Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1911-02-23
Legislature Must Hustle to
Clear the Decks.
COWAN CASE HARD FOUGHT
Large Number of Witnesses Sum.
moned Before the Committee to
Give Testimony.

is muCQ speculation as TO what Will be
the record of the Twelfth legislative
assembly when it is finally made up.
There are only about ten days remain
ing in which the work of the legisla-
ture is to be completed and morning
and afternoon sessions will be neces-
sary to clean up the work, of which
there is a considerable quantity re-
naming. A number of matters outside
the regular limits of legislation have
come in to divide up the time of the
legislature. Half a dozen special COM
mittees are working on departmental
Investigations and none of these have
reported yet. The time for the intro.
duction of bills is about over and few
if any new matters presented to the
legislature from now on will receive
much attention, except in cases of
great emergency. The special COM
mittee of the house named for the
purpose of inquiring into the charges
against Judge Cowan has been taking
testimony and a large number of wit
nesses has been brought down from
Devils Lake and vicinity to give tes-
timony. The Cowan case is being bit
terly fought on both sides. All kinds
of rumors are being circulated in con-
nection with it and the legislative lob
bies are full of people who are work
ing on one side of the case or the
| other.
\ :. +
The special committee investigating
the expenditures of the game and fish
board has been taking the testimony
of members of the game and fish com.
mission and some special officers of
the commission and is expected to
make a report to the legislative assem-
| bly, before long. The committee inves-
tigating the state ~treasurer's office has
also been working and has been given
until the fifty-ifth day of the session
to make a report.
!. !. X
The Trimble insurance bill, which
provided that old line companies
should invest IS per cent of their pre-
MUM receipts in the state in loans on
real estate in the counties wherever
the premium receipts reached $4,000
a year, was killed by the senate, but
| afterward reconsidered and sent back
to the insurance committee with a
view to such amendments as might
overcome the general objections to it.
There was a long debate on the bill,
Senator Trimble claiming that the
real estate of this state was ample Sc.
curity for loans and that the bill was
fair and equitable. The opponents of
the bill claimed that it would drive
the big old line life companies out of
the state and work harm to the states
credit. Whether The bill will pass in
any form is doubtful. The time is
short now and the opposition to the
bill is strong.
\ 4 4 q
New judicial districts are being ere
ated. The bill for the new Twelfth
district, creating a new district Out
of the counties of Williams and ad
jacent counties, has passed and been
approved by the governor and Franz
Fisk of Williston, a brother of Judge
Fisk of the supreme court, has beer
named as the new district judge. The
bill providing for a new district ives
of the river has also passed the sen
ate and will probably go through tn.
house.
= i !.
The proposed amendment to tn,
drug permit bill, to put the ~prescrip
tions for liquor into the hands of tn,
physicians of the state and take it on
of the hands of the druggists, was de
feated after a lively debate. The sen
ate voted for the indefinite postpone
ment of the bill by a vote of 80 to 1
and the matter is dead for the session
A number of the druggists of the stat
wanted the change, blu, the physician
of the state opposed the bill and tn
Prohibitionists were generally agains
the bill also. Chairman Garden of tn
senate temperance committee led tn
fight for the proposed new bill an
Senator Talcott of Cass county lie
the fight againstea change from tn
present system.
4. + !.
Another important bill passed by tn
senate was the repeal of the lien la,
so far as material men are concerned
Ever since the formation of the stat
there has been a law giving lumbel
men and others who furnished mat,
rails for building a mechanics liei
Senator Hookway Of McHenry count
led the fight for the repeal Of this liel
A number Of members of the uppe
house opposed the repeal, claiming
would be q detriment to the develol
ment Of the western part of the stat,
but the bill passed the senate by
bare constitutional majority-twent.
five votes. There will be another figf
made on 1t in the house.
II r +
"A special committee was named b
the two houses OF the legislative o.
ssmbly 10 draft resolutions Of rsspes