Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1893-11-03

EAHuV pages, containing q summary OF tue news OF
the week, both foreign and loeal; published every
Friday, sent postage paid to any address, for one
year ~; six months. 81; three months. Is cents.
THE STATE DEPOSITORY TROUBLE.
The following from the Grand Forks
Herald of Friday is but a fair sample Of
%innuendoes regarding the state treas
urer, appearing in the public prints
quite generally, not only in the state but
in newspapers outside of the state:
There are certain rumors in circulation
affecting the action of State Treasurer
Knud Nomland that ought to be squelched
Immediately by Mr.. Nomland or his
friends, if untrue. One is to the effect that
a large amount of the state funds, said to
be about Sl50,OOO, is loaned to parties out
side of the state, whose finances are al
legged to be in a precariouS condition. An
other rumor says that Treasurer Nomland
has recently transferred all his property
to relatives. The Herald has heard Of
these Reports from various sources during
the past few weeks and has paid no atten
ton to them; but their constant reiteratiOn
has a tendency to do great harm to Treas
urer Nomland and to the credit of the
state, and it is time that an official denial
of their tru,hfulness should be made. If
Treasurer Nomland desires to favor the
Herald with a denial of these ugly rumors,
it will cheerfully give his statement the
benefit of Its wide circulation.
Undoubtedly the opposition of Treas.
urer Nomland to the new state deposi-
tory law, by the provisions of which a
state board of auditors, consisting of the
secretary of state, attorney general and
auditor, designate certain banks for
the depository Of state moneys under
conditions prescribed by the board, has
had some thing to do with the circulation
of such rumors as appear in the Herald
and other papers. The fact that these
reports have met with no official denial
or publication on the part of the state
treasurer of a statement of the con-
dition of the treasury and the amount
of state money in the various banks, has
no doubt led many to believe that
there's something rotten in Denmark"
-or Bismarck. If libellous, Mr.. Nomland
should have denied the charges long ago.
The return of the treasurer from the
east gives the TRIBUNE an opportunity
to obtain from that official a statement
in relation to this matter which appears
in another column. The state supreme
court at its session next week will de-
eide as to the constitutionality of the
state depository law, opposition to
which on the part of certain bondsmen
OF State Treasurer Nomland, notably
Capt. I. P. Baker OF. the Bismarck bank,
has doubtless led owing to MI. Bakers
relationship with Senator Power of
Montana and the fact of large state
deposits with the Bismarck bank-to
the circulation of the report that state
moneys were being deposited outside
OF the state or, under cover. sent to Mon
tana to Senator Powers bank in Helena.
Whether these charges are now, or
have been true, one thing is certain and
that is under the new law, which the
treasurer refuses to obey until it's con-
stitutionality shall have been passed
upon, the people will know all about
the condition of the treasury and where
the moneys are deposited at all times.
There is another law regulating the
duties of the states treasurer, the con-
stitutionality of which is not questioned,
which requires the treasurer to make
a semi-annual report to the governor
under oath, the amount of all moneys in
his hands to the credit of every fund,
and the place or places where the same
is deposited, and the number and
amount of every warrant paid or re-
deemed by him during the preceding six
months. The governor must verify said
report, and cause the same to be inn
mediately published in at least one daily
paper printed at the seat of government"
MI. Nomland has been treasurer nine
months. The statement for the first
six months period has not been pub
lished. This was probably an oversight
on Mr.. Nomland's part, but it, together
with his silence in relation to charges
and rumors, more or less damaging to
the state as we'll as himself may have led
to unjust conclusions in relation to this
matter.
HOW THEY VOTED.
An ano1vc;o NJ tho veto ~ thu eoooko