The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1921-04-28

| only one t1dL cOulu DC considered
friendly to the league. He denied
that checks had been turned down BY
the Bank Of North Dakota and said
there was concerted movement or
the part Of the banks not to. accept
checks drawn on the state bank. The
Bank of North Dakota is clearing
house and sometimes 100000 worth
Of checks a day are cleared in the
institution. He said that one Mon
day morning Bismarck banker with
the entire clearances for the day dc.
manded the cash on the checks. The
State bank offered to pay in Mime.
apolis draft for no bank is supposed
to have cash enough on hand to meet
any demand Immediately. This did
not suit and Bismarck banker and the
checks were sent broadcast over the
state as being turned down for want
of sufficient funds.
| Mr.. Murphy then took the platform,
and referred to his opponent as a
speaker Of eloquence and said he had
heard words of eloquence from the
senator's lips on previous occasion
the last night of the legislative ses-
sion when Senator Baker moved that
the warrant for Murphy's arrest be
dismissed.
| He referred to an anonymous letter
he had received that day in the U. S.
mails from some deluded individual OF
some Joker. The letter was threaten
| ing him for digging into the farm
! err and he said he just wants to let
| the senator know he had received it.
The senator would have you be-
lieve the house investigation was po-
! litical and that such deluded men as
Cathro and Lofthus on the witness
stand were made to say something
! that was not so.
As to the charge Of his opponent
that the newspapers of North Dakota
had deliberately misrepresented and
misquoted concerning the investiga-
tons, Mr.. Murphy said that it anyone
was guilty Of such charge it was
men writing for the Fargo Courier
News and other league publications.
AS an example he told of an article
appearing in the Minneapolis Star, a
league newspaper, by Prof. w. G.
ROylance, an expert adviser Of the
league, in which the writer declared
the house committees report on the
investigation, prepared by nfen hos
tile to the Bank of North Dakota,
had admitted that the bank was eff
ticiently managed. He asked his lis
teners to secure copies of the house
committees report and judge for
themselves which newspaper men
were distorting the facts.
Taking issue with Senator Bakers
assertion that the private banks Of the
state we're in conspiracy to discredit
the state bank, Mr.. Murphy noted that
the speaker had made no specific men
ton Of any one bank. AS to the eff
fort of his opponent to leave the inn
preston that the Bank Of North Da-
kota was paying checks and those re-
turned not paid were returned by
banks without being presented to the
state bank. Mr.. Murphy produced
copy of a bulletin issued April 49,,
1921, by the Bank of North Dakota,
over the signature of F. w. Cathro,
director general of the bank, in which
Mr.. Cathro admits that checks
amounting to $4,000 had been reg
istcred and not paid.
Registered" Checks
I He told Of the state treasurer is
suing check to a man for $500 SOL
der bonus money. When the check
was presented to- the Bank Of North
Dakota, altho the state treasurer had
some $3,OOO,O 900 on deposit in the Bank
of North Dakota, the check was not
honored but "legend", as Mr. Muir
ply called it, written on the back adj
rvising that the check was Registered"
and would draw six per cent interest
until called in for payment.
5 Beginning his address proper, Mr..
Murphy declared he would assume the
burden Of proof that Senator Baker
had failed to produce.
Three Main Points
81 deny that the Bank of North Da-
kota has been conducted in such a
manner as to make it benefit to the
state as WHOLE" the speaker de-
clared. 81 say the. Bank Of North
Dakota under its management in the
past has been detriment to the state
of North Dakota for three reasons.
They are:
First: Because the management
has shown an absolute disregard for
law and has diverted public funds il
legally.
Second: Because the management
has used the bank for political pur-
poses and has transferred the public
funds not only to mills and elevators
but also indirectly to the Consumers
United Stores Co., the League Elk
change, The Sisal Trust and other
league enterprises.
Third: Because it has been shown
that if the credit of the state has
been. destroyed, it has been due to
the present administration"
In support of his first point, the
speaker quoted section It's of the con-
stiution of North Dakota which re-
quires that taxes be levied for spe-
CITED purpose and expended for that
purpose only. He charged that the
basic law Of the state has been VIC
lated by the industrial commission by
transferring funds. He said the in
dnstrial commission by mere reso-
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