Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1913-01-30
REPUBLICANS TO
SUPPORT HANNA
Announcement Made Following
Caucus Of Senators.
STATUS OF TAX COMMISSION
Senate May Have Waited Too Long
Before Confirming the Burke
Appointees.

Appointees.
Especial Correspondence
Bismarck, Jan. 27.-There are indi.
cations that more harmony will pre-.
vail among the Republican members OF
the present legislative assembly than
was anticipated when the assembly
first convened. 1t is true the senate,
after a bitter contest, finally con.
firmed the appointments Governor
Burke had made of the tax commits.
sion, though it was we'll understood
such action was against the wishes
OF Governor Hanna, the chief execu-
tive who succeeded Burke. However,
since the tax commission matter has
been disposed of by the senate the Re-
publican members of that body held a
aucus and as a result resolutions
were adopted to the effect that Mr..
Hanna would receive the support Of
the Republicans and that all the ap-
pointments he sends to the senate
will be promptly confirmed. That the
Republicans mean to keep their word
in that respect can be counted from
the fact that late Saturday afternoon
it was announced, following an execu
tive session, which was apparently de-
void of any great factional feeling,
that the senate had failed to confirm
the appointments Governor Burke had
made on the present board of control.
4 i J.
What position the tax commission
Is in is a matter of considerable spec
ulation about the capitol building. The
tax commission was created by a law
passed during the session of 1911 and
Governor Burke. did not appoint the
members till after that session had
adjourned. Under the law these mem
bers when so appointed only hold till
the third Monday in January of the
following session, and if the appoint
ments were not confirmed by that
time the positions shall become va
cant and the governor then in office
shall send new appointments for the
senate to confirm. When the tax COM
mission appointments were sent to
the senate the matter was referred
to the committee on state affairs, of
which Senator ]. E. Davis OF Sheridan
county, and recognized as a leader
among the insurgent Republicans Of
the senate, is chairman. The state at
fairs committee reported in favor OF
confirming all three members, but as
the report was objected to it went
over to the following Monday, which
was "the third Monday in January"
as stipulated in the law creating this
commission. The insurgents had suf-
ficient strength to cause the appoint
ments to be confirmed. The question
now arises, did the senate wait too
upon as authority claiming that the
confirmation came too late to save the
present commission and as a result
there is no commission. Under the
law if the senate's delayed action in
this matter caused vacancies to occur
Governor Hanna cannot send new ap-
pointments to the senate till Febru-
airy. At any rate the matter win
probably be tested in the supreme
court, and it is conjectured that if
the court passes on the question the
law and the commission itself may be
abolished.
i. ]. i.
The personnel of the tax commits
sion consists of two Democrats, while
the Republican member named by
Valley City, who has always affiliated
with the Democrats and insurgent Re-
publicans of the state. Because Of
his ardent support of Governor Burke
during previous campaigns Mr.. Pack
ard was given the long term, which
runs for six years and carries an an
nual salary of $4,000. According to
rumors Mr.. Packard's confirmation
was the most ~distasteful to the stall.
wart faction Of the senate. Another
feature Of the tax commission that
has been overlooked is the selection
of a secretary for the commission.
The position carries with it a salary
of $4,000 a year, but the commission
has so far held off naming a secretary,
fearing that the appointments might
fail of confirmation. c. R. Kositzky,
who has just retired as county treas
urer of Burleigh county, and was
elected at the last election as one of
the county commissioners of Burleigh
county, has had the promise of the
secretaryship of this commission for
many months. Kositzky is a political
cohort of Mr.. Packard, but has held
off accepting the secretaryship until
the matter Of confirmation was set
tied by the senate.
4. !. X
The main problem for the legisla-
ture to settle now is to fix the appro-
priations for the various state institu-
tons. The state treasury is somewhat
depleted and as the demands for i'm
provements for the institutions are