Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1920-01-08

publisher OF the Milton Globe, and
one of he first North Dakota editors
to hop on the Nonpartisan league
Bandwagon, has resigned his position
as head of the Publishers National
Service Bureau, which manages the
string of league newspapers.
Rishoff's reasons for resigning are
interesting. Here they are: "There
will be some criminal arrests, unless
there is cleanup Of the whole mess.
Every farmer, that has put his money
in any of the hafleague papers must get
his money back, or else stock that
represents actual value"
Rishof is further reported to have
delivered himself: "The organization
is autocratic and the farmers have
nothing whatsoever to say about the
conduct, policy, method of operation,
or management of the league news
papers,"
There has been continual round
Of trouble in the management of this
string of league newspapers. Brin-
ton lined the deal up, and then Liggett
was chosen to take over the handling
of the details. Liggett became Brin-
toms mortal enemy when he found
unlimited evidences of dissatisfaction
among, the farmers who had put up
money for newspapers, and who felt
that Brinton had played them for
suckers both ways, it being claimed
that values of print shops were often
padded in making the switch.
Some of the complaints mentioned
by Rishoff are known first-handed by
the Record man to be true. Take,
for instance, the organization Of the
league paper corporation in Emmons
county. To date, two different cor
porations have been perfected. "A
bunch of money was secured for the
first corporation, and nothing has yet
been done with the company. Last
year, a new corporation was inaugur-
ated. This was necessary, as the
first corporation did not give the Pub
fishers Service Bureau enough con-
troll Of the paper.
When the Emmons County Free
Press was taken over, the perform
ance was something like this: First,
q corporation was started by J. M.
Stewart, Fay Harding and H. C. Lynn
known as the "Emmons County Fa--
mers Press" Then, representatives
Of the Publishers Service Bureau ap-
peared and made contract for the
purchase of the Free Press from J.
NJ. Stewart. Complete payment for
the same was not made. It was pref
tv much a paper transaction. Then
the selling of stock in the "Emmons
County Farmers Press" was started
bv representatives of the Publishers
Service Bureau.
And when a farmer signed note
or gave a check. he didn't make same
payable to the local corporation at
all. He made same payable to the
Publishers Service Bureau. The To-
cal officials. Of the Emmons County
FarE:ers Press ara purely wooden men
in the affairs. of the paper.
Stewart doesn't look to the local
corporation for his pay for his plant;
Re doesn't look to the local CORPORA
tion for anything. The Publishers
Service Bureau is the whole thing in
control Of the Free Press.
The local people who gave notes
for stock in local newsraner last
fall vera. surprised short time later
to pet letters signed bv O. E.. LOTUS.
state bank examiner. demanding that
same be paid promptly when due, and
stating that he had found these in
the collateral on the books of the
Observation-Disclosures Bank Of Far
go. It hadn't taken the league bos-
ses long to toss them into the general
fund. The greater share Of these
notes are not being paid promptly.
~: II it is, true that the Publishers
Service Bureau owes $3.50, 900 on their
various newspaper properties, and
that all cash that they have taken in
has been squandered already, what
will the harvest beat the end !? What
will stockhoM oMers say who actually
paid money into the, scheme? And
what will men like Stewart do to. get
their pay for their newspaper prop
critics? ssE 4. 5ssi 58s +. ss 6.
~ s Very few Emmons county people
Rave acually paid any cash into the
newspaper proposition. Something
under So 900 in notes were given, sev-
eral hundred dollars being represent
ed by stock subscriptions Of Lynn \
Lvnn, the Stewart family, and county
! officials who felt that they weqe hand
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