Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1915-07-15
IMMIGRATION BIZ.
HELD NOT SUSPENDED
Opinion Of Atty. Gen. uade Says
Referendum Is Defective.

Bismarck, N. D., July 13.-Attor-
ney General Linde has given a writ
ten opinion that the referendum pc
tition as relating to senate bill 1874,
the immigration bill, was not suffi-
cient, holding that neither of the pc
titions presented had enough sigma
lures to refer it to vote of the peo-
pie in the fall of 1916.
The attorney generals opinion is
as follows in reply to a request from
the governor.
To Governor L. B. Hanna,
Bismarck, North Dakota:
Dear Sir: Pursuant to your letter
of July 9, requesting my opinion as
to the present status of the various
appropriations providing for immi-
grafton and also the effect of the at
tempted suspension of senate bill No.
1914, being an act creating state
board of immigration, caused to be
made a complete investigation of the
various acts appropriating money for
this purpose, and also the petitions
porting to refer and suspend senate
bill 1914 aforesaid.
From such investigation it appears
that in counting the signatures on
the referendum petitions relating to
this particular bill, the secretary OF
state added together the names ap-
pearing upon two separate and Who'll
ly distinct petitions, to-wit, one
which seeks to refer the whole bill,
the other which seeks to refer solely
the section of the bill appropriating
money.
In my opinion, this is wholly i'm
proper, and as the total number OF
signatures attached to each separate
petition is insufficient to make up the
percentage required by the constitu-
tion, am of the opinion that the at
tempt to refer senate bill 1874 failed
and that said act is now in full force
and effect. From the foregoing it is
quite clear that the immigration ap-
preparation is to be determined by
the provisions of senate bill 1914, as
the bill appropriates specific sum
and expressly repeals all prior acts
dealing with the same subject.
Respectfully submitted.
Signed HENRY J. L1NDE,
Attorney General.
Calls for $6O, 900.
The appropriation in the bill calls
for the spending of $4,000 in 1915
for immigration into. the state and
for spending $4,000 in 1916 for the
same purpose, the expenditure to be
done by a board of five members,
consisting of the governor, secretary
of state, commissioner of agriculture
and labor, president of the railroad
commission and the attorney gener-
al. The board is to appoint "com-
. missioner of immigration as gener-
al executive agent of the board, also
special agents who may visit other
states or foreign countries in the line
of their work.
The commissioner and agents shall
collect statistics regarding lands and
resources of the state and spread the
knowledge of the same. The pay of
the commissioner and agents is to be
determined by the board.
The petitions to refer this bill
were circulated by the Society of
Equity and F. o. Hellstrom, and be-
cause they have not worded alike,
the attorney general holds the two
petitions as separte docum<nts to be
insufficiently signed, although both
petitions, taken together and circu-
lated for the same purpose, have
more than enough signatures attach
ed to refer the bill to the people
for approval in 1916. ....
1t is reported that as soon as the
immigration board begins to put the
bill into effect, court proceedings will
be commenced to prevent it.