The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1920-10-28
STATE MAY BE SAVED
100000 IN TAX

QZ,UUU,UUU In INA
once again Special Attorney Gen.
eral William Lemke has tripped up
Judge N. c. Young, attorney for the
Northern Pacific and Milwaukee rail-
roads and Charles Murphy, counsel
for the Great Northern, in their at
tempts to outwit the state and pre-
vent it from collecting $4,000, 900 in
delinquent taxes from their clients.
Through apparent collision with
Frank Packard, William Langer's as
sistant attorney general, Judge Young
and Mr.. Murphy perfected plan to
have Judge Edward Engerud appoint
ed as master to prepare the findings
of fact and conclusions of law in the
legal proceedings brought before
Judge Charles F. Amidon in u. S. Dis
trict Court by North Dakota railroads
back in 1917 to prevent the adminis-
tration from collecting railroad tax
es. Several days ago however, while
at Bismarck, Mr.. Lemke learned of
their latest subterfuge, effectually
blocking it and saving North Dakota
taxpayers approximately $2,O0O,O00.
Wouldn't Pay Taxes
Twice during the past three years
the Northern Pacific, Milwaukee and
Great Northern railroads have re-
fused point blank to pay the state
$1,O00,000 due it on taxes. Legal pro-
ceedings were instituted shortly after
their first refusal in 1917, but Attor-
ney General William LANCER has dilly-
dallied along, never bringing the case
to trial.
Recently while at Bismarck Mr..
Lemke "sensed a Negro in the wood
pile somewhere and started to in
vestigate. He discovred that Judge
Young, Murphy and LANCER had got
ten their heads together secretly and
planned to have Judge Engerud, attor-
ney for the Minneapolis Chamber of
Commerce in the Equity Cooperative
Exchange case, appointed master in
the railroad tax suit. Later Judge
Young and Attorney Murphy appear
ed before Judge Amidon, orally re-
questing Judge Engerud's appoint
ment.
In the meantime Attorney General
Langer's feet began to get icy He re-
called Judge Engerud's unsavory con-
nection with the Equity Cooperative
Exchange case and was worried by
the fear of adverse publicity. LANCER
suggested that Daniel B. Holt, Enger-
ud's law partner, be appointed. - -~
Governor Steps In ,.
At this stage Governor Frazier
stepped into the case, requesting Mr..
Lemke to defend the state. The latter
Immediately drew up dis objections to
the appointment of any master, de-
claring that Judge Amidon was the
proper person to read the evidence.
Further objection to Judge Engerud
and Mr.. Holt was interposed, because
of their widely known connection and
intimacy with railroad interests, and,
also, on account of their hostile atti-
tude toward the Nonpartisan League
and Farmer-Labor administration.
The case at this juncture took an
amusing turn. When Judge Young
and Mr.. Murphy learned that Mr..
Lemke had baffled them they came
post-haste to Fargo, appearing before
Judge Amidon. Murphy petulantly de-
clared he would have nothing more to
do with the case, if Mr.. Lemke was
permitted to defend the administra-
ton.
The Baby Act
Persons, watching developments in
these proceedings, are unable to un-
derstand why Mr.. Murphy now en-
deavors to back out, unless it is be-
cause recollections of the sound drub-
bing he received in the az taxpayers
suit haunt his dreams at night. Mr..
Lemke clashed with him in this IA
nous case and, legally speaking, whip
ped him to frazzle.
Again Mr.. Murphy's reluctance in
the matter may be ascribable to fears
he entertains lest there will be no op-
portunity for Juggling, sharp practice
and fat fees.
At any rate Judge Young and Mr..
Murphy should worryl If they drop
out of the case, Attorney Lemke will
make home run on balls and the
State Of North Dakota will receive q
two million dollar judgment.