Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1920-01-08
HOUSE BILL NO. so
'C 5E,lTROVERSY GOES
20 SUPREME COURT
st Known Whether Court u |
: Would Assume Jurisdiction
Until Monday Evening
10 Come Up Thursday.

bismarck. N. D., Jan. 6.-(spe-
.c,a1l-The constitutionality OF
House Bill 60, thru which the league
majority. in the eleventh hour Of the
recent. special session seeks 10 slve
immediate effect to all acts OF tnat
. assembly, altho a majority OF the
leagues punitive measures did not
receive the required two-thirds vote
to make them emergency acts' WIZ
come up for argument before the su-
nreme court at 10 o'clock THURSDAY
morning as result Of an alternative
writ issued late Monday afternoon dl-
recting State Treasurer obert A. VI
son to show cause at that~ttme why
he should. not pay a salary warrant
drawn against the state auditors
contingency fund. This fund, to-
gether with other appropriations Tor
the state auditor aggregating about
$4,000, was abolished by an act OF
the special assembly which Is now in
effect, II House Bill so is constitu-
tional, but which otherwise would
not become effective until July 1.
The controversy was brot to the
attention II the supreme court in
petition filed late Saturday evening
by Assistant Attorneys General
Sheets and Cox, setting forth the
facts with relation to the state treas
urer's refusal to pay the salary war-
rant Of q stenographer employed ip
the auditors Office, and requesting
that the state treasurer be required
to show cause. There was question
until Monday evening when the court
issued its order as to whether jnrig-
sdIstlca would be apsepted The tact
that the court has assumed }jurisdfc-
tion is taken to indicate that It will
adjudicate the case on: Its merits,
inasmuch as both sides to the cor
troversy are anxious for an early ds-
cision.
House Bill 60 involves the success
of the whole league legislative pro-
gram Of the recent special session,
with the exception Of such real emer-
gency measures as those extending
the time Of payment for seed and
feed liens, providing for county cow
buying associations, reducing state
taxes 25 per cent, providing for the
semi-annual payment Of taxes and
increasing the levy for the soldiers
bounty and making more liberal the
conditions under which this bonus
becomes available. All Of the acts
enumerated received more than the
two-thirds vote required in each
house to carry the emergency clause:
Acts which failed to receive this
emergency vote were principally d.
rected against insurgent members of
the state administration, reducing
the attorney generals appropriation
for the biennium from $4,000 to,
$30,000; making deep cuts in the
appropriations of the state auditor
and secretary Of state; removing At
torney General LANCER, State Audi.
tor Kositzky and Secretary Of State
Hall from various boards, ON equal
ization, auditing, emergency fund
etc, and filling their places with men
completely in harmony with the lea
que administration and others Of this
type. .5, ..53 .>s
Most important. perhaps, Of the
acts which House Bill SO alone can
give immediate effect. is the so-called5
smelling committee measure. un-
derSwhich there already has been Sc
lectsd an inquisatorial board Of, I'VE
to investigate individuals or associar
tipns attacking the state orsmembers
of the administration or tn indus
trial pro ogram: an act creating5 . statsE
sheriff and 8ssta ablishing asstate con-
stabulary Of which he Is chief; an
act nal king q felony for or anyI y \ state
oacial tos make ! false stateme ment re-s
1arding the state. !. or any ot itsI or
tacials Or any detail spf its administra-s
tton. and an act transferring from
tho g attornet / general "a the governor
the: powerSof appointing special -
sistents attorney general ana aScom.g
panionI easnrs ducing the nnmbsr
0fs ants III tho attorney
ssnsFalss once frouimr NJ toS two.
81 minor Isnsra importtalnnce iss ~
astnal statsS shsri6 sinst tsa4 ossat-s
G. !, of thss sniinka
assS bliah lst 4, rssu-l 8.
IS ssssion ]! slonss \ ! |.