Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1921-02-10
ToWNLEY QUITS;
PLEA ToLlQUlDATE
BANK IS REJECTED
Frazier and Lempke Refuse
to Accept Advice Of Town.
ley and Bankers to Close
State Bank of North Dako-
ia and Continue Original
Farmers Program.

ia and Continue Original
Farmers Program.
| Bismarck, y. d., Feb. S.-Rejec-
tiOn by the Nonpartisan league eau
Gus Of A. c. Townley's plea that the
! administration accept the proposal
made by a committee OF bankers sew
eral weeks ago, based on the liquida-
| ton of the Bank OF North Dakota,
and the acknowledgements today by
the executive branch Of the state
government that there is a power
superior to that which is welded by
the governor and the attorney gen
eral, constitutes the high lights to-
day Of the rapidly developing sltua-
| ton at the state capitol.
! Mr.. Townley. personally, went be-
fore the league members with plea
that they accept the compromise OF
fer made by the bankers, that they
take such steps as would permit the
| restoration of the state credit, and
that would insure the state having
an opportunity Of carrying out the
grain elevator and flour mill provl-
sion of the Nonpartisan league pro-
gram.
Bitter-enders, headed by William
| Lemke and Governor Frazier, oppos-
ed Townley, and less than dozen
league members Of the legislature
gave their support to Townley's
plan.
Townlcy Under Fire
| Townley was subjected to not
| fire at the hands of his former close
| associates, particularly the men con-
stituting the pay roll crowd. They
charged Townley with quitting the
state when the leagues troubles were
at their height. They criticized MS
proposition that it was essential TO
terminate, if possible, the bitter-end
( battle that is being made to save lhe
Rank of North Dakota. They chare-
ed him with desiring to promote on
lv his own interests in other states
in which he is now engaged i'll Nom
partisan league organization work.
Townley took the position that II
was essential that the administration
meet the situation that has arisen
at this time by abandoning the Bank
of North Dakota in it's present form.
He said he feared that the complete
breaking down of the state Dank
would not carry that Institution
alone, but that it also would carry
the mill and elevator down ana make
| impossible the attainment OF that
ambition of the leaguers.
The upshot of the rejection OF
| Townley's proposition was the de-
parture from Bismarck yesterday
| Governor Frazier, himself, was one
| of the most extreme opponents OF the
compromise.
The action of the league legisla-
tors in calling on Col. Little for in
formation concerning the financial
situation and the steps he believes
are necessary if the state is to retain
| it's financial standing. coupled as IL
was with Townley's plea to the
league caucus and the conference OF
league leaders, indicate the lengths
to which sentiment favorable to some
scrt of adjustment of the situation
has gone.
Significant as reflecting the atti-
tude of not small faction in the
Ncnpartisan league group is the fact
that Col. C. B. Little of Bismarck,
member Of the committee of bank
ers that formulated the so-called
bankers proposals recently re-
jected by the state industrial COM
mission, was called into conference
late Sunday night with committee
of five league legislators.
These legislators, headed by Sena-
tor Baker of Renville county, asked
Col. Little to outline to them the
financial situation that exists in the
state today: to present his views OF
what must be done if the state is to
re-establish it's credit and to give
them such facts as he could in sup
port of the proposals the bankers had
made.
Must Liquidatc Bank
Col. Little told the committee that
the first thing which must be done ii
the state is to regain sound finan-
cial footing is the liquidation of the
Bank of North Dakota as CONNER
cial institution and the limitation OF
the bank to financing OF farm loans.
Most important of all the develop
ments was the attitude assumed by
President Townley of--the National
Nonpartisan league. His plea to his
former followers in this state to
abandon the theory that the Bank of
North Dakota must be saved, ex-
cept insofar as it may be used for
purely rural credits financing, was
a blow to the administration posi-
fiOn NOT anticinated nv either the