Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-01-25
GOV. STEWART
CRITICIZED BY
DRAFT BOARDS
Controversy Over paid Pa
triotism" Taken up by
County Officers.

Missoula. Jan. 25.-Montana county
clerks and sheriffs. ex-otiicio MEM
bers of the draft boards in their re-
spective counties. threshed out the
matter of paid patriotism" with Gov
n S. V. Stewart here yesterday at
the annual convention of the county
officials of the state.
The clerks and shcriffs took the
stand that the governor and Phil
Greenan, adjutant general, left them
holding the sack" by remaining silent
when draft officials, who claimed pay
for h services were attacked as
paid patriots" They asked the gov
ernor to state his opinion Of their
claims.
You were strictly within your legal
rights when you made your claims"
said the governor to the officials. II
appreciate the work which you nave
done. l know hat many of you have
actually made sacrifices of labor and
expenses. and ! am sure hat no one
received more than was his due
In an interview later Governor
Stewart said that he had discussed
only the legality of the claims, not
the ethics of the case.
None of the officials can be ac-
cused of grating. Their claims were
absolutely legal" he said. "As to the
ethical problem involved, that is a
matter which individuals had to de-
termine."
Adjutant General Greenan, whom
the officials had urgently requested
In a telegram to attend the meeting,
sem word that he was unable to come
to Missoula.
The conference was tinged with bit
terness. Spokesman for clerks and
sheriffs said hat they had been put
in a false light and the governor
should have explained the legality of
the claims for pay at the outset.
The general meetings Of the con-
v%ention today were devoted to discus
sions of tax problems. Classification
of property for purposes Of taxation
was urged as an improvement over
of Butte. member of the state tax
commission; G. II. Martien, Lewis and
Clark county assessor. and II. L. Hart
state treasurer. All of these speakers
condemned the present tax system
and Leonard and Hart appealed for
a permanent tax commission.
Attorney General S. C. Ford also
suggested a permanent tax commits
sion and declared in response to
believed the railroads of the state
were not paying their share of the
taxes and hat he felt the state board
Of equalization had not fulfilled its
promise to the assessors to tax the
lines at their full cash valuation.
Governor Stewart in his address be-
fore the whole convention, commend
ed Montana's response to the patri-
otto demands made by the war, prais-
ed the draft boards Of the state with
out reservation for loyal co-opera-
ton" n warned the county officials
to be prepared to crush treason with
in the state and especially to curb any
outbreaks by the 7. w. w.
Officers were elected by the com.
missioners and the treasurers. They
are: Commissioners. W. L. Collins
Deer Lodge county. president; c. NJ
Simonson. Silver Bow county first vice
president; Emil Kiechbusch, Broad
water county. second vice president;
G. +. Peterson. Missoula county, sec.
rotary; w. H. Biggs. Lewis and Clark
county, treasurer.
Treasurers-Lee Dennis, Cascade
county. president; P. J. Finnegan
Deer Lodge county, secretary and
treasurer.
The convention will adjourn today