The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1919-12-06
LEGISLATURE IS
+ CONTINUING ITS
FIGHT ON LANCER
House Follows Up Senate Action
In Depriving Attorney
General of Powers
REFUSE TO FIRE HAGEN
Lawmakers Decline to Note Fact
That Convicted Felon Is
State Appointee
REFUSE TO FIRE HAGEN

ity, and that this bill was an effort I,
shut off the light. Burtness also at
tackled the bill, which was defended by
Speaker Stair. In the course Of his
remarks Twichell assured the major
ity that its program refcrended las;
June would not carry now, and he de-
clared the lcagucrs knew this to be Il
fact.
Representative Malone created q
sensation with a resolution accusing
newspaper men of lobbying and recon-
mending that they be required to re
main at their desks. His chgarcs, il
was discovered, arose from the fact
that two league newspaper men had
been summoned to one corner of the
house chamber by the special commit
tee investigating charges made Ivy
O'Connor against the Grand Fork:
American and the Courier-News. We
explained this fact, and the courtcsies
of the whole floor were again extended
the newspaper men by tabling Ma,
lonc's resolution.
The special committee headed by
Representative Ness reporting on al
legged quotations Of Rep. O'Connor'S
speech on the free love question. which
Rep. O'Connor insisted he did not
make held both the Grand Forks
American and the Couricr-News guilty
Of inaccuratcly reporting this incident
The senate voted for indefinite post.
ponemcnt Senate Rill which declared
oil companies to be public utilities an 1
placing them under control of the state
railway commission and giving this
body power to fix rates.
The committee on delayed bills re
rorted to the house this afternoon the
five league caucus measures provil
ing for the remittance of one-quartel
of the $ tate tax for 1919, and reducing
the appropriations for the following
institutions and departments: state
reform school at Mandan, home for
he feeble minded. highway department
and dairy department. .,
The special session concerned it.
self principally with LANCER Friday
afternoon. LANCER was condemned
for alleged incorrect statements made
by him in a recent address at Finley,
president Of the Scandinavian-Amer-
American bank matter, and demand
for retraction was made in resO-
luton introduced by Senator Cahill
and adopted by the usual league ma
jority. On the other hand, resolu-
ton introduced by Senator Mees, de-
manding from Governor Frazier the
resignation Of H. j. Hagen, convicted
president of the Scandinavia Amer
lean bank, from the state guaranty
commission; of o. f. Fofthus as state
examiner; G.. w. Semingsen as depu-
ty state examiner, and R. IN. Halli-
day, as deputy director Of audits and
publicity for the Bank Of North Da-
kota, was laid on the table, and the
resolution and all references to it
were expunged from the records OF
the senate.
A motion by Senator Hyland that
the governor be informed that it is
the sense of the senate that Pres
ident II. j. Hagen be removed from
the guaranty fund commission was
tabled, as was Senator Hyland's fur
ther motion that the senate go on
record, then, as favor;ng the reten-
ton of Mr.. Hagen. A motion by Sen
ator Ploynar that inasmuch as the
resolution criticising Hagen, Lofthus,
Semingsen and Halliday for their
part in the Scandinav;an-American
bank matter was expunged from the
record that similar treatment be ac-
corded the resolution condemning
LANCER for the part he played in the
same manner was defeated. ..
In the house the cloture rule linn
iting Original debate on a bill to
twenty minutes for each member was
enforced to prevent Representative
0. B. Burtness from reading into the
journal copy of the letter written
by r. M. Halliday, then deputy in
the Office of the state bank examiner,
to President Hastings of the Scandi
bank, telling him to
shoot Objectionable paper out to 9TH
er league banks as a means Of pro-
curing a favorable decision from the
guaranty fund commission then en-
gagged in examining the bank for ad-
mittance to the guaranty fund, under
Lue Stdte secures dll 'DdHk ue-
posits in state banks.
Walter j. Maddox raised the OBJ
lection to Hastings and the Scandi-
navian- American bank entering into
debate on a bill repeating an act Of
the last regular assembly authorizing
the attorney general to employ spe-
cial assistant attorneys general. One
of these special assistants, Judge w.
S. Lawder of Wahpeton, had only the
day before aided Assistant Attorney
General A. 2. Sheets in procuring the
conviction of President H. j. Hagen
of the American bank
o charge OF exhibiting false en-
tries.
Twichell insisted that the only rea-
son for. this bill was the fact that
LANCER had fallen out of bed with
the majority politically" He declared
the majority "did not dare to bring
LANCER before the house and give
him a chance to defend himself.
Carr OF the minority, replying to
charges by Walker of the majority
Continued on Page Eight