The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1934-01-18

case to determine what the law is in
this particular
2. Payment of salaries and alleged
disposition on the part of the board
of examiners to maintain salaries at
the former level irrespective of reduced
appropriations" We find, in many in
Stances the committee said they
have disregarded the will of the last
legislature TO reduce expenditures Our
findings are based on evidence pre-
sented by the departments and The
testimony of Mr. Cooney and Mr..
MITCHELL
Rrandiord's Schedule.
when Mr.. Brandjord, commissioner
of lands, set up a reduced salary sched-
zule, which would have enabled him to
live within his appropriation, the board
OF land commissioners, composed of the
governor, the secretary of state, the at
torney general, the superintendent OF
public instruction, by motion directed
that these salaries remain unchanged,
and on July %, the board Of examiners
considered and approved such salary
schedule The report in this respect
also added that men were selected or
the scale department of the department
of agriculture "other than by The COM
missioner of agriculture and placed
upon the payroll at arbitrary salaries
set by the governor, and that the
payment of one months salary to three
men was authorized when they had no
work to perform
Mr. Mitchell, when the matter OF
reducing salaries was taken I'D with
him said, There will be no reduction
in salaries
We censure such actions by the
board, who have shown utter disregard
of the appropriations set up by the last
assembly, the report added with refer
ence % salaries.
3 Miscellaneous Relating to activities
Of state scale inspector:
In the summer Of 1883 a deputy
Inspector of weights and measures
while visiting Kalspell inspected a
store at that point. He reported to his
superior that packaged goods were
short in weight although the scales
were perfect. Later after the stu
alton had not been corrected complaint
was filed against him in Justice court
and warrant issued. On he succeed
ing Monday Governor Cooney called
the superior officer and told him to
dismiss the charge or quit his job This
man instead came to Helena and ex-
planned the situation to the governor
but was told by the governor to dismiss
the case or lose his position whereupon
the case was dismissed"
Under the evidence there can be no
question that a crime was committed
SO we are confronted with an out and
out interference by the executive head
of our state government. In explana-
ton the governor told your committee
he did not think this state agent had
a right to arrest on such trivial mat
or's authority was questionable No de-
nial was made of the statement that he
ordered the state agent to dismiss The
complaint or lose his Job"
4 Relating to possible interest Of the
governor in state purchases THE testi-
mony does not show any present fl
Inancial interest Of the governor in the
Cooney BROKERAGE company of Butte
In December, 1888, the company re-
signed all of its liquor brokerage con-
tracts. The large portion of liquor pur-
chased by the liquor control board has
been from the Glenmore distillery
which the company formerly represent
ed as broker, the present broker being
Mr. Haines of Missoula."
Travel Claims.
S. Travel and expense claims Of the
governors office
THE records show many trips by the
governor, several out of the state. Ac-
cording TO the information given us,
the governor has never complied with
the law with respect to itemizing his
claims and producing vouchers covering
expenses. During the summer of 1888
the governor made trip to San Fran
cisco on business pertaining to his of
flee. The evidence shows that the trip
could have been made by rail at a cost
for transportation, including pullman,
at not exceeding S110, instead of going
by rail- it appears the trip was made
by automobile. The claim approved and
paid shows auto mileage Of 5,604 miles
at 6 cents per mile Of S39228 In addi-
ton the governors son drove the car
entailipg an additional expense of Ga
per day, or S92. The mileage from
Helena to San Francisco and back is
not in Nexcess Of 5000 miles by automo-
bile. This expense account shows an
expenditure Of 1915 in excess Of the
expense necessary had the trip been
made by rail-" Citing the statute pre-
venting use of cars for travel if trans
portation can be had by rail, the com
mittee added, 1T appears that the claim
filed and allowed was illegal in the
sum Of at least 1914"
This phase of the report also con-
cerned claim by the governor paid for
S44.5O for room rent at the Placer hotel,
Helena, while the governor resided
there prior to Governor Erickson's va
eating the mansion In our opinion the
claim is wholly illegal and should have
been adjusted between the parties con-
cened"
The report also touched at length