The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1919-02-27
VOICE I.
IN SELECTION
OF PAPER LOST
State Printing Commission Has
Sole Power to Designate
Official Organs
LEGISLATORS INTERESTED
Members of Both Houses Appear
as Directors in Concerns
That May Benefit

League newspapers from whose or
ganizatiOn league promoters have real
ized from $45,OOO to 800, 600 In promo
tiOn fees and commissions and from
whose successful operation senator's
and representatives,, members OF the
present general assembly. stand to
profit hugely as directors and stOckhOld-
ers in these enterprises, will be the
principal benefciaries from senate bill
157, which places the distribution Of
all state. county, township and munt-
cipal patronage at the disposal OF u
printing commission Of three.
There now exist more than 20 OF
these league newspapers. In q major
ity Of them u league senator or repre-
sentative, or some prominent league
lieutenant, is prominent as q heavy
stakeholder or member Of the board
Of directors. Walter Wexford Of Penn
bina county, II. L. Fraser Of Mclean
county, A. A. Liederback Of Dunn
county and other members of the up
per house who gave their support to
senate bill 157 are either directly or
indirectly interested in league news
paper enterprises in their respective
counties.
THE PUBLIC FROZEN OUT
Section of senate bill 157 contains
the kick. 1t reads: q
In addition to the duties and pow
ers now vested by law In the board
heretofore known as the commission
ers Of public printing, the commission
! shall have the power to make all print
ing contracts in all matters of state
printing and the power to designate
newspaper in every county In the state
in which publications required by Jaw
to be published by state officials must
be made. 1t shall be the duty Of said
commission to designate III every cOu1l-
ty of this state a newspaper which
shall be the official newspaper, which
shall be the official newspaper In each
county in which it is designated until
its successor shall be chosen as pro-
vided by law"
The section then proceeds to enumer-
ate all the public and private notices.
statements processes, etc, which must
hc published in this official newspaper,
designated in each county az the offi-
ciNl newspaper of that county by the
! commission. -, y l.s53, 49, u
The right of the public rs have any
voice in the selection Of this paper Us
ignored Even the county commission
Is denied any choice in the matter. The
state printing commission is made
OmnipOtent.
NO POPULAR SELECTION '.,@
Senate bill 157 eliminates the. pro
vision giving the people in each county
power to select their official paper
by popular vote. Senate bill 157 con
centrates this power III the hands of
the printing and publication commis-
sion. Senator Welford yesterday made
an attempt to amend the bill to, provide
that the official paper be approved by
the county commission, but this amend
ment was voted down.
League senators contend that under
senate bill 15S, which also passed the
senate Wednesday, this power to vote
| on the official county paper Is retained.
Senate bill 157 is, however, complete
In itself. It does not require senate
bill 15S as companion-piece, and,
should anything happen to 158 in the
hurly-burly closing hours of the SEES
sion, or should the governor fail to
sign it, for any reason, senate bill 157
would stand on it's own feet as very
complete and workable statute placing
the destinies of some $50 North Dako-
ta weekly newspapers in the hands Of
three men. OF these 250 weekly news
papers, probably SO are now fully con
trolled or owned outright BY the
league. The 200 others must shift Tor
themselves.
RESEMBLES BANKING SCHEME
In many respects the league news
paper enterprises resemble Its banking
activities. These newspapers, as In the
case Of the league banks, are organized
principally to give the league q strong
er hold on the community served. But.
the organization is conducted by the
league at profit consisting of 10 to Is
per cent Of the proceeds of the sale Of
the preferred stock and all of the rev
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