The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1919-03-14

e-man legislation which can only
'rogram, Of which these bills, de-
l, form no part.
tate, is known to have expressed
asions, but he was out of the city
'ed.
kositzky Speaks
| II am opposed to the board of adj
ministration bill, the printing bills,
the judicial redistricting bill and the
commissioner of immigration BILL"
said State Auditor Carl R. Kositzky
today.
II do not believe this state needs
three more judges, increasing the ex-
pense for salaries alone by $4,000 a.
year, any more than wagon needs q
fifth wheel. All of the judicial busi-
ness of the state was handled for
almost two years past by eleven
Judges. With the return of Judge
| Hanley we now have our full QUOTA
OF twelve once more. This judicial
redistricting bill would give US fif-
teen.
II know that several other mem
ers of the administration feel as
do about these measures"
To Initiate Act.
There is being advocated the initia-
| tiOn of an act relating to the man
ner Of paying and auditing claims
against the state OF any utility, indus
try, enterprise or business project
owned controlled or operated by the
state. This act has already been
drafted, and it reads as follows:
"Be it enacted by the people of the
state of North Dakota:
Section mo money shall be
! paid out of the state treasury from
any fund whatsoever, or from the
funds created for the purpose Of con-
ducting and maintaining any state
owned utility, industry, enterprise or
business project. except upon the
warrant of the state auditor, and not
| until proper claims have been pre-.
sented. audited. allowed and ordered
paid by the state auditing BOARD. COM
posed Of the governor, attorney gener-
al secretary of state state auditor
and state treasurer, or a majority
thereof. s8g 3E gE S38
"Section 2.-All acts and parts of
acts in conflict with the provisions Of
this act are hereby repealed" u
The petitions, now ready for circu-
lation,~. make L.. J. Frazier, William
LANCER, Thomas Hall, Carl r. Kositzky
and Obert A. Olson the committee for
the petitioners.
No Check Now.
"As the laws now stand on our
statute book the state has no check
of any kind upon the expenditure Of
$17,O0000O to be provided through the
sale of state bonds for the financing
OF various utilities and enterprises"
said Mr.. kostzky today.
1T is poor policy, if not absolutely
unconstitutional, to permit any repre-
sentatives of the state to expend
large sums Of money without making
any proper accounting therefor. The
people who furnish this money should
have right to know how it is ex-
pended; they should have positive
proof that it was expended as the
law intended. for the establishment
and operation of these state utilities
and enterprises and for no other
purpose. AS it now stands, neither
the $17,000,000 which are originally
appropriated to finance these enter
prises, nor any earnings which may
accrue from the operation of these
enterprises need be accounted for
through any of the regular channels.
These accounts should 60 before
the state auditing board and should
be approved in the usual manner, and
warrants should be drawn showing
just what the money is being spent
for, and these warrants should be
drawn only on order of the state aud
iting board, after it has satisfied It.
self that the claim is correct and just.
think it not only unwise but posi-
lively criminal to place at the dispOs-
al of any set of men, care not how
-principled they may be fund
of SIT 100000 to be expended without
an accounting to anyone. The people
have right to know that their mon
ey is being expended wisely. In view
of recent developments in connection
with privately promoted banks and
other utilities. feel that we have a
double reason to insist upon proper
accounting of every penny received
and expended by these state enter
prises."
One-Man Legislation.
II regard both the newspaper bills
and the board of administration bill
as most vicious type OF one-man
Legislation" declared Mr. Kositzky.
Neither, by any possible stretch OF
the imagination, can be considered
league measures. No league member
nor legislator ever thought of either
scheme until it was presented in cau-
Gus here. Each of these bills was con-
ceived and engineered through by one
man for his own individual benefit.
am ashamed to think that league
legislative body should have been mis-
used In so shameful a manner and
that there should now be made IN at-
tempt to impose upon the leaguers .
belief that this is legislation enacted
in their interest
Board of Adminissraelen Dill.
The board Of administration lam
HI int