The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-03-04
YOu win be Pleased With Or
Fargo, N. D.
riod Of 1907 and 1908.
Tax Commission.
Manufacturing Opticians

riod of 1907 and 1908.
Tax Commission.
In reference to the tax commission,
we find that all members have, given
their time to the work of the Office,
One member, r. e. Packard, is con-
nected with The Bismarck Times and
writes ONE of it's editorials, but the
other members of the commission are
engaged in no other profession or oc-
cupation, and each one of them states
that Mr., Packard has attended to his
duties as tax commissioner in a thor
ough and conscientious manner, and
that he has performed his full share
of the labors OF the Office. However,
we doubt the wisdom OF the head Of
any department being actively en-
gagged in writing editorials for, his
own or any other newspaper, and
recommend that such practice be dis
continued, and that appropriate legis-
lation be enacted to meet such con-
ditions. b
State Engineer.
In regard to the state engineers Of
fee, your committee finds, that the
law says that the state engineer shall
engage in private practice. We
find that he has engaged in private
practice, in that he has acted as city
engineer for the city of Bismarck,
and that he has rendered services
and received compensation for such
services from private practice From
such evidence as we have been able
to obtain, it appears to your commit
tee that such services have been in
the way of advising, consulting and
directing, and they do not seem to
have interfered with his duties as
state engineer. The salary of state
engineer Is $4,000 per year. which is
rather small for a highly trained off,
cial. Mr.. Atkinson showed your COM
that he had expended some
moneys from his private purse for the
benefit of the state and he feels he
should have the benefit of this pri-
Vate practice. However, it appears to
your committee that such Is contrary
law and If your honorable body
deem it wise that the state engineer
continue to engage in such prt-
vate practice, the law should be
amended to that effect.
Secretary of State.
In investigating the office OF the
secretary Of state your committee
finds: That section ID of chapter 6. Of
the 1911 session laws provides that the
secretary of state shalt pay to the
treasurer of each county the
received by him from hat county un-
der the provisions of the said chapter,
deductfng therefrom the cost OF
tags and registration. The matter Of
clerk hire was taken up by the state
auditing board and was discussed in
formally and. it was decided that the
necessary clerk hire should be de-
Quoted from the funds. It was impos-
sible to follow strictly the letter of
the law in the matter Of distributing
the funds. as the expenses for the
whole year would have to be c~alculat-
ed and a pro rata deducted before any
distribution could be made. This was
a difficult matter to ascertain in the
first year that the law was in opera
ton and as a consequence the dis
tribution. was not made until ~
October, 1911 .$14,46S.45
Dec. 30. 1911 s'fV s,$S
In 1912 the distributions were made
as follows:
April /. 1912 9S0.40
April 30 1912 .....!..r..... 2,427.60
May, 1912 ........ ........,. 268.S0
June 3, 1872 .,.......,.... S,745.SO
June 5. 1912 .............. 4,509.S0
July 10. 1917 .............. 2,977.2O
Aug. L 1912 1,586.S0
December 16. 1912 .....,...... 1880
These moneys were carried on de-
post in the City Normal bank of Bis
marck under the name of P. D. Nor
ton, secretary of state, motor vehicle
license fund. The average daily bal
ance for the whole time up to Jan.
/, 1913, was $4,I8S.71. In the opinion
of the committee the law should be
amended so. as to provide that all
funds collected. from this. motor
vehicle license should be paid into
the state treasury and 4appoftioned
-, - o.J ~ 49, sEHa - -%,Az .a,.ssA1. - a.
various counties after the necessary
expenses required by law have been
deducted. Your committee finds that
whereas. there is no. provision of law
requiring. the. secretary of state to
make a report Of the motor vehicle
license fund, nevertheless he did make
such detailed report for the years
1911 and 1912 and filed them with
the, state auditor. These reports
were checked by the examiners Of
flee and the report for 1911 was aud
tied by the state auditing board. Your
committee finds further than on or
about Oct. %, 1912, the secretary of
state did purchase the plain white
2 cent envelopes and that the same
were used by his sister, Mary Norton,
to send out campaign literature; that
the reason for such use of the said
envelopes, was that envelopes of that
size could not be obtained at that time
campaign literature was to be of any
value to p. ID. Norton it had to be
sent out immediately. Your commit
tee finds that Miss Mary Norton did
on the 4th day OF Nov.
on Nov. A following issue her check
to Mr.. Anderson, the chief clerk,
in the office of the secretary of
state for the sum of $125 and Mr..
Anderson cashed the check on Nov.
4 at the First National bank of BIS
marck and out of the proceeds there
of purchased 5000 2 cent envelopes
to take the place Of those used by
Miss Norton in sending out her broth
er's campaign literature; that the said
envelopes purchased by Mr.. Anderson
were turned over to Mr.. TousIey whC
has charge of the supply department
of the secretary of states Office.
Later in the afternoon, Chairman
Watt Of the committee named to in
vestigate the office of the Commission
err Of agriculture and labor, submitted
a report relating TO the affairs OF
Commissioner Gilbreath's Office. Some
discrepancies were found in connec-
ton with the North Dakota Industrial
exposition. and errors In the report OF