The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-02-16

a. believe The Leader. Is being
published on contract now.
c. am not asking about that.
am asking about the value Of this
own?
A. Well, haven't-The Leader has
been growing considerable and
haven't paid much attention to II. III
fact II is worth considerably more
than when IL was started.
Q. That may be true, but that
doesn't answer my question. AS
| matter OF fact you don't know any
thing about IT, do you, what il is
| worth, who is running II, how II IS
being run, who is financing II, what
4 the bills are, who are paying the bills
| or any OF the numerous details in
connection with the operation Of that
| institution?
A. know it is being run to suit
O. You haven't anything to say
about it?
A. Yes, sir.
@. Do you mean to say that you
and Fox could go down there and
FIRE anybody connected with both OF
those Institutions and take charge to-
morrow?
A. Not tomorrow, I don't suppose.
but as owners of the papers we could
Q. You don't intend to do that?
A. Not as long as the paper con-
tinues in its present capacity
O.. Do you ever dictate 70 these
gentlemen what you want done?
A. why, no. We make suggestions
once in while and they are acted on.
.. Now you stated when 1 was ex-
amining you that you were satisfied
with the way Mr.. Townley was run
ming the paper?
A. am.
.. And then Mr. Lemke brought
out Of you that you meant the Non
partisan league. You don't pay the
Nonpartisan league?
month";
A. Yes, sir .
Q. And he is the man you look TOT
A, Oh, / didn't understand his
question, exactly.
Q. You misunderstood Mr.. Lemke's
A. Yes, il I said that.
Recross-examination by Mr.. Lemke9
q, Do you mean the publishing
company is run in the interests OF
the National Nonpartisan Lacquer
A. Yes, that is what ! thought you
meant
Q. Has Mr.. Townley any financial
interest in that paper?
A. Not outside OF the 500 month
q. AS matter OF fact, is the rela-
ton between The Nonpartisan Pub
fishing Co. and the National Nonpar-
tisan league very close?
A Yes sir, very close.
Q. Practically one2
A. Yes, sir, l might say so.
A. 9, Townley, recalled as a wit
ness and testified as follows;
Mr.. Townley: The Nonpartisan
Leader was organized as a. co-part-
nership as a matter OF protecting the
members of the Nonpartisan league.
The Nonpartisan Leader has not been
league because IL would
have been easier for the enemies to
convince the members that they were
liable for all of the debts OF the or
Joined, and they would have been La
bic for the debts Of the organization.
Whenever any machinery is pur-
chased the manager Of the paper or
Mr.. Wood signs notes and the CO.
partnership is liable and nobody else
is liable. II the paper makes a mis-
take 1t Is the mistake of the paper
and not of the organization, and MI.
and no arrangement was made with
them to publish the paper because
they are newspaper men or publish
ars and have a wide experience, but
because they understand the purpose
for which this paper was to be run,
and will, in so far as their ownership
enables them, protect IL in serving
that purpose, and are not running the
paper for profit, but to serve the pur-
pose of this organization and protect
he organization. Mr.. Wood and Mr.
Fox are in a position. Just as you,
Mr.. Murphy, and anybody else, would
nand the whole SIS to take the paper
omorrow and run away with IT, OF
Ise Ii against the organization, but
my time they. did that their contract
would shortly expire.
Redirect examination by Mr.. MuF-
Thy:
Q. But the main purpose is to have
! nominal co-partnership for the pur-
'ose of fixing liability somewhere
A. Yes, sir.
O. But the intimate relations be-
ween the league and the PUBLISHING
are such that in everything
Except FORM the external form of the
hing, the league really owns the pa
ler2
A. That is practically correct but
lot actually correct.
Q. OF course your statement con-
aims the substance Of what your
ounsel and advisors have told you
he legal effect is?
A. Yes, and the psychological af~
ect on the membership. We bought
ONE machinery when we started 70
publish the paper, and If there was
ne there were twenty-five league
lembers came in and wanted to know
mo was in debt for that machinery
Iortgages had been hled and they
zanted to know II they had to pay
they had to pay they wouldn't have
tayed very long In the organization.
q. So you got UP this idea to eE-
ape this feature Of IL?
A. Yes, sir.
BY the referee:
Q. The only interest i see that
his proceeding has in The Nonparti-
an Publishing Co. Is whether or not
MS property of quite a value, The
bipartisan Leader and The Daily
ourier-News is i'm position that IL is
lst held nomtnally until such time
8 there is division made Of II, so
ia in he %
-ould set an interest in il. Are you
any time going to get an interest
j these properties2
A. Well. I have no arrangement
nd no understanding that / will
ther own The Nonpartisan Leader
: the league or the farmers that are
embers.
Q. Not the league. but The Leader
nd The Courter-NeWs?
A. ] have no arrangement
Q. And Mr.. Fox and Mr.. Wood and
le other stockholders OF The Cour-
r-Rews have acquired their rights
the paper just through--7just as
0lders for themselves to relieve the
ague from any liability?
a. AS holders for themselves.
hen we understood this enterprise
e had no knowledge whether IL
ould succeed or wouldn't. And if IL
Id not been success Mr.. Wood and
r. Fox would have been holding the
.ck for the machinery they bought
LhdL Eln1es
MT. Murphy;
@. As a matter of fact in the fall
1915 you had pretty good idea?
a. We were successful In this
easure that we had a half bushel
lBket Of post dated checks none Of
hich had been paid and which mo-
'dy said would be paid
q. But they were paid?
A. They were paid finally.
q. You had an idea they would be7
A. had very high hopes they
ould be paid.
9. a whole half bushel OF thsmg