The Devils Lake world and inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1915-1920, 1917-12-06
ACCUSED or IMPROPER WEIGH
ING AND GRADING AND MUST
ANsWER TO COMMISSION.
HAPPENINGS At STATE HOUSE
Whst North Dakota onBo,a,s Are %.
Inc In Administrator q Lave
IN the Different Depart
ments at Dlsmarok.


buyers for the Victoria Elevator com.
pany, and R. A. Rasmussen Of Paler
mo. H. ]. Arnold. Of Stanley, buyers
for independent elevator companies,
have been cited by the North Dakota
railway commission to appear before
It to show cause why license as dep
uty state inspectors, weighers aad
graders should not be revoked under
the new grain grading act. Com
plant against the five named was
made by ]. A. McGovern, chief dep.
uty inspector OF weights, grades and
measures.
Ask Mandamus Writ.
The long drawn out fight over the
supreme court %judgeships of, North
Dakota took a new angle when Attor-
ney General William LANCER filed q
petition with the supreme court in be-
half Of the five judges asking issuance
of a writ of mandamus to compel Karl
Kositsky, state auditor, to pay the
Judges $1,000 which they claim is due
them for travelling expenses. It is
their contention that the act of 1907
allows each one $500 a year for ex-
penses.
Inasmuch as the majority Of the
Judges in the court could be charged
with prejudice in the matter, the at
torney generals application will be
argued before a provisional court of
district Judges.
II will fight the matter through the
courts" the auditor said, in reply to
the attorney generals petition. He
intlmated that he will ask the court
to permit him to conduct the case in
behalf of what he termed the "Peo.
pie"
Refuses to Pay Big Bill.
Some of our state departments
seem to have gained the impression
that money grows on trees in this
state" said State Auditor Kositzky,
as ne pigeon-holed a bill from a high
priced firm of Chicagosengineers call
ing for part payment on a public util-
ities survey. The bill was for $4,000;
it represented just half of the contract
price, and the attorney general had
been asked that it be paid out of his
legal expense fund. State Auditor
Kositzky fails to see where this item
can be listed as legal expense in the
attorney generals Office. If any state
department has a right to contract
for such a survey" said the auditor,
al think it would be the tax commits
sion.
Rate Hearings Postponed.
The railway commission has an
nounced the postponement of all
North Dakota commodity rate hearings
until after the Federal rate hearing
on the railways petition for a general
advance has been held at Washington
on December II. The state board, it
is announced, will take steps to have
North Dakota represented at the
Washington hearing in order that the
states interests may be protected.
"Rates in North Dakota already are
much higher proportionately than in
other states," said a member of the
board. This fact has Disseminated
against North Dakota jobbing and
wholesaling institutions in favor of
the Twin Cities and we do not feel
that we should be compelled to stand
for a still further advance"
?iany Bills; Funds Low.
There have accumulated in the
state auditors Office bills approved by
the state auditing board calling for
S350,000, and there are no funds with
which to pay them. The state auditor
has been very diligent in collecting
delinquent taxes and increasing the
states revenues wherever possible.
but at this moment the income is
about a third million behind the out
60, and the state auditor has put a
substantial foot down very fatty.
Elevators May Lose License.
Tens Of thousands of bushels of No.
1 dark northern spring, averaging as
high Is 81 per cent hard wheat, has
been sold as northern spring, under
subclass 2 of the North Dakota grain
grades, at a loss of 4 cents the bushel
to the farmer, declared j. A. Meow
ern, chief deputy grain inspector. The
farmers lack of knowledge of the new
grain grades has been taken advan-
tage of at his expense, asserts Nh.
McGovern. Under the old classified
ton northern spring was the highest
grade and many farmers do not rea
lie that the new c~lassifications place
No. 1 northern spring in the second
division, where it sells at 4 cents per
bushel less than No. 1 dark northern
spring.
To Reclaim Valley Land. .. =.
Herbert A. Hard, secretary of the
North Dakota reclamation commits
sion, left Bismarck with the govern.
or's assurance of $4,000 more with
which to carry on the preliminary
work with a view to retaining hun
dreds of thousands of acres of valu'
BILE agricultural country in the Red
River valley. The states continued
support more than $4,000, fol
the evidence Of interest which the
commonwealth has given in this prof
ect will assure Federal assistance to
the extent Of $4,000 pledged by Carl
Vrooman, asst. seo Of agriculture