Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-01-03

Neville this afternoon is due to two
causes, the first, because I am always
glad to be out speaking among the
farmers Of North Dakota, the other
because Of the fact that Neville is To-
Gated close to the famous little town
Of Kloten.
"A year ago Kloten was oblivious to
fame. It may be that the people Of
Neville had heard of it and possibly
the people Of Aneta, but in the state
Of North Dakota, at large, Kloten was
unknown. It was pursuing the even
tenor Of its way, quietly, peaceably,
calmly. But it appears that some
times towns of the character Of Kloten
harbors characters which suddenly
bloom forth in full effulgence. In
Kloten there was q man who was to
become famous; a man on whom
Thomas Allen Box, J. r. Waters, or
my letter-writing friend. r. M. Hal
liday, had nothing: man who liked
to preside at Socialist meetings as Tar
back as 1911; a man now holding the
exalted position, in name at least, Of
bank examiner Of the state Of North
Dakota, the right honorable o. b.
state treasurer on the Socialist ticket.
Every effect must have a cause
and the question naturally arises,
What was the cause Of o. e. Lofthus
being appointed bank examiner Of
North Dakota? e.
I4ofthus' Appointment.
"F,arbe it from me to delye into
the mysterious brain processes. OF the
man or men who appointed him. Far
be it from me to face a sentence OF a
year in;;the state penitentiary Tor say
ing that the man. or the men, who
appointed him had any brains ct all.
fTs.slsf fsSss sses s.ssa 4 a s..
ssss e s. e sns sns
false statements. about the. banking
department, yet the fact remains that
believe q. e. Lofthus the dis
tinguished citizen OF your county, its
leading Socialist, was appointed be-
cause certain people felt that he
in public life in this state very long
without the people. Of North Dakota
finding out Just what kind of man
he lis. The people, you know, have a
curious habit of. being able to find out
whether man is honest or dishonest,
straight or crooked, sincere or insin-
cere. and only a short time ago they
applied the acid test to the man, who
in name at least is the bank examiner
of North Dakota.
so 1'anA ot'ee. :.
Neariy everybody mere VIII recoi-
iect tnat some tlme ago tne ecandi-
navlan- american panK OF Fargo was
State Thomas Hall and myself. The
facts and circumstances underSwhich
1t was closed are briefly these: A let
tier written by r. M. Halliday, clerk
in the Office of J. r. Waters. at that
time bank examiner Of North Dakota
came into my hands, which showed
was being advised as to how to get rid
Of Objectionable paper to deceive the
guaranty fund commission Of the state
Of North Dakota.
Fl.
I'm other words, the very men
who were supposed to enforce the
laws Safeguarding banks, were
the Law; were advising them to
shoot Objectionable notes and
paper to other league banks,
banks that had been examined.
In the letter which came into my
possession 1t was self evident THAT
Gilbert Bennington was one Of
the parties involvea IN the, pan
- ~. 81 h.nE II .hr' ts,e n~..entv - 1"nd
ss,,.,,,,ia.io,, ~ THE st.ta
''.' - - $500
IA few months after this letter wa.
written. ]. r. Waters was appointed
manager OF the Bank Of North Dakots
nninted a. q, Lofthus. And Lofth,i,
appointed as his chief deputy tn,
same ''1Dsr, ,,exan ssm.as1pn nh proh. I
Shortly after the Halliday lettel
- s..k.- = =.