The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1917-01-18
One Y. E. Man Out:
Another Gets Place
on Board Of Regents

J. Frazier this afternoon delivered a
broadside when he sent to the senate
a sealed message the names OF five
new members Of the state board OF
regents.
The present state board of regents
claims that the terms of only two OF
the members expire at the present
time.
The governor, it is said, upon the
advice of the attorney general, named
five on the ground that the appoint
ments Of the members of the present
board were not legal. 1t is said that
the attorney general holds hat the ap
pointments were not legal because
made before the act providing for the
state board of regents was passed.
Despite the fact that the governors
appointments were sent to the senate
in a sealed message and that the sen
ate acted upon them in eXs cutiye ses
sion, the action caused so much sur
prise that the matter leaked out anc
the news spread very rapidly.
The members of the present board
of regents are Lewis F. Crawford OF
Sentinel Butte, president; Frank
White of Valley City, vice president
DR.. L. ]. D. Taylor of Grand Forks
Emil Skow of Bowman, and }. A.
Bower of Leonard. The members OF
the present board hold that President
Crawford was appointed for term ex'
tending to 1921 and that the next two
named hold until 1919. The last two
members terms expire this year.
The law provides that the appoint
ments must be made by the governor
before Jan. Is of the year the terms
expire.
When the act creating the state
board of regents was passed IN l9l5'
the terms of officers were provided as
follows: the terms of two for two
years, of two for four years and OF
one for six years. Appointments for
the board were made, however, before
the act was passed. Governor Hanna,
it. is stated, sent the appointments to
the state senate on March 2, 1915, and
the act was not passed until March 4,
1915. The appointments were con-
firmed on March 5, 1915. 1t is for
this reason that the appointments Of
the present members of the board are
not considered legal.
According to reliable information
the appointments sent to the senate
this afternoon by Governor Frazier
are:
DR.. w. G.. Brown of Fargo for term
of six years.
Robert Muir of Sarles and Rev. c. E.
Vermilya of Valley City for term of
four wears each.
George Totten of Bowman and RIOS
coe beagle of Sawyer for terms OF
two years each.
Governor Frazier and Attorney Gen.
eral LANCER both refused to comment
on the matter of the appointments.
The board of regents is one of the
most important bodies of the state
government. It has control OF the
state educational institutions, includ-
ing the university of Grand Forks, the
college at Fargo, the nor
NAL schools at Valley City, Mayville
and Minot, the school of science at
Wahpeton, the industrial school at
Glendale and the school Of forestry
at Bottineau The state library COM
mission at Bismarck is also under its
montrol.
The message of the governor was
referred to the state affairs commit
tee, and report may be made Mon
day.
So great was the surprise in the SEN
ate when the message containing the
five appointments was received this
afternoon that committee was sent
to the governors office to confer with
him under the impression that, being
new in office, he had made mistake
The appointment may open legal
battle against the governors action by
the members of the acting board OF
regents.
Senators would not express their
opinion regarding the matter tonight
and it is not known what action that
body will take when the state affairs
committee makes its report. What
ever action is taken will take place in
executive session.