Is Lobbyist Dr. Bunnell Hurting College Appropriations
-X
Included in the duties of the
new position of Auditor, created
by the Legislature during the
closing hours of the last session
of the Legislature, is the follow
ing function:
“The Auditor shall audit and
allow ALL CLAIMS or demands
which are just and true and a
legal charge against the Terri
tory and for the payment of
which appropriation has been
made by the Legislature.”
In compliance with the above
requirement, Auditor Cash Cole
is carrying out strictly the pro
viso referred to, with one not
able exception. Attorney Gen
eral Rustgard has advised him
r,hat the duty prescribed by the
Legislature does not apply to
the Territorial appropriation for
the Alaska College and School of
xVTines. The sum involved by the
last appropriation is $105,000.
The Attorney General has de
cided that this sum can be ex
pended by the Board of Trustees
of the College without any refer
ence to the Auditor, and that
the appropriation must be paid
over by the Territorial Treasur
(r to the Treasurer of the Col
lege, on demand.
As a result of this opinion, the
College is not required to make
an accounting to any Territorial
official for the funds or the pur
poses for which they were ap
propriated. And it seems that
when Dr. Charles E. Bunnell,
president of the College asks for
payment of any account, it is
promptly paid, and no questions
asked.
Of the last Territorial appro
priation $4,000 was available for
‘he purchase of fire protection
equipment, and the balance of
the appropriation, or $101,000,
‘ shall be available for the main
tenance, improvement and con
duct of the College.” And now
that Dr. Bunnell devotes a large
portion of his time to lobbying
before the Territorial Legisla
ture and Congress at Washing
ton, the question is being raised
whether the payment for this
service can legitimately be tak
en from the Territorial appro
priation.
Various members of the Leg
islature maintain that the ap
propriation was made for edu
cational purposes—and not for
lobbying. The Territory has a
Delegate to Congress who is sup
posed to look after appropria
tions and grants at Washington,
find of the $50,000 annually re
ceived from the Federal govern
ment, there is no report requir
ed. It is part of the original
grant. But whenever there is a
bill to get additional land. Pres
ident Bunnell makes this the oc
casion to enjoy a vacation OUT
RIDE for two or three months.
And it is becoming an annual
affair, with a biennium visit to
Juneau, to attend sessions of the
Legislature.
And for all of this, the Terri
tory pays.- Dr. Bunnell was ab
sent at Washington from No
vember 18, 1927 to February 14,
1928, at a cost of $712 for travel
and subsistence expense. He
again started East later in 1928
and was absent from December
Jl, 1928 to February 21, 1929, at
a cost of $901. And for the five
months absent he was receiving
from the Territory a salary of
$500 per month, or $2,500. With
the $1,600 for expenses his trips
cost the Territory $4,100.
Again in December 1929, the
Doctor started on his annual
pilgrimage, returning the early
port of March. The cost will
presumably be well nigh to $2,
000. And the report is that af
ter Dr.. Bunnell gives the Col
lege the “once over” he will
again, in April, start back to
Washington. The Doctor was
kept pretty busy lobbying from
March 15 to May 26, 1929, spend
ing the time at the Legislative
session at Juneau and later vis
iting Seattle before returning
to the College. And this was at
a cost of $633 for expenses and
over $1,300 for salary.
The usefulness or uselessness
of President Bunnell at the Ter
ritorial Legislature is demon
strated in the decided “cuts” in
the amounts he usually asks for.
A year ago he came to Juneau
with a budget of $235,000, and
the appropriation made was
$105,000. His persistent meth
ods are so obnoxious that in
stead of being cf benefit in se
curing appropriations, he is a
detriment.
But it must not be presumed
that Dr. Bunnell devotes all of
his time to lobbying at Washing
ton and Juneau. Oh, no! Al
though he is a devout Democrat
—having been his party’s de
feated candidate for Delegate to
Congress, and later receiving ap
pointment as Federal Judge for
cl e Fourth Division from Presi
dent Wilson, he still has time
to play politics, notwithstanding
his educational and non-parti
zan position. At present he is
ooosting Attorney General Rust
gard for the Republican nom
ination for Delegate to Con
gress.
He heard that Judge Wicker
sham took the same view as does
Auditor Cole, that the accounts
of the College should be treated
as are those of the Pioneers’
Home, and of all other appropri
ations. Such an attitude in the
opinion of Doctor Bunnell, was
well nigh treason. It might in
terfere with his private snap.
So he felt offended at Candidate
Wickersham and now seeks to
toll the Republicans whom they
must nominate for Delegate to
Congress.