The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1920-12-27
ASK Supreme Court to Issue
Writ-Name Industrial!
Commission
REGARDING DRAKE MILL
Secretary of Commission De-
clares No Requests Were
Denied i.

the lnQuSLrlal CO11lllloslou iuu o.hoto
in which it alleges records withheld
are from the accountants making the
examination of state industries under
the direc tion of the board.
The court is asked to issued writ
to the defendants to show cause why
they should not deliver up the rec
ords. .:.s
W. A. Anderson, secretary of the
industrial commission, declared there
no need for filing the petition. ne
asserted the accountants had bene de-
MED access to none Of the records OF
the Drake mill 50 far as he knew,
that his office had gone out OF It's
way to aid the examiners and that no
information or records would be re-
fused if the board had a legal right
to them.
Assertions that approximately
$4,000 worth of flour had been soid
by the state mill at Drake to the
Consumers United Stores company.
q company fostered by the Nonpartl-
san league, and that records regard
ing the transactions are withheld,
and further that employees OF the
state have hindered the examination
Of the state industries, were made by
the state auditing board in asking the
supreme court to direct that certain
records be given up to the board 5
representatives.
The auditing board, created by the
initiated law Of Nov. 2, has encOunt-
cred many difficulties in making the
audit of the North Dakota mill and
elevator associations mill, at Drake,
but it was only when essential rec
ords could not be obtained that the
appeal was made to the supreme
COURT it WAS stated.
Mrs, Rose Keller, the bookkeeper
at the Drake mill, refused to ALLOW
Harry Altman,saDr OF the certlfled
accountants employed by the board
of auditors, to have access to the
safe in which records were kept, 1t
is charged, and that efforts to gain
Information regarding the Consumers
Stores transactions had been unsuc-
cessful, though efforts had been made
in Fargo, Bismarck and at the mill.
Sold on Consignment.
1t is stated by Harry l.. Altman, III
an affidavit accompanying the petit
ton to the supreme court, that he
had found that approximately $17O,-
600 of flour had been shipped out on
consignment of which approximately
$4,000 worth had been shipped to
the Consumers United Stores COM
pany, a corporation having stores in
various parts of North Dakota, that
affiant asked the persons in charge
of the mill and elevator at Drake for
their records and correspondence
covering these transactions and Mr..
Hibbit, the manager, informed him
that Rose Keller had absolute control
Of all books and records and that he
had nothing to do with that depart
ment and that the said Mrs. Keller
stated she did not have the records
or correspondence in connection with
these consignment shipments; that
said records and correspondence
were handled either through the Far
OF or Bismarck office Of the North
Dakota mill and elevator association;
that affiant requested the said rec
crds in the office Of the mill and ele-
vator association at Fargo from Mrs
Dodds, secretary to Mr.. J. A. Mccoy
ern, manager Of the mill and eleya-
tor association, being out Of the
city and that the said Mrs. Dodds in
formed him that she did rot have
the records and that they were eth
er at the Drake mill and elevator
or in the office Of the industrial COM
mission at Bismarck but that she
knew that weekly reports were sup
posed to be sent by the consignees to
either the Drake mill and elevator Or
the Industrial commission at Bis
marck; that affiant requested in
formation with reference to these
consignments from the manager OF
the consumers United Stores com.
pany at Fargo and that said, manaS-
-er and his assistant, Mr.. Powers, bo'l
informed him that the reports were
sent to the mill and elevator at
Drake with every remittance; that
affiant also asked the office secre-
tary of the manager of the North Da-
kota mill and elevator association AT
Fargo for books and records and that
he was informed that said records
had been turned over to the Equi--
able Audit company, of Minneapolis,
Mimi. the latter part Of the preced-
ing month for audit, and that to the
best Of her knowledge said books
were still in the hands Of the Equit-
able Audit COMPANY; that affiaNt
then talephoned L. G:tee, the repre-
sentative of the Bishop, Rrissman
and company, who is in charge Of the
audit of the various state Industries
of North Dakota, stating the above
facts to Mr.. Lee. Affiant states fur
ther that the bookkeeper at the Drake
mill, Mrs. Rose Keller, hindered and
delayed the examination on the part
of affiant and his assistant in many
ways: affiant further states that it
is essential that he consult these
records in order to make a complete
and satisfactory examination Of the
mill and elevator at Drake
Auditing Books.
z. G. Lee, another accountant en-
ployed by the state board Of auditors,
who engaged in the pursuit for tno
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