The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-01-16
FRAZIER. S|LENT
ON POSSIBILITY
Of MORE SL|C|NG
Fact Comes Out That Governor
Had Asked Attorney General
I'd As TO Status
PRESENT REGENTS BOARD
TO MEET WEDNESDAY

While admitting that in his estima
tion Attorney General Langer's OpiI
ion declaring the offices of member
of the board Of regents vacant woul'
apply with equal force to members o
the board Of control, Governor Frazie
today declined to discuss possible
changes in the latter.
1t is understood that Saturdays ap
p0intments Of successors to present
members of the board of regents were
made hastily, as, while the governor
had had this action in view for some
time, he had overlooked the statutory
provision requiring that nominations
be submitted to the senate for confir
nation not later than Jan. Is. The
press is advised that not until the
very hour the governors sealed mes
sage went to the senate Saturday aft
ern0On was the personnel Of the new
board definitely determined.
Submits Opinion.
Governor Frazier yesterday sub
mitted to the senate Attorney General
Langer's opinion, in which the latter
reveals the fact that January II q
similar opinion was asked and given,
concerning the expiration of terms of
board of control members.
The attorney general Says with re-.
gard to members of the board of re-
gents: ION the second day Of March,
1915, Governor Hanna nominated the
present board. The law, however, was
not approved until March, 1915, and
consequently was not in full force and
effect until that date. In other words,
at the time the present board were
nominated by Governor Hanna, or
when he attempted to nominate such
board, no law authorizing such NOM
ination was in existence. and therefore
the senate had before it no proper and
legal nomination Of members Of the
board to whose appointment the senate
could consent. Consequently no men,
bers of the board we're thereby legally
appointed. Evidently the law had
been framed and the date of the first
appointment, March 2, 1915, fixed some
time prior in the session, with the ex-
pectation that it would reach the gov
ernor and be approved in time for him
to make the nominations on March 2,
1915, under d law in full force and ef'
feet. Such, however, was not the case,
and nothing has since occurred to rem
der the appointment of the present
board valid
"Under this view of the present sit
uation as to the board Of regents, 1t
is my opinion that there are no legally
appointed and acting members Of such
board at this time, and that vacancies
exist and should be declared by you
and such vacancies filled as to the
balance Of, the time from now until
July l, 1917. PSI
''Your present appointments, which
should be made before the 18th OF
January, 1917, should be five in num-
Der; two Of them should be appointed
for 4 period of six years, one for
period of four years. and two for
period OF two years, their terms CON-
mencing July /, 1917"
Board to Meet.
A meeting of the board of regents
which the governor seeks to depose
will be held at the board offices at 2
O'Clock Wednesday afternoon. The
members Of this board are Lewis F.
Crawford, Sentinel Butte, an alumnus
of Harvard, former superintendent Of
schools at Dickinson, and now presi
dent of a bank, of the Sentinel Butte
sadley and Of large ranching corpor.
alton near Sentinel Butte; Frank
White of Valley City, former COVER.
nor, In command of North Dakota
battalion in the PHILIPPINE service, and
former member of the legislature; DR..
J. D. Taylor Of Grand Forks, former
mayor of that city, for eight years
Of the senate, and pharma. |
cist and practicing physician in North
Dakota for IS years; Emil Scow of
Bowman, once famous Wisconsin cen.
ter and now prominent attorney in his
home district, and J. A. Power of Leon
ard, manager OF large livestock and
grain farming interests, son of for
mer president OF the North Dakota:
college, and a graduate
Of the Minnesota college of agricul-
tQre.
The New Men.
OF Governor Frazier's nominees, DR..
W. G. Brown is prominent and pop |