Morris tribune., 1920-06-18
HOW TOWNLEY TAKES
CARE OF HIS OWN
But They Are Not Farmers or Lab
orers.-The Lucky Ones Are So
cialists and Spectators

(The following was written bv A.
II. Ferrell, who has been travelling
In North Dakota for over two years
and has had an unusual opportunity
10 get frst-hand information on the
workings of the Non-Partisan League
in North Dakota.)
During the last bienniel session of
the legislature of North Dakota q
measure creating a State Bank in
North Dakota framed in caucus by
TOWnley and other socialist celebri-
ties, as all legislative measures
during that session were framed, and
passed by Townley endorsed and
Townley-controlIed legislature and
signed by a TownIey-endorsed and
Townley controlled government.
This bill, besides providing for the
creation Of the bank of North Dak-
ota, made compulsory the deposit Of
all state, school, county and public
monies therein. Thus the entire
cash financial resources of a great
state, presto change, pass out of the
control Of the voters into the hands
I
ization. What has been done with
all of this wealth since it passed from
the hands of the rightful owners, has
never been revealed to the public.
The disposition Of part Of it is
known. Whether the balance is
safely deposited in the vaults of the
bank is a mystery, and it will no
n IN
ley is dethroned.
The Bank of North Dakota is func-
tioning under the management of F.
w. Cathro, a former cashier of
bank at Bottineau, Bottineau county,
and strong Townley supporter, with
the assistance of "an army of high
salaried employees only two Of whom
ever had any banking experience"
as told the writer by one of the two
employees who had previously been
engaged in the banking business.
Now see how Townley is able to
"take care of his own-but not the
farmers" The bank in Bottineau Of
which Mr.. Cathro was cashier prior
to becoming manager of the bank of
North Dakota at the fat salary of
$4,000 per year and expenses, had
loaned money to Bottfheau county
farmers; their loans were increased
from year to year on account of sue
ceeding crop failures, until many Of
them reached the point, where they
were not considered safe risks for the
Bottineau bank. Appeals from farm
ers all thru the drouth stricken dis
trict of western North Dakota have
been made to the bank of North Dak-
ota and but comparatively few Of
these appeals have been needed But,
in Bottineau county, where Cathro's
bank wanted to "get from UNDER
loans were made. This information
is not forthcoming from the bank Of
North Dakota; it is taken from the
Bottineau county records. A recent
survey Of the Mortgage Record Book
in that county showed that 81 mort
cages had been filed to the bank Of
North Dakota, sixteen of which
showed loans of $15,517 in excess Of
the 1919 assessed valuation (which
valuation is supposed to show 100
per cent Of the property valuation
covered by the sixteen mortgages,
and $92,500 in excess Of the 1918
assessed valuation on the same pro-
perty.
Another disclosure is made by a.
survey of Book 13 of Mortgages in
the court house at Beach, Golden
Valley County. This record shows
loans from the Bank of North Dak-
ota to one D. J. Mcmahon, a rela-
tive Of Townley's friend Congress
man Baer, and a purported land spe-
culator, living in st. Paul, totaling
$4,000. And the same record book
shows loans from the Bank of North
Dakota totaling twenty thousand
dollars made to one John Haigh, said
to be banker and land speculator,
living at Carlyle, Montana. Applica-
tions for these loans were filed
months after the filing of applica-
tion from many honest-to-goodness
farmers living in Golden Valley
county who suffered crop failure
last year and needed money with
which to purchase feed to keep their
stock from starvation during the
winter months. These farmers are
still waiting for their loans. The
bankers and land spectators got the
money. Thus it is shown how Town
ley in one way, at least, takes care
of HIS OWN-but NOT THE FARM
Err.
"A. H. Ferrell, Morris, MINI.