The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1911-01-26
LEGISLATIVE
news letter
News From the Capitol City
by Our Special Cores
pandsnt

by Our Special Corres-
pandsnt
Bismarck.-The sensation of the
week was the arrest of ex-StatesTreas-
arer Bickford on the charge OF embez-
clement. There were two warrants
sworn out, the first n being a COM
plant filed by States Attorney Smith
Of Burleigh county, and the second by
Attorney General Miller. Sheriff Barnes
81 Burleigh county made the arrest
and at the preliminary hearing before
Justice Perry. bonds amounting to
t2O, 900 in each case were asked n
secured. The cases will be disposed OF
Thursday and Friday.
Rumors have been rife for some time
that the retiring treasurer was liable
20 be arrested at any time. 1t has beer
known since the beginning of the year
hat the treasurer was not able to turn
The affairs of the office over satisfac-
:orily to his successor. Bickford had
deposits of state money TO
over $62, 900 in his Bowbells bank. This
money had been invested and when the
Jew treasurer refused to accept the
certificates of deposit it was up to
Bickford to produce the cash. The
amount he had deposited in hts bank
was far in excess of the sum that could
oe deposited in any bank with such a
small capitalization. enorts
lave been made the past two weeks TO
get the cash, and for this purpose 1t
was stated that a syndicate a been
formed to take over the securities and
property Of the retiring treasurer ana
all would be we'll. So far as known
the syndicate has not yet made a COM
olete settlement. MI. Bickford says
4 few of his political enemies here ! n
Bismarck, mentioning ex-senator Little
and ex-Adjutant General Poole, are at
the bottom of the instigation, and that
when all is over it will be shown the
state has not lost a dollar by the tran
actions. 1t was just a case where he
wal not able to realize on his invest
ments in a bad year. But then again
ne can show no law for turning such
an mount OF cash into his own bank.
The election of the United States
senators by the legislature this year
was a mere formality. Senator Nc
Cumber, who was nominated IN the
June primaries to succeed himself, was
reelected for six years more, and Con-
gresham Gronna, who was named for
the place made vacant by the late Sen
ator M. N. johnson, received the four
year term. The democrats a named
Messrs. Bruegger and Purcell for these
positions, in the election by the legis :
lature each nominee of his party re-
ceived the party vote. There are foetH-
five republican senators and five demc-
cratic. and in the house there are
lightweight republicans, fourteen
democrats and one socialist. The So
.ialist member split his vote. He voted
against McCumber and for Grorna.
It il expected there will be several
investigations made if resolutions that
have been introduced pass both houses
Senator Gunderson has asked for an
lp,esilgation into the amount expenl
- over $42 eco, that was collec 5: INC
The game and fish fund. Mr.. Hawkin.
son has started a resolution in thu
mousse asking for an examination into
The affairs of the state treasurer's OF.
ice, and another resolution covers {
smelling of the land department. Il
will be remembered that the state pen.
Tertiary and the secretary of states
office came in for an overhauling tWt
years ago., and while not much misap'
oropriation of funds was discovered tn
results were a benefit, al they startet
l better system of bookkeeping an
checking that is saving the stat
money.
One of the hard fights Of this ses
sion will come on reapportionment
Mr.. Nestos has the only bill in sc fa1
This provides for 50 senators, the con
stitutional limit, and 1875 representa-
lives. This would make the averag
population of senatorial districts, II,
SAL; population per senator (withou
:epresentatives) 5.771. to s.079 might b
entitled to senator and three rep
.~esentatives; 9,233 to 11,541 might b
entitled to one senator and two repre-
sentatives; 1852 to 1880 would b
entitled to one senator and three rep
:esentatives; 1880 to 16.157 would b
entitled to nj senator and four repre-
sui down the representation and othe
%sentatives. There is a disposition
bills are in course Of being drawn.
The probable division Of the stat
INTO three congressional districts
also the cause Of much speculation
The winning combination appears I
favor the proposition to divide the stat
oy lines running north and south. TIL
would throw the Red river valley coul
try into one district, the Jim river va
ley into another and the Missouri sloI
country into another. This would d
vide the state as it is divided on i
natural resources and would be tt
feasible plan.
The house has decided to have l
bills printed. At first the membe
thought 1t would be a good plan
rave the amount spent for printir
bills until they were at least report,
from committees. This required Il
hiring Of more stenographers,
enough bills had to be typewriter