Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1909-03-11
LEGISLATURE
:' ADJOURNED
Last Days Business Most In
portant of Session. lnves-
legations Continued.

Bismarck, March 5th.-The clos
ing hours of the session were full OF
interest and importance. The report
of the committee appointed to inves-
tigate charges against State Supt.
Stockwell was made to the senate.
The report is comprehensive and 1T
IN said that suits may be started
against all superintendents of public
instruction, present and past, to re-
cover fees which the committee
claims that the general law requires
to be turned over to the state treas
urer. According to the committees
report the total receipts received by
Supt. Stockwell from the county and
state teachers certificates was S23.-
593, of which Supt. Stockwell has &C.
counted for $l7, I'll, leaving a balance
which the committee claims is due
the state of $5,8 1882. The committee
recommends that the governor direct
the state examiner to make thcro
examination. of the Office since state
hood and, If necessary upon the find
ings, to direct the attorney general
to bring suit for recovery. The COM
mittee claims that the general law
requires all fees shall be turned over
to the state. The superintendent
claims that he is entitled to the fees
in addition to his salary. From the
receipts from state certificates the
payment of expense OF marking ex-
animation papers has been deducted.
These sets of papers have been
marked by various persons, accus-
toned to such work, for three cents
per set, it is stated, and the expense
Of reviewing such teachers examina-
tipn papers has run from 800 to $500
per quarter payable from the certif-
cate fees. Numerous other items of
other kinds are also included In the
report AS spent by the superintendent
from this fund. The examinations
costing about the above named
amounts are made quarterly, and the
balance of the receipts from the GER
tiicates has been retained by the su-
perintendent. As high as 500 or
$500 have been received from this
source at single quarterly examin-
alton. The committees report was
printed in the senate journal and was
the greatest sensation Of the session.
The Pen. Committee.
The house authorized the governor,
secretary and attorney general to
continue the investigation of the
penitentiary and to bring soit for any
money wrongly appropriated BY the
wardens or trustees.
The house passed. the bill for in
spection Of liquors coming into the
state on the basis of the pure food
bill, the liquors to pay small tax for
inspection.
Board of Control Bill.
The senate passed very import.
ant bill at the last moment, being
the house board of control bill, but it
was amended so that 1t will not be-
come effective until 1911. 1t was one
OF the most important bills Of the
session. It provides for non-parti-
san board of control, for the manage
ment of the Soldiers Home and all
the charitable and penal institutions
Of the state. The bill creates board
of five with q secretary, and fixes the
salary of the members of the commits
sion at $4,000 a year. 1t intended to
take the entire management, from
: the hands of trustees of the above in
stitutions, and place it in the hands
of board of control, which will, it
is believed, remove the management
Of the state institutions from direct
local influences
sec'y. Blaisdell's Reply.
Both houses received warm COM
munication from Sec'y. of State
Blaisdell, denying the truth Of the
report made by house committee
appointed to investigate certain
charges connected with the purchase
], Of supplies in his office, which re.
/ nected upon him personally. He de-
clineH to: bear the responsibility Of
this report. showing that al pur-
I chases were authorized BY the pur-
chasing board consisting Of other
state officials as well rs himself: he
asked that an examination Of the
4 Office be made by any fair minded
i person or persons, whose evident mo.
\ tive was not mainly to smtIch his
character, and he declared that the
animus of the whole house commit.
Z tees reportssMas largely due TO the
publishers Of the " Valley City Times .s'