,
Illegal and criminal use of the funds
n the adjutant generals office may
De brought to trial and that the people
IF the state of Idaho may be fully ad-
gised as to the conduct of it's public
officials during the years 1917 and
1913; and we recommend that the at
,orney general and prosecuting attor-
ley of Ada county make such investi-
cation that the people may be speed
ly advised of these conditions and
he responsibility for the criminal use
# the public funds be properly
placed"