The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1921-03-17
GRAND JURY
RI. -....a-.s
CALLED FOR
COUNTY PROBE
cvfford Charges that There has
Reen Gross Waste of Dis
trict Road Funds.
HRY HAS BEEN SWORN In
ss;rtv Witnesses Have Been Sum-
moned from Hanford and
White Bluffs

For the second time in its history
p.nton county has a grand jury. The
demand for the call of the jury it is
..id was instituted by residents of
p.nford and White Bluffs under the
leadership of j. G. Syfford, former
.ouuty auditor, who charges the coun-
\ commissioners with reckless and il
,eoal expenditures of the public road
funds. IT,. g..
The call for the jury was issued by
! Judee John Truax last Saturday and
those summoned to appear were order
ed to report in Prosser this morning.
The selection of the jury was COM
uleted early this afternoon and the
hodv went into session at 2:15. The
seventeen who will hear the evidence
are. E. R. Wells, Prosser, foreman;
Ben Knox, F. H. Drew, E. C. Howard,
w. C. Sommers, Margaret Danford,
F. E. Blair, d. w. Wagner, A. E..
Taylor, A. C. Rumble, and M. N.
Strandwold, Of Prosser; l.. L. Todd,
Benton City; B. S. Travis, Kiona;
James Kaas, Richland, and c. ]. Dah-
lin, Hover.
While no specific charges have been
made public it is understood for the
most part they are based upon al
legged illegal acts of County Commis-
sioner F. L. Bash and County High
way Engineer w. HI. Wehmeier, of
Hanford. In all about 80 witnesses
have been summoned, all of whom live
in the Hanford- White Bluffs district.
Insofar as the Courier-Reporter has
been able to ascertain no witnesses
have been called from Kennewick and
no specific charges have been filed
against either Commissioner Pratt or
Commissioner French. When asked
concerning the grand jury call Mr..
Pratt said he knew nothing about it
except such information as he had
gained from the columns of the daily
papers.
"The county commissioners have
expended about $15O, 900 year." Mr..
Syfford is quoted as saying, "and /
do not believe they made judicious use
Of more than $25,OOO."
aThey have prevailed upon the coun-
y auditor to permit them to over
draw their allotted funds and have
been spending money with lavish and
reckless hand that must come out OF
tie next fiscal period. Heretofore
tie county commissioners have used
the county engineer as little more than
anbber stamp. They have the power
breduce his salary to $40 month il
they wish, and they have arbitrarily
ordered him to refrain from inspec.
ions and to keep his hands off any
mck crushing plant or road building
activity. They have named special
egineer better suited to their require.
nents at heavy additional salary"
Mr.. Wehmeier, who left last night
Tor Prosser declined to discuss the in
vestigation further than to say that il
IS the result of a personal quarrel be
tween Mr.. Syfford and Commissions
Bash. In this connection it will bt
recalled that for years the two mel
were intimate friends. Several year:
ago Mr.. Syfford was elected commits
noner in the Hanford district. Be
lore his term of office expired he re
signed and upon his recommendation
Mr.. Bash was named as his successor
One of Basins first official acts wa
70 appoint Syfford road supervisor il
ms district and later after the deatl
OF A. E. Verify, Syfford was recon-
mended by Bash and received the ap