The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1913-02-20

that he had received from 80 countie!
over the state, and quoted the differ
ence in the rate for premiums charg
ed counties for bond. He said tha
in the past years the rate had varied
from 36 to IS cents a hundred. He
had found that the rate charged the
last year was practically the same ir
every county of the state, and it ap
peared to him that the bonding com
panies had entered into combination
and as result the counties were be-
Ing charged excessively. His figures
showed that on an average it cost
each county the past year $S16 for
bonds, an annual income Of $56, OO0
while all the defalcations the past six
years the bonding companies had
been required to make good was $44,.
900 in Stark county, $4,000 in Cass
county, and $4,000 in Rolette, total
value of only $4,000.
Senator Vail said that he agreed
with Senator Talcott that the matter
Of the state entering into the bonding
business would mean an innovation,
but the bill had been thoroughly con,
sidered by the committee from every
standpoint, and he considered the
present bond system one of monu-
mental graft, and as member of that
committee he could not see how the
state could go wrong.
Senator diversion said he had been
with the committee when the bill was
considered, and had heard Attorney
Divet, who is member of the house,
talk on the merits of the bill, and he
thought it would be a good thing if
the whole senate could hear Mr.. Div
ct, and he offered motion to that
effect. Senator Talcott wanted to
make the bill a special order for $3.50
and give Mr.. Divet a chance to ap-
pear before the senate and explain
the bill. Senator Ellingson and Sen
ator Plain thought that was not neces-
sary and besides President Kraabel
ruled the motion out of order. Sena.
tor Putnam thought the senate could
vote intelligently on the bill, but Sen
ator Elken, chairman of the commit
tee on ways and means rose and told
the course the bill had pursued after
it was introduced. He said that after
the bill bad been before the commit
tee whole week, an entirely new bill
had been drafted for the committee
by the attorney generals department,
and the committee had received his
opinion that there were no flaws in
it. Mr.. diversion and Mr.. Divet had
both been before the committee and
the bill had been taken up carefully
section by section. In his Judgment
the bill would be the means of say
ing the taxpayers thousands of dol
lars and he read some carefully pre-.
pared statistics to substantiate his re-
marks. He thought if the senators
wanted to save the taxpayers large
amount of money they should vote in
favor Of this bill, but if they wanted
to continue to support the corpora
tons they should vote against it. He
read figures that showed during the
past two years the bonding companies
had received an income of $227,000
and at a cost to them Of only $4,000.
Senator Talcott said that he had
merely opened the discussion for the
sake of getting information, and with
that the president offered the sec
rotary to call the roll, and the bill
passed, with only Senators Ganssle,
Talcott and Hughes voting against it.
Senator Gronvold had the clincher
put on the vote and today the bill will
be in the house for consideration.
Cigarette Bill Passed But is Recon-
sdered.
When House Bill 67 was placed on
its third reading, Senator Jacobson
asked that the bill go over for day,
but Senator Ellingson objected. Mr.
Jacobson offered a motion that it go
over, but it did not receive a second.
rThnn Copotor HJop1ov offorod tho m n