The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-10-05

auditor, treasurer, superintendent of
public instruction, commissioner of in
suranee commissioner of railroads and
attorney general shall each receive an
annual salary of $4,000: the salary of
the commissioner of agriculture and
labor shall be as prescribed by law,
but the salaries of any of the said Of
f1cers shall not be increased or dimin-
ished during the period for which they
shall have been elected, and all fees
and profits arising from any of the
said offices shall be covered into the
state treasury.
The object of this constitutional
provision must be plain to every citi-
zen OF the state of North Dakota. 1t
is to prevent a governor of the state
from using his influence after his cleo
ton to increase his own emoluments,
and conversely it is to prevent those
who might be inspired by dislike or
partnership from reducing his emoIu-
ments. The last legislature Of the
state of North Dakota with the APP
proval and assistance of the governor,
as the State Central committee is in
formed and believes, passed the fol-
lowing entitled bill: House Bill No
100-"S Salary of state officers. An act
recurring state officials to reside at
the state capital and to provide ade-
quate compensation"
This bin provided an increase of
| $500 per annum in the salary of the
governor, the increase being provided
for IN, the form OF a fiat expense ac-
count to be allowed with voucher. The
constitution also makes the following
without provision:
Sec. lS6-'No money shall be paid
| out of the state treasury except upon
appropriation by law and on warrant
| drawn by the proper officer. And no
bills, claims, accounts or demands
| against the state, or any county or
other political subdivision, shall be
audited or paid until a full itemized
statement in writing shall be filed with
the officer or officers, whose duty 1t
may be to admit the same"
| The voters to whom this letter is adj
dressed will note carefully that the
title of this bill is plain and APP
parent indication of its intentions to
increase salaries, for it provides "ade-
| quate compensation" the plain infer
ence being that the compensation
heretofore has been inadequate and is
| to be increased. The provision for
an increase by means of an expense
account is purely a subterfuge and is
for the express purpose Of avoiding
| this plain constitutional provisionoin
this plain constitutional prohibition. This
bill was passed upon the last night
of the session. Active in it's passage
and in the conferences which finally
resulted in its passage was w. e. Pur-
cell, subsequently appointed by the
governor to be senator OF the United
States. After its passage this bin
was almost Immediately approved by
the governor and following its APP
prevail, upon an opinion rendered to
the state auditor by the attorney gem
eraI. the governor participated in a
retroactive payment of this increase in
salary extending back to the first of
the year The constitution of this
state. Article l. Section 81, provides
that ali bills shall take effect July l.,
latter their passage, except with an
/ emergency clause such as house bill
No. no carried, in which case the bill
becomes effective on the day and from
the day it was approved.
1 Now let us sum UP this one instance
to judge the governors sincerity in
claiming to be superior and righteous
administrator of the laws. He APP