Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-07-14
HALL BLUNDERED
WHEN He FILED
TWO PETITIONS
Attempt to Pull Equity and Hells.
from Chestnuts
Fails
APPROPRIATION OF
$6C,0oO EFFECTIVE
Secretary of State Is
Speeches.; Says He Is Feel
ing Badly.

Somewhere the band is playing, but
in Thomas Halls office yesterday
there was nothing but the chilling
chatter of Il told you so" ..~,.
Mr.. Hall was not in evidence yes
tcrday afternoon when the news
broke that Attorney General Linde
had held that the immigration bill was
not referended, despite the heroic ef-
forts of the light brigade under the
command of Field Marshal Thomas
Hall and General John Andrews to
pull the chestnuts of the Equity orga-
nization and of F. o. Hellstrom from
the fire.
Just Feeling Badly, Thank You.
Mr.. Andrews was asked If he had
anything to say yesterday in the alb
sence of his chief. The Tribune re-
porter caught what was cross be-
tween a grunt and sigh. Being
pressed further, Mr.. Andrews admit
ted that he was not feeling very well.
Attorney General Linde yesterday
wrote a letter to Governor l.. 3.
Hanna, informing him that Mr. Hall
had improperly Joined the two peti.
tions, and that such action was null
and void, and, in his opinion, the law
creating the immigration commission
was in full force and effect.
The letter follows:
Dear Sir:
Pursuant to your letter of July
9th, requesting my opinion as to the
present status OF the various apprO-
priations providing for immigration
and also effect of the suspension OF
Senate bill 1874. being an act creatin.
The state board of immigration.
Complete Investigation.
Il caused to be made a complete
of the various acts ap-
money for this purpose
and also the petitions filed with the
secretary of state, purporting to refer
and suspend senate bill 1914 afore-
said.
prom such investigation there now
appears, in counting all the signatures
on the referendum petitions, with re-
spect to this particular bill, the sec.
retary Of state added together the
names appearing upon two separate
and wholly distinct petitions, to wit:
one which seeks to refer the whole
bill, the other which seeks to refer
solely the section of the bill appre-
priating money.
Wholly Improper. sE.,,
"ln my opinion this is wholly i'm
proper, and as the total number Of
signatures attached to each separate
Dill is wholly insufficient to make up
the number required by the consti-
tuition, | am Of the opinion that the
attempt to refer senate bill 1875 fails,
and that this act is in full force and
effect.
From the foregoing it is quite
clear that the immigration appropri-
alton is to be determined by the pro-
visions of senate bill 1874, as this bill
a specific sum and ex-
pressly repeals all prior acts dealing
with the same subject"
Will Call Board Together.
1t is believed that Governor Hanna
upon his return will call
4 meeting of the commissions which
IS composed of Governor L. B. Hanna.
H. j. Linde, attorney general; r. F.
Flint, commissioner of agriculture;
". H. Stutsman. chairman of the state
railroad commission, and Thomas
Hall, secretary of state.
The action of Mr.. Hall is regarded
IN some circles as deliberate effort
o curry favor with the Equity orga.
lization, which has been training its
guns upon Mr. Linde, Governor Hanna
and most of the state administration.
Called Them Rotten"
1t was recalled in this connection
hat Mr.. Hall was one of those who
participated in the Equity meeting at
he Commercial club last winter, when
George Lotus gave his so-called "roll
,all.' At that time Mr.. Hall stood at
he back f'the hall and cried. 'trotten,
'otten,' at one of the Equity speakers.
t is understood that he has since
made his peace with J. M. Anderson.
president of the organization, who
took Mr.. Hall to task publicly for
lis act at the time. Many who at
ended the meeting recalled the Incl
lent plainly yesterday
Failure to Get Opinion.
Most of the criticism. centered yes