Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-03-28
LANCER Ousted as Council
Isl. For Industrial Commission

in spite Of the fact that his assistant
has been circulating insinuations
against the bond acts, that SO far as
he. Mr.. LANCER. knows, the bond acts
are sufficient in every particular n
that he is ready at all times to defend
of the commission.
However, the industrial commits
sion Is charged with a grave respon-
sibility in the carrying out Of this
program for the people Of North Da- |
kota, and we cannot assume that re-
.sponslbility with any peace of mind
while our confidence in the attorneys
who are doing our legal work is not
complete. We are willing to take Mr..
Langer's assurances that he will dis
charge any assistant who again at
tacks h bond acts and that he means
to act in good faith toward the COM
mission for what these statements are
worth, but in addition to the under
hand work against the bond acts
Of which the attorney generals assist
ant has been guilty. which we have
observed with uneasiness, it is a fact
that Mr.. LANCER for some weeks has
been used by the interests and the
press opposed to the industrial pro-
gram as n means of discouraginG II
possible, the commissions work and
promoting a referendum government
WHICH IIlUSS IIllol SSlS ~ WIZ vi III
on to finally defeat, the industrial pro-
gram.
Must Protect Program
"Mr. LANCER at today's meeting Of
the commission, voluntarily, offered
| to employ in his office attorneys who
| assisted the legislature in drawing up
the bond acts (James Manahan and
William Lemke) n TO freely CO.
operate with them and back them up
Il, n ,,,o in y,rotorfinO. tho hnnH
issues and making the bank and in
dustrial program d, success. We are
| going to avail ourselves Of Mr.. Lang
cr's offer to this extent. Without re-
! Election upon his professions of be-
lief in the program or questioning the
honesty of the statement he made to
the board today. we are going to ap-
point an attorney for the bank Of
North Dakota. whose salary will be
provided for out of the bank appro-
priation. Although Mr.. LANCER Is
named in the commission act as at
/ torney for the commission. we have
authority in the bank act to name tho
legal counsel for the bank. In view
! Of MI. Langer's recent activities and
the confession of Mr.. Packard that
he has been circulatingS stories dam-
aging to the bond act, the industrial
commission feels that it must have
this special, Independent legal advice
from nov on in order to protect
thoroughly the interest of the people
of North Dakota who have voted for
this program the legislature which
has provided the bind issue, n other
necessary acts to carry it out. and
; ourselves on whom his tremendous
responsibility rests.
To Remain "Stcadfast."
w desire to assure the people Of
North Dakota who have so Loyalty
1t can work out this industrial pro-.
gram according to it's own peculiar
ideas. 1t is responsive to one but
the people and the legislature in an
official statement issued to the press
last night by Governor Frazier and
Commissioner Hagan, who constitute
the majority of the commission. The
following version of the affair Is
given:
Commissions Statement
The industrial commission today
was forced to confront Mr.. LANCER, a
member of the commission and its at
torney as guilty Of encouraging the
circulation of false stories which are
of the greatest possible damage to
the industrial program Of North Da-
kota, which this commission is in
structed by the people to carry out.
The attorney general a week ago said
his attention was called to this situa-
ton, but stories continued to be cir
culatcd and finally got into the press
hostile to the program.
and faithfully spent their money and
worked for years for the realization
Of this program that we will remain
true and steadfast to the trust that
they have imposed upon us; that we
will carry out this program to the
letter, having full faith in its neces-
sity to the state and in its success,
that we will proceed as rapidly as