Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1911-01-19
Several Resolutions Of Inquiry in
Legislature
FLOOD OF BILLS INTRODUCED
Senate and House Committees Have an
Abundance of Material for Their
Consideration.

Bismarck, Jan. 16.-Apparently the
legislative session will not only be a
busy one so far as legislation is con-
cerned, but resolutions already pre-.
sented calling for Investigations of va
rlous departments and of the funds
disbursed by them promise a good
deal of side interest as well. Senator
Gunderson of Nelson county is the
author Of several resolutions calling
Tor investigations and won a victory
in h senate with his resolution call
ing for an inquiry into the expenditure
of the funds of the state game and
fish commission. Opposition to the
passage of the resolution was made
by Senator Duis of Grand Forks and
others, who thought the investigation
should be delayed until the report of
h state game commission had been
filed. A roll call was demanded on a
motion to refer the resolution calling
for an inquiry to the committee on
state affairs, and this was defeated
and the resolution was adopted by the
senate. 1t now goes to the house and
there is likely to be another fight on
it there. If it carries the investigating
committee will be made up from mem
bers OF both houses and proceed with
its work. The game and fish board has
expended some S42, 900 since it's or
g%anization in 1909. The claim is made
that a good deal of the fund was ex-
pended for political benefits to the
Democratic party and it is this report
investigation.
j. = +
Resolutions calling for an inquiry
into the business methods of the state
land department and into the methods
of the state auditing board will be re-
ported by n state affairs committee
to which they were referred. These
resolutions also are the subject of
much interest, as is the possibility of
a resolution into the conduct of the
office of the retiring state treasurer
for the past two. years. 1t is charged
in this connection that G L. Bickford,
the retiring treasurer, has been favor
ing his own bank at Bowbells with
state funds and when the time came
to turn over the funds of the state to
the new treasurer there were some
$4,000 of certificates of deposit of the
retiring state t~reasurer's bank carried
as cash. The fact was the subject of
considerable comment in the Hobbies
and in newspapers, especially when
the incoming state treasurer refused
to accept the certificates and demand
ed that they be converted into cash. It
is reported that the state treasurer
and his friends have arranged to COW
er the necessary amount of cash into
the state treasury, but up to the time
of this letter no transfer has been
made. The friends of the retiring
treasurer say the matter is merely an
ir%regularity and that the cash will be
Forthcoming at once. 1t is likely an
official investigation will be called for
soon and that the facts in the case
will be presented to the people of the
state. =
Senate and house committees have
been busy with the consideration of a
flood of bills in both houses. Some
new rules have been adopted by the
house, n of them being that no bill
shall be printed until it has been ia
vorably reported by a committee. This
is a departure from the old custom,
where all bills were printed as intro
duced. The senate has made no
change in it's rules, and will work I'M
der the old plan. The house will print
bills when a majority of the body SO
decides. The bills introduced up to
the present time cover a multitude OF
topics, but so far no reports have
been made on any measures in either
house. The committeeships of both
houses were settled only after consid.
cradle argument and discussion be
tween the various aspirants for places
and the presiding officers of the two
houses. A good many changes are te
be noted in the chairmanships. The
senate and house chairmanships botf
in a good many instances go to the
younger members of the bodies aht
the insurgent or progressive elemen-
of the party controls the committees
Senator La Moure of Pembina count,
still remains at the head of the sen
ate appropriations committee, how
ever. State affairs goes to ]. E. Davis
of Sheridan county and judiciary t,
H. H. Steele of Renville county. Their,
was a keen rivalry for this chairman
ship between Steele and Simpson o
Stark county, but the matter wa
finally settled in favor of Steele.
!. !. 4
Several apportionment bills hav
been introduced and more are comina
There is little question but there Wi
be 4 considerable change in the legi,
lst = districts and that the Red Rive
vi , country will lose a number q
distlicts which will go to the wester
and central parts OF the state. II til
reappartionmeutfis made on the basl