Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-02-10

Scores Probe
Committee

The following is the text of the af.
fidavft which is to be presented to
the house today by the tax commits.
sion, in which that commission charg-
es the special joint committee of the
legislature which was appointed to
investigate the tax commission with
acting in bad faith:
Stata of North Dakota, County of
Burfeigh, IS. "-
F. E. Packard, George E. Wallace
G. X. Kositzky, E. D. Guild and L.. A.
Baker, being each first duly sworn
upon his oath deposes and says as fol
lows II .s5-'. -
That the said F.. T.. Packard anG
George =. Wallace are members OF
the North Dakota Tax Commission
that G. r. kositzky is secretary there
of; that r. d. Guild is the expert 40
colntant thereof and that IL. A. Baker
is the chief clerk r..
Atlantis each for themselves swear
that resolution was introduced into
and passed iby the Fourteenth legisIa-
tive assembly to inquire into and
probe the affairs of the tax commits
sion, more particularly in respect to
the work that said commission had ac-
complished in increasing the revenues
Of the state of North Dakota.
In accordance with such resolution,
Senators Heckle, Young and Jacob
son were appointed from the senat,
and Representatives Baldwin, Kellogg
and Burgett were appointed from the
house. That the said committee as
such has never investigated the ar
fairs of the tax commission as pro-
vided in such resolution, nor not at
all, and that Senator Heckie and Rep
resentative Burgett are unknown to
each of aftiaIts, they never having
made the acquaintance of either OF
said members OF said Fourteenth leg
islative assembly.
Atlantis swear that neither of said
members Of such committee have
been in the office OF the tax commits
sion in their official capacity or 9th
erwise to their knowledge. Senator
Young has personally been present on
several occasions during which time
he obtained a statement of the cost
of the commission from It's inception.
At least one other time he came to
the office of the commission, waiting
for the rest of the committee to ap-
pear, and they failing to arrive he
himself departed.
Senator jacobson has not been in
the Office to do any investigating. He
appeared once before the members OF
the commission. incidentally. to ex-
plain that he had to attend commit
tee meeting and that 1t was impo,,
sible for him to do any work.
Representatives Kellogg and Bald
win have been present on several oc-
casions and have looked into some OF
the work done b. the commission.
However, both of these latter gentle
mel did this work more in the nature
cf preliminary work. expecting that
the committee would organize and
that the balance of the members
thereof would come to the offices or
The tax commission to complete their
work.
At the request of members of the
said committee, the records of the
tax commission were classified and
segregated and a statement typewril-
zen and fastened to each class or
work, stating what work had been
lone by the commission and that the
proofs of such work would be found
n the records to which such state.
nent was attached. The Office has
,een in this condition for two weeks,
waiting the action of the investiga:-
ng committee; that the records
which have been separated and seq
'egated as Aforesaid are in the GUS
ody of l.. A. Baker, as such CHIEF
'lerk, and he personally swears tina;
10 member of any investigating com
nittse has ever taken possession OF
such records except as is above set
orth with reference to Representa-.
i've Baldwin and Kellogg; that neith-
Continued on Page Two.)