The Devils Lake world and inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1915-1920, 1915-03-04
Not Swamped With
Bills at the Close
APPROPRIATIONS HELD DOWN
Measures Providing for the Expendi
lures Of the State Are Within
Estimated Revenues.

L oul GCI1li lCS oooSA1DiJ oiS
upon us, when conference committees
and strife are the order of the day.
and when no one man knows what
the result will be after the Gavel has
tapped for the last time, it is just as
well to take it calmly and await with
patience to see what Of good and OF
profit the session will throw forth
to us-and what of evil and of IN
p,Oitableness. 1t is evident at this
date that this session will have been
remarkable for Two things at least
provided the program goes as plan.
ned to the last day-and these two
things are: Cleaning up the work
without the usual last night session
when 200 bills are made laws almost
mechanically, and delivering to the
governor a set Of appropriation meas
ures that bring the expenditures OF
the state within the estimated rev.
enues
i. :. !.
AS to Investigations-It might be
pJNSlDlt W tidllll lHd VIC CALCllC VI
the Investigations held this session
we're greater than any previous SEES
sion, but in number they fall below
those held in 1913. Indeed, the pres
ent session has had but three major
Investigations: The board of control
Of penal and charitable institutions.
tie state tax commission and the
state bank examiner. To this might
be added the financial investigation
as to the needs and requirements OF
the various departments Of govern.
ment, officers, boards and commits.
sions, made by the Lathrep commit
tee. But the Investigations Of thi:
committee were not the result of any
charges, but were rather in the Ma
ture of a search FOR information sc
that the cuts in appropriations made
necessary by the states financial con
dition should harm no important part
Of the government OF the state. The
committee investigating the board OF
control has not made its report pub
lie. Evidence given at the hearing
is now bcins given to the public
through the columns Of the press and
from q readin. OF this public opinion
seems inclined to believe that the
cruz of the matter lies in the word
"~emerpency.' and that sam Crabbe
the engineer. actually received $40.
50@ for his services when the law pro
viGed that such an officer should re.
ceile but $1:,00.
= :. =
The Tax Commission-The result
has been nil. Two reports were
made, neither of which agreed will,
each other or in the nature of their
recommendations. Meantime the bill
reducing the commission to a mem
bership of n mar has passed the
senate and now lies in a house com
mittee, where it is likely to stay un'
til dug out by On top OIL
this the appropriation committees
budget bill, carrying appropriations
for all state departments, significant
ly carries a sufficient amount to carry
on the business with one commission
er! This bill has passed the house
At this distance from the finish il
looks as though the three-man ia,
commission were doomed.
X + T.
The Bank Examiner-Inasmuch a!
the committee did not get down to ar
actual hearing of the charges agains'
the examiner until the ffty-first da.
of the session and promises to take
some time no report can be expected
Mr. Youmans of Minot, whose bool
brought about the demand for an in
vestigation, has been on the stand
being examined by Tracy Bangs O
Grand Forks, whom he has employed
to protect his interests at the hear
ing. He will be cross-examined OF
behalf of the state by the attorne!
general. Full stenographic report o
the proceedings is being taken ant
should make interesting reading, ever
though the result is, Is anticipated
an ex%oneration of the bank examine,
with a warning to Mr.. Youmans no
to let it happen again.
! i !.
Woman Suffrage-The ladies' VIII
want the vote have about decided
some of them with tears-that tn
senate is a most u~nchivalrous body
Not long ago it passed the Bronson
resolution to amend section 1872 o
the constitution 10 as to leave out tn
word male" in the description o
persons entitled to vote, and this b!
q vote of two to one It had sent thu
resolution to the house and tn
house had referred it to the commit
toe on elections. The senate, beint
up to date, has a committee on won
an suffrage-while the house strug
giles along antiquatedly with a mer'
committee on elections. The com
mittee on elections having plenty o
ether business on hand took NO &C
ton on the resolution, and a weel