The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1920-04-27
WBHE STARTS
SERIAL STORY
OF Mp BUREAU
Shows Up Inside Workings /o1
Workmen's Compensation
~
Commission
PUBLIC ENTITLED TOFACTS
Calls Rule of Mcdonald a Soviet
One-Says He Was Prom.
ised Something Else

+ OuC"No0yS AAC was AOAN
ised Something Else
BY Commissioner /. J. Wehe.
AS the iWorkmen's Compensation
Bureau is state owned and operated
institution, the public is entitled to
know how it is being operated and
has been operated in the past, and
how it is likely to be operated in the
future unless some changes are made
to make it free from inside and out
side dictatorial influences, and thus
prevent the removal of any commits
sioner who exercises his own free and
independent judgment as public se"-
want as is intended by the act.
Insisted on Freedom
Commissioner Wehe's official mis-
conduct" was nothing more or less
than he insisted upon being free from
outside and inside influences, and that
he insisted upon the right to vote"yes'
or mo- upon all matters presented 20
the Bureau of three members. This
is one of the real reasons behind his
attempted removal proceedings; and
one of the other main reasons is that
Commissioner S. S. Mcdonald, presi-
dent Of the state federation of labor,
claimed he had right to run the
Bureau the way he saw fit on the in
side, regardless of the legal formalties
required by the act Commissioner
Mcdonald in order to gain his point
first organized the bureau into a labor
union, and then went outside to the
powers that be to force Commissioner
Wehe to resign or force his removal
by the Governor. >..
Says He Threatened Strike
Commissioner Mcdonald reported
to the Governor and "others higher
up threatened strikes and walkouts
several times by the Bureau force
Then it became an issue of votes ir
the coming election, and it was de
creed by the higher ups" that Com
missioner Wehe must go. Then rea
/ sons must be found to satisfy the
public as an excuse. so a ''ransacking
investigation" was ordered and the
detective work begun. Thus Commits
sioner Mcdonald backed by his soviet
rule in the Bureau had gained his
point. $3.50.
v BY this time the plan Of deceit and
slaughter had been all mapped out
Mr. Wehe was asked to resign with
promises by the Governor with Some
thing else' after July I, when the law
went into effect giving Governor Fra
zier the power to appoint attorneys to
represent him and the state He was
informed by Mr.. Wehe that he did
not see any reason why he should re-
sign. as he had worked hard and had
made success of the Bureau, had
carried it through the supreme court
twice successfully. had drawn all its
legal forms and had worked out all
it's legal problems, unaided by any
outside help. and had devised the
method under which it is operating
All Of which was admitted by the
Governor at that interview. But he
says they, bureau force), threaten 10
strike and walk out.
Frazier's Attitude
Mr.. Mcdonald threatens too resign
unless you do. Mr. Wehe's said let
them strike and walk out and him re-
sign, we can get others to fill their
places. and it will be better for the
Bureau. Mr.. Wehe at no time agreed
to resign on or by April 1st with the
Governor or anybody else. But he did
tell them that he would not be forced
out when he had done his duty by the
bureau, and that if he ever did re
sign he would take his own time and
, place to do it. After Mr.. Wehe had
been working with them for a yeal
he knew their tactics and what to eX-
pect at their hands when break
came, could not be induced to resign
even by the promise of being ap-
pointed the personal attorney to repre-
sent Governor Frazier after July /.
1920.
Turn Papers on Him
Then Wehe was told he could not
afford to break with the League by
refusing to resign, and if he did the
League would turn all its papers on
him and crush him, and the other
papers would give him no support
and that he would be worse off than
LANCER. The Governor and Mr.. J. n
Hagan were both told point blank by
Mr. Wehe that he would not resign
and be the goat for them, and that
they were forcing the break and that
he owed them nothing and that he
was through and done with them when
they talked about removing him. tMr
Hagan, the Friday and handy man
for the League, was the last to cal
upon Mr.. Wehe with Inducements
to resign just shortly before the Gov
ernor wrote that famous and great
state paper to Mr.. Wehe suspendine
him from office.
Offered New Job
Mr.. Hagan offered Mr.. Wehe the
proposition that if he would resign a:
Commissioner of the Bureau that the;
would appoint him the attorney fol
the Bureau to handle all the lega
work and keep his same Offices as oc
cupied by him now and they woult
pay him the same salary of S20S.93
This was refused by Mr.. Wehe, ant
the wrath of the League was turnet
loose upon his head.
Send Special Messenger
At supper time on April 10Th, 1872
Governor Lynn ]. Frazier sent a spec
ial messenger to Mr.. Wehe's home tt
serve that ridiculous and insulting let
ter upon him. Mr. Wehe received tn
messenger very cordially in his hom
and with the one reply Il will look