Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-04-07

+sE#G sHgf5G4&Nh NAM ANAa
/; by attorney General william Lemke
In his effort toedefeat the proposed in
crease. The speaker went back into
the history Of freight rates in this
and other states and pointed out that
the first general standard schedule
was made in 1892. In 1902, Mr.. Cone
said. South Dakota rates were de-
creased Is per GER and In 1907 Min
nesota was given another reduction,
making the rates in that state approx
imately 40 per cent less thai in North
Dakota. IS
In this state the rates remained
unchanged from 1892 until the rs
per cent was added as a war meas
ure. In 1917 an attempt to bring q
reduction was launched. but the
war interfered and the Is per cent
duction. North Dakota was hen
paying % per cent more than the
state of South Dakota and 40 per
cent more than Minnesota. but in
1919 the state legislature returned
the rates to a basis equal to the two
adjoining states. Then the railroads
commission for a IS per cent in
crease in rates and the railroad COM
mission granted the request. but At
Itorney General William Lemke con-
tested the decision. maintaining that
a proper hearing was not held. The
question still remains undecided.
J.. A. Pierce Of Fargo. in a discus
sion Of the printers demand for a
44-hour week., declared that This
movement was the entering wedge
for reduction of hours in all crafts.
He reviewed the situation from all
angles and declared that Fargo en-
|ployers would close shop on May first
II the printers strike. Julius F.
Bacon of Grand Forks, presented
facts and figures that he la COM
piled to dispute the claim of the
printers in the job departments. MI.
Bacon also stated that the Grand
Forks employers had agreed to close
pressmen decided to walk out on May
1. Mr.. Bacon declared that a reduc-
ton of hours would result in an in
creased cost of job printing to the
consumer of 20 IL per cent.
Banquet Al the Dacotah.
, A general discussion Of the de-
mands nsued and h stand taken by
the employers in Directing to the de-
mand of the International Union OF
t printers, pressmen and sterotypers
was unanimously endorsed.
At $3.50 o'clock last evening a ban
Iquet was served at the Dacotah hotel.
after which a program of addresses
t was given with J. F. T. O'Connor as
/, POSTMASTER. Phillip Elliott, a MEM
} Der of the North Dakota Workmen's
Compensation Bureau, appointed by
> Governor Lynn J. Frazier as a repre-
8 sentative of the state employers as
: ISOLATION, vas called upo for an ad-
: dress, and he responded with a re-
l view of the work of the bureau since
, it began functioning. He declared
that up to April 1, h bureau had
paid in compensation and medical
: services s1S5,432.S5, while the ad-
! 111.22. On that date there was $685.
539.0S on hand, but this sum in
cludes $22s,s72.s6. the amount set
aside for pensions already awarded
for disabilities. Mr.. Elliott outlined
! the policy of the bureau in awarding
I claims and cited several instances in
! which injured employees were CARED
: for. At present the amount of the
. pending claims totals approximately
$1,000 00. he stated. That the sur
plus could only be used for the pay
: ment of claims and for administra-
ton purposes, was a point brought
out. This money is deposited in the
state bank. however, and is subject
to transfer to any fund for use in
any manner that the industrial COM
mission may subscribe. Mr.. Elliott
declared that it was hoped that the
premiums would be u in the
near future, and urged the employers
to cooperate in sitting out maligners
and takers who might prove detri-
mental and a burden to the smooth
operation of the bureau departments.
Francis Murphy Speaks.
Attorney Francis Murphy Of Minot,
lions for the House Of Representa-
tives during the last session of the
legislature, was the principal speaker
of the evening program. He opened
his address by suggesting that the
employers of North Dakota make
politics the first order Of business be-
cause business was made the first or
der of. politics by the industrial COM
mission. He reviewed the investiga-
tions made at Bismarck, told of the
trouble that was experienced in the
attempts to audit the books of the
various departments of the politically
controlled business institutions of the
state and pictured the high finance"
policy that has proved so disastrous.
Mr.. Murphy declared that Is states
tried out the state banking plan and
dropped it as an impossibility before
the Nonpartisans of North Dakota
picked it up and tried to make a sue
cess Of it. He told of the method
used to finance the state bank, how
checks were issued for state bonds
the state bonds placed as security ir
the bank and the checks r~edeposited
in the banks. He declared that the
Industrial commission has omnipotent
power to control the funds of the
state. under the' present laws, a
power that has heretofore beer
possessed only by the House OF
Representatives.
;. Discrimination Charged.
Mr.. Murphy charged rank discrimi.
nation il making the redeposit OF
state funds as shown by Burleigh
i. Cass, Bottineau. Ransom and Crane
Forks counties banks. He also
charged William Lemke and State
Bank Examiner Lofthus with prac'
ticing deception upon the supreme
court of North Dakota when they
stated that the notes of the Sis
Trust were paid and that the reserve
of the northumberland can Banl