The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-01-31

tisan Publishing Co. does not own o.
hold any stock in that corporation?
A. The Nonpartisan Publishing Co
| advanced the money to buy the stock
@. I am not asking you that.
A. don't know that The Nonpar-
tisan Publishing Co. does not owr
Q. Don't you know that the sworn
statements of The Courier-NeWs on
| file in the capitol in April, 1917. and
in October, 1917, are to the effect that
shows the names of the holders OF
stock, over 1 per cent Of the stock,
and that The NOnpartisan Publishing
Co. Is not shown as either a stock
holder or bondhOlderF Don't you know
that to be a fact?
A. No, don't know IL TO be a fact,
though IL may be a fact
.. SO when you testified the last
time that The Nonpartisan Publishing
papers and that you were paid 800 a
month for directing the policy. of
those papers you were mistaken.
weren't you?
a. II you are correct. was.
y. Who pays you that 500 q
a. | get it from the publishing
9. From The Nonpartisan Publish
ing Co?
Q. So you claim. as / understand
you, that you don't know what the
facts are with reference to that COur-
ier-News?
in the matter. ! know in effect the
publishing company owns The Cour-
ter-News.
Q. In effect they do2
.. And the fact is that despite the
grr ct h1v nF
that back of 1t all lies real owner
ship vested i'm these two men, Mr..
Wood and Mr.. Fox?
.. So that the sworn statement
does not represent the true situation
as 1t actually exists? Is that the fact!
A. Yes.
q. You know as a matter OF fact
that Mr.. Wood and Mr.. Fox own that
paper through their partnership?
A. l know as matter OF fact that
The Nonpartisan Publishing Co. ad-
vanCed the money TO buy that paper
and that they do own The Courier
News stock. Any temporary arrange
ments / don't know about.
1t was a matter OF common knowl-
edge. said Mr.. Towniey. that S5 OF
the league membership goes to The
Nonpartisan Leader as the price for
subscription.
That means you have turned over
S750,O00 to The Nonpartisan Publish
ing CO.." asked Mr.. Murphy.
No II doesn't mean that" replied
Mr.. Townley.
Further questioning developed that
the money hasn't been turned over
to the publishing company except as
the latter required IL, payments being
made by Mr.. TOwnley and the com
mittee.
There's a very close association
between the league and the publish
ing COmnaF1w nNnlainnd Mr. T0Hnlnw
A J. Fox is not practical news
paper man, is hep asked Mr.. Murphy.
No, he's practical organizer" SIND
Mr.. Wood, the other member of the
was described as a
farmer and game warden.
The testimony further revealed the
fact that Mr.. TOwnley has the author
ity to give or withhold from the pub
fishing company the $75O,O00 set apart
from the membership dues for sub
scriptions to The Leader.
Weed Never Invested n Dollar.
Edwin Wood was also called to the
stand to testify with respect to his
pany. He said ne had known FOX
about six months prior to the time
the partnership was launched.
He said he had nothing to do IL
rectly with the publications, and that
he had spent the last year on his farm
near Deering, and that Fox was or
ganiZing for the league.
I'VE leave IL to the employees" eK-
planned Mr.. Wood, when asked how
the business was conducted.
IF any money is made. it is used In
the interests of the NOnpartisan
league" Mr.. Wood further explained
when asked IL he ever received any
of the profits obtained by the co-part-
nership in its publishing business.
The conversion of profits to the
league would meet with his approval
continued Mr.. Wood.
He said he had no agreement, ana
nothing to show ownership OF the
paper.
i have stock in The Courier-News."
he said in response to another in
Quiry.
IN The Courier-News?"
1T IS in my NAME" he explained.
That he never put a dollar of his
into the publishing business
was a further admission when he ex-
planned that The CouTier-NeWs was
worth about $4,000 to $4,000, but he
couldn't make any estimate OF the |
value Of The NOnpartisan Leader.
1T has been growing, but 1 don't |
know" he said.
JAS q matter OF fact, you don't |
know anything about it?' he was |
asked.
1T is being run by myself and Mr.. |
Fox"
Then ne went on to say that he had |
never given an order to anybody con-
nected with the concern, and said that /
Mr.. TOWnley was running the paper. /
When asked about the advertising /
business, Mr.. Wood said he imagined 4
the paper was getting considerable
advertising.
The situation with respect to The
was cleared up further
by Mr.. Lemke's examination, when it
was brought out that Mr.. Fox and
Mr. Wood controlled The Courier.
News as individuals. instead Of as
co-partners.
Referee OHare asked If the money
vas advanced by the league to Fox
md Wood to take over The Nonpar-
.isan Leader and The Courier-NeWs-
L was explained by Mr.. Townley that
he publishing company, not the
eague, advanced money to buy The
Courier-News.
"The papers are owned by the CO
by the league" ex-
planned the witness.
Mr.. Townley denied that the re-
ently incorporated brIquetting com
,any had any connection with the
eague. Explaining the fact, Mr..
7ownlsy said he had been out OF tho
tate three weeks.