The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-10-27
AGITATORS ARE STILL
AGITATING.

Hall of the department of public
works in Idaho. A couple of them
went to his office one day and asked
to see the books. On being asked
what they wanted to see they said
they wanted some information about
the financial status of the depart
ment so instead of showing them the
books he gave them a financial re-
port that he had just issued and ex-
planned to them what 1t contained
showing it to them while he explained
and they said that was just what they
wanted and they went away satisfied
A few days later the same men came
back and asked for further informa-
tion and Commissioner Hall spent
about an hour going over parts OF
the books to show the things they
seemed to want to know. Again they
went away satisfied. A few days, later
they came back and asked him to
turn over all the books of the office
to them SO they could make COM
plete audit.
II he had complied with their re-
quest he would have been obliged to
suspend work because the different
persons in the office were using the
different books practically all the
time. He explained to them that this
was asking great deal, that they
would have to discontinue the work
of the department and turn it over
to them and wait until they got
thru as they seemed to be outlining
task that would take an auditor
several days, possibly several weeks.
They were not accredited auditors
for the state, had no right to make
such demand, it would have
hindered the work of the depart
ment and been a waste of the time
and salaries of the people employed
there, so Mr.. Hall told them that if
they wanted to make an examination
of the books they could come at the
close of business hours, that he
would have somebody there to help
them with the work and would give
them as much privilege as they
wanted in that respect, but he would
not turn the books over to them dur
ing the working hours as the en-
ployes were using them. This of
course constituted a refusal of the
request they made, a request they
had no right to make under existing
conditions in that or any other Of
fee, so they went into court and
brought suit asking the court to
issue an order of mandamus COM
polling them to carry out their re-
quest. When the matter was heard in
court the Judge of course declined
to give them the mandamus order
asked for, so now the Idaho Free
Press published by the agitators at
Nampa are raising great hula baloo
about the department of public work
being engaged in graft, about them
refusing to allow people to see the
books and about the court siding in
with the commissioner to conceal
the facts
How would you like to be a pub
lie servant and be bounded by that
kind of cattle?
Are Merely
The same people are also raising
a hullabaloo about the appropria-
lions being exhausted for the main
tenance of the asylums and peniten-
tiary and are holding out the picture
that they may have to be closed at
any time now and the inmates turned
loose upon the public or sent back
homo Because they can not pay cash
without issuing deficiency warrants
for the maintenance of the institu-
lions for the next couple of months
until the legislature meets.
The same thing has happened in
many other administrations in times
of peace when war prices had not
changed conditions and made it
harder to keep within the appropria-
ton. 1t happened during the Alex
ander administration in greater de-
gree than it is happening now. These
agitators, these friends of the Demo-
cratic party did not say anything
about it then. Nobody but these agi-
tators have ever thought of closing
the asylums and penitentiary and
they know when they are talking
about it that nothing of the kind
is going to happen. They are simply
campaign bunk" out of it
to scare the voters who may fall for
that kind of stuff. Think it over and
see If you wish to act upon any sug-
gesti0ns made by any bunch of peo-
pie who would be so unjust in their
attacks on anybody.
These same agitators thru their
press which by the way is the only
kept press" in the state, are saying
that the Republican administration
ARE all upset over the Idaho
Leaders expose" The Republican
party and the Republican administra-
ion are neither upset over the mat
Ter nor are they at all disturbed
over it excepting that the fact that |
here is such a set of men in the |
tate who are willing by deception |
md unfair and unjust attacks upon |