The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1920-06-23
FRAZIER BLUFF
ON BANK EXAM
CALLED HARD
|. V. A. Petitions in Governors
Office Called for Impartial
Probe Into Affairs
TAXPAYERS WISH TO KNOW
Institutions Operating Without
Responsibility Should be
TAXPAYERS WISH TO KNOW

The bluff of the Frazier admins
tration has been called.
Fifteen thousand persons have called
it. More will join in. Petitions bear-
ing $4,000 names are on file with the
governor asking that an impartial ex
animation be made of the Bank OF
North Dakota, the Workmens Com
pensation bureau, the Home Builders
association and the Drake -four mill
The petitioners ask, in order that
the examination shall be impartial
that one examiner be named by 0. E
Lofthus, state bank examiner, a Non
partisan league office holder, one by
State Auditor Carl Kositzky, and the
examiners to select third.
Not Political.
The petitions are filed in the inter
est of good government, With the ell
ection only few days away, the &C
ton can serve no political purpose
The examination would not be made
in few days, and might take weeks OF
months.
Some days ago the state industrial
commission made a bluff to quiet
charges against the administration o.
the Bank of North Dakota by trying
to draw into the political arena the
North Dakota Bankers association b!
asking that. body to investigate the
bank. The officials, of course, refused
Now the governor has it within his
power to grant the people of NORTH
Dakota an impartial examination.
Some of the petitions which were
filed at the governors office showed
that they were circulated some time
ago. No attempt has been made by
the Independent Voters Association
to make political capital out of them
1t is reported at the state house, how
ever. that the anton or the state in
dustrial commission in trying to bring
:: the bankers association into the case
was taken when it was learned tina
the petitions were to be filed.
The petitions we're gathered in wide
ly separated parts of the state. They
include the names, mostly, of farmers
+ but also laboring men; bankers, bust
ness men and others.
Farmers in Majority.
OF the 81 names from Palermo si1
were laborers, ID were farmers ant
one was barber In each case the
name, address and voting place wa:
given so that the identity of the peti
toner can be checked.
On the Napoleon list 10 out of 2:
names were those of farmers. Twent!
farmers signed a petition from Flax
ton. and one lawyers name was on
Twelve farmers signed the Crysta
petition. A petition from. Russell bore
the names Of 8 farmers out of 16, ant
the petition from Buxton contained the
names of 21 farmers.
Protect the Public.
The preamble of the petition recites
that "the establishment of such indus
tries Estate owned) involves the risk
ing of large sums of money for which
the taxpayers and property owners OF
the state will eventually become liable
it is only fair and reasonable that they
should have reports on the condition OF
affairs in each of the industries and
enterprises now in operation made by
public officials other than those who
are directly and personally interested
in the management of such institu
tiOn"
Since the governor is "absolute mon
arch over the state industries by vir
tue of his craftsmanship of the indus
trial commission" the petition is di
rected to him.
Governor Frazier is now out cam
paigning. Nelson A. Mason, secretary
promised that the matter would be
brought to the attention of the gov
ernOr.