Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-09-23
LEU1z SAYS He did
NOT PAY BACK MONEY
STATES THAT CHECK WAS TURN
ED INTO STATE TREASURER
WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE

ED INTO STATE TREASURER
WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE
His Records Were Straight and He
Got Nothing But What Was Com.
ing to Him.
Some time ago the Tribune pub
lished statement to the effect that
the action brought against Ferd.
Leutz of Hebron, former insurance
commissioner of the state, had been
settled by Mr.. Leutz by the payment
Of the sum claimed to be due for al.
lowances for exchange, which allow
ances were not authorized by law.
It appears from the following state
ment by Mr.. Leutz in the Hebron
paper that the payment in question
was not made by Mr.. Leutz, who says
regarding the matter:
Nearly every paper in the state
made a statement in some of the
last issues that had paid to the
State Treasurer the amount of $875.85
for which the attorney general had
brought suit against me. 1 expected
that at least one of them would make
an attempt to find out the exact
facts of the case but in this l was
disappointed.
I have paid nothing and never in
tended to do SO, until this question
was investigated through the courts
because by this method alone could
j fully clear my name.
Other parties have settled and they
sent the money to Mr.. R. N. Stevens
my representative in the case with
the request to turn in this money to
the treasurer. Mr.. Stevens complied
with this request but not as my rep
resentative. I personally had no
right or power to stop it.
The Fargo Daily News after max
ing fair statement as to my person.
al reputation says that made a bad
mistake because I did not attend to
the duties Of my Office in person. In
reply to this I wish to state that the
force in my Office during my two
terms consisted of one deputy and
one stenographer, this force was nee
essary and adequate. was in office
whenever it was necessary, the force
which I selected I considered good
and my presence was practically only
necessary occasionally, especially
when my deputy was absent on some
trip for an investigation or some
other cause. am at the head of diff
ferent business enterprises in differ
ent localities and I think they are
fairly we'll managed though do not
reside at these locations nor devote
my entire time to their management,
and I am positive that the rule
which prevailed in the Office during
my term as insurance commissioner
was entirely different from what it
was under my predecessor. do not
believe anyone would have expected
me to stay in my Office as long as it
was not necessary or to do routine
work. -.
The bank account of the Office
never considered a very profitable
one for the banks, for the reason
that while I had sometimes large
amounts on deposit, 1t always was
only for short durations, because the
law requires every state Office to turn
over all amounts collected to the
stat treasurer at the end of every
month and the banks had, as every
body can see, only lot Of work and
practically very little benefit out OF
this account.
Furthermore the laws do not say
that the fees had to be paid in gold
and I accepted the checks as 1t was
customary since statehood and allow
ed the banks the usual charge for
exchange.
1 considered this fair and I had
no reasons to deviate from a system
which was in force before and re-
ported to and approved by every gov
ernor, republican or populistic, since
statehood.
One thing is sure: Not cent went
into my pocket to which I was not
fully entitled.
FERDINAND LEUTZ.
With respect to this statement of
Mr.. Leutz, Attorney R. N. Stevens
states to the Tribune that it is in
accordance with the facts, as far as
he Is familiar with them. Mr..
Stevens says that Mr.. Leutz did not
pay any sum to him to be paid to
the state treasurer, and that the pay
ment made to the state was not by
Mr.. Leutz or at his instance. Mr..
Stevens says as an attorney he re-
ceived the sum in question from the
First National Bank of Mandan, N.
D., with instructions to pay it to the
state treasurer, and that he did as he
was requested to do.
The Tribune makes this statement
in justice to Mr.. Leutz, and that his
position in the mater may be set