Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1911-01-26
Wholesale Pruning Necessary to
Get Within Sum Available
new RULE DELAYED PROGRESS
Many Measures Awaiting Action Of
Committees Before Being Printed
for Use of Members.

Bismarck, Jan. 23.-The end of the
third week of the legislative sessions
finds the assembly with many bills in.
troduced and waiting consideration,
but the usual proceedings of the two
houses are delayed by the adoption of
the rules by the house at the opening
of the session providing that no bills
be printed except when reported by
committees. This rule was found tc
work not at all we'll when the mem.
bers got down to committee work. No
member was able to say what was the
nature of the bill under consideration,
and so the rule vas finally abrogated
and the old rules for the printing of
all bills adopted. But when this rule
was adopted more than a hundred bills
had accumulated for the printer and
the work of the legislative assembly
was accordingly delayed until the bills
could be printed. With the present
week the printed bills will begin to
make an appearance and the commit
tee will get busy.
i. 4 !.
Practically all the appropriations
have been introduced and referred and
the total of them makes a tidy sum-, in
dicating that there will be necessity
for a wholesale pruning of institution
and other requests. The various state
institutions find themselves in the
usual condition with institutions in a
r9nin1V prNUYinO Ctatn--uith don, q mi G
far exceeding their building accommo-
d%ations, and with many needs for the
immediate future. Many new build
ings are being requested by the larger
institutions OF the state. Some of
these will doubtless have to be cut out
of the appropriation bills when the ap.
preparations are finally made up. The
legislative members who are interest
ed in the establishment OF the Minot
normal school are wondering where
their institution will come out in the
final apportionment of the funds of the
state and fear that substantial reduc.
lions will be made in the original re-
quest for a quarter of a million dol
lars. The appropriations committees
have not met yet for a general consid-
GRAFTON of all the appropriation bills,
preferring to await the Introduction of
all the bills SO that a general view
may be taken of the probable revenues
and the total of requests for appro-
priations.
The arrest of the retiring state treas
urer, G. l.. Bickford, was the sensation
of the legislative week. The arrest
was made following two weeks of RI
mors of d misappropriation and short
age of some 100000 of the funds Of the
state. States Attorney Smith of Bur-
leigh county moved first in the mat
ter and the retiring treasurer was ar
rested upon a warrant sworn out by
Smith. Subsequently Attorney Gen
eral Miller swore out another warrant,
but that was subsequently dismissed
upon motion of the states attorney
and the retiring treasurer is held in
10000 bonds on the warrant sworn
out by tue states attorney Of Bur-
leigh county. On the day following
the arrest the cash which the treasury
was short, something over 100000, was
paid into the state treasury, so that
the treasury is whole. This pay
ment, however, does not affect the
criminal charge against the treasurer.
In the meantime there has been a re-
organization OF the banking institution
of which Bickford was president,
which passes into other hands. 1t is
understood the funds which were re.
paid into the state treasury were
raised through the surrender by the
treasurer of his interest in the bank
and various equities. The whole mat.
ter has been the one sensation of the
session.
i. i. i.
Investigation has in consequence OF
this arrest been ordered into the con.
duct of the treasurer's office for the
past eight years. The first resolution
for an Investigation called for an In.
vestigation of the acts OF the retiring
treasurer, but the original resolution
was extended to cover the past eight
years. There has been a good deal Of
political playing and contemplating
In the matter and the final report
ought TO be q report that will give the
people OF the state a good deal Of