The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-01-10
Governor Thinks NoPerson
or Faction Cares to In
crease Expense
MANY ISSUES ARE
BEING DISCUSSED
AT Capitol There Is a Pro
nounced Feeling of
Uncertainty
(By H. D. PAULsoN.)

Bismarck, n. D., Jan. 10
Confidence that the forthcoming
extraordinary session of the North
Dakota legislature, called by Gov.
Lynn J. Frazier to convene on
Wednesday, Jan. %. will not be an
extended affair, exists at the state
capital, mainly because there seems
little likelihood that any member of
the assembly, or any group in either
house, will be willing to accept
responsibility for keeping the legis-
lators at Bismarck any longer than
is absolutely necessary TO deal with
those problems that will be presented
by the state executive as so urgent
in their nature as to require immedi-
ate attention. In a few quarters
there are rumors of proposed extenr
sive Investigations of the conduct of
several state departments, and pro-
posed reopenings of questions left
unsettled by the assembly during its
regular session last winter.
Bismarck, where things are nat
urally quiet during. the winter
months, is keen for a session that
would keep the legislators at the
capital for no mean stay. At the
capitol building, among state officers,
there lis no disposition to keep the
legislators any longer than the
administration believes is absolutely
necessary.
Governor Frazier has indicated
his belief that the matters he will
present in his message, can and
should be taken care of within three
or four days at the outside, being
hopeful that the legislature will ad-
journ by the Saturday evening fol-
lowing it's assembly.
With the seed grain and feed issue
as the peg upon which the special
session has been hung, the past "A
hours has witnessed developments
that are practically certain of extend
ing the field of legislative operations
to no mean degree. or primary inn
portance is the program of financing
the state asylum for the insane, and
the state board of control is in ses-
sion in jamestown today to study the
financial needs of the institution, to
the end that it may be in position to
recommend to Governor Frazier
some definite steps to relieve the
existing money shortage.
Capital city rumors Of pending
Investigations run to about every
department in the capitol building.
The recent action of the attorney
general, William LANCER, in begin
ming action in the supreme court
to compel payment of the supreme
court justices of the $500 annual
expense fund, provided for by
statute, has created no small ruction
within the Nonpartisan ranks here,
in view of the fact that the three
Nonpartisan elected justices-L. =.
Birdzell, r. III. Grace and j. T.. Robin
son-were elected on a platform that
specifically declared they would not
accept the $500 expense money which
Nonpartisan campaign literature and
Nonpartisan speakers branded as
pure graft.
Since the three justices have been
in office, they not only did not refrain
from making a request for the $500
expense fund, but Joined in petit
ton with Justices A. A. Bruce and A.
NJ. Christianson, demanding that the
state auditor. Karl Kositzky pay the
fund to them. He declined. Their
cause was championed by the Nom
partisan elected attorney general, and
the issue is now in the hands of the
court, in which Justice Robinson is
the only supreme court member
participating, the others being dis
trict court judges.
There are a few Nonpartisan sup
porters and Nonpartisan elected Off
GERS around the capitol who are open
in their disapproval Of the stand
taken by the three league justices,
and the attorney general, and they
were talking yesterday of the intro
duction in the special session Of
bill repeating the expense fund meas
ure.
Recognition For Home Guard.
The proposition that the state give
recognition to the home guards
also will come before the assembly.
The war broke out after the last
adjourned, and Governor
Frazier has withheld recognition
from the guards, holding that he
cannot give recognition to them un~
der present laws.
At Minot, several days ago, Gov
ernor Frazier was quoted as being
opposed to the organization of home
guards, insisting that they were not
required.
May Ask Action on Amendments.
Action on the federal prohibition
will be demanded by the
more pronounced members of the
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