Devils Lake weekly world. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1911-1914, 1911-10-20
THE SQUARE DEAL PAT REoENT-
LY WROTE ABOUT rs NOW Be
ING QUESTIONED.
Will The BlACkMA|LERS
AGAIh DEFEND PATRICK
SECRETARY WILL AGAIN BE
CALLED UPON TO PAY HIS RE
sPEcTs as BEFoRE.
Perhaps He can see' No + sasness and
Imparhality in Anything Unless II
Is Diverted Towards His Maw-1a
Norton Another Reformer Like
stockwen and Bickford Were Prov.
en- to Be?

Fargo, N. D., Oct. l9.-The county
commissioners in some Of the counties
of the state have been wondering Why
the fees charged for tax on motor We
hicles and paid to the secretary of
state has not been paid to the respec-
tive counties, as required by law. THIS
fee, under the statute, is to be used
for the purpose Of repairing and main.
tanning the main travelled roads of
each Of the respective counties.
The following sections of the statute
are quoted, herewith, relative to this
fee:
Chapter six, law of 1911, section
seven. GA fee Of % shall be paid to
the secretary Of state upon the regis
tration or re-registration Of q motor
vehicle in accordance with the provis-
ions of this act. = 81
Section fourteen. At the end Of
every month the secretary .:of state,
shall pay into the county treasury to-
the account Of the special road main
-tsaance, fund as hereinafter provided.
All monies received by him under this
act which has been paid to him by
( owners Of motor vehicles in such coun-
ty, and shall file with the county. audi
tor verified statement Of the amount
and sources thereof, providing that
from the monies received from such
license he shall retain sufficient
amount for the purchase Of tags and
books of registration. =
An investigation Of the matter shows
that there were issued about 500 tags
which at So apiece as provided by law
would amount to over $4,000. The
law went into effect July l, and this
money has been collected during the
months Of July, August, September and
October, and yet no return has been
made to the respective counties as pro-
vided by law. The secretary Of state,
P. D. Norton, must have this fund in
his possession, or in some bank or
banks, instead of in the hands Of the
county treasurer, where it should be at
this time to be used in the betterment
of the roads.
It is time that somebody in author.
ity was looking into this matter to see
if these funds are being held out and
diverted or appropriated to the use of
and benefit Of the secretary OF state
p. D. Norton, whose duty under the
law it is to disburse these receipts to
the respective. counties at the end OF
.
necessary for private citizens or tax
payers to compel state officers unde1
this administration to perform thei1
duties according to law.
What is Governor Burke doing a!
chief executive Of the state, why ISM
he supervising the official conduct Of
of his administration It is his swor1
- oAH ,o7
of the officers of his administration
and yet when misconduct, illegal O
criminal practices are shown up OF Civ
en- publicity. it seem that if any actor
is taken it has to be done by privat,
citizens.
Reports have been fled with Cover
nor Burke;7 alleging this misconduc
and criminality in connection with min
isterial and executive officers Of thi
administration, yet when action ha
been taken, which has resulted in Grim
inal prosecution, the executive has ha'
no hand in the matter. Is this becaus
those who have been accused and fail
ed to make good have belonged to
faction Of party from which he ha
received political support, or what j
the matter7
For the benefit Of the public, ar
quoted sections Of the statute relatin
to the powers and duties OF the gove1
nor bearing on the subject: Sectio
SO, R. G. 1905, (Powers and Duties Q
the Governor.)
In addition to those prescribed b
the constitution, the governor has th
power and must perform the dutie
prescribed in this and in the followin
sections:
/. He is to supervise the oficis
conduct of all executive and minister
ial Offices.
2. He is to see that all Offices al
filed, and the duties thereof perform
ed, or in default thereof, apply sue
remedies as the law allows.
If the remedy is imperfect acauai1