Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-01-20

0tt0F attempted 70 have N GAMMA
ton conducted under me direction Of
his department These efforts were
resisted. It VAS maintained that the
hank and the industries Of the state
were net subject 70 investigation or
examination in the manner provided
for the examination Of ordinary bust
ness and financial institutions League
omcials were successful in their efforts
u obstruct every move made to as
certain the condition Of these business
activities of the state.
Because Of this there was placed
before the people the present law
making special provision for the ex-
animation OF these bushes agencies.
Tho law was passed by a large major
ity. What was it's purpose? Wa 1t
intended merely that the auditor, the
attorney general and the secretary OF
state should be informed as to the
condition of the states industries?
Emphatically not. The people enact
ed the law because under exist
ing laws it was impossible for them
to obtain Information as to the condi- !
ton of industries Of the state which
their money was invested and OF
whose management and condition
they had a right to know. In enact
ing the audit law the citizens Of North
Dakota supposed that they we're max
ing provision whereby they, them
.~o1roc -~s~h% AoH1~1 s-fo~rn~I NSNn~
did not intend to provide for the
preparation Of a report which should
be filed away in the vaults Of the state
auditor, or any other official, there to
be kept safely from examination by
League managers opposed the en-
the public.
L ague managers opposed the n
actment of the audit aw. The law
having been enacted, the same league
managers. assisted by league officials
of the state. sought to prevent its op-
GRAFTON until they were in control of
the auditing board. AS one means of
obstruction they refused to provide
funds for the employment Of q COM
petent accounting firm to make the
detailed examination. The report hav-
ing been prepared, the same bosses
and their satellites in and out of the
which they could find OF invent in
the way Of having the report made
public. The league minority in tho
house opposed the resolution provid-
ing for the filing of a copy Of the
report with the house. The league
attached to a similar resolution in
that body an impossible condition pro-
viding for the attendance of an army
Of clerks and assistants who particle
pate in h preparation of the report.
The state auditor, who is also secre-
structed the audit company to have
all copies Of the report forwarded to
him. When attention was called to
the fact that this was in violation of
the understanding that copies were to
be sen to the board and to each
house Of the assembly the auditor at
tributed the Interpretation that had
been placed on his telegram to a mis-
understanding. But in spite Of this
explanation his partisans in both
houses insisted hat neither house nor
senate had a right to a copy Of the
report. And the auditors second tele-
gram does not clarity the situation at
all. 1t instructs the company to send
a. man to Bismarck with all copies of
the report and on his arrival the sem
ate and house will be notified Of his
arrival, and the messenger will be in
structed what to d. next.
II 1t is the intention Of the Non
partisans to quit fighting against the
submission of this report to the legis-
]ature, why didn't Mr.. Poindexter wire
the audit company in SO many words
to deliver one copy to him and n
to the presiding officer Of each house?
IF that was the intention why have
the Nonpartisans in both houses kept
on paving the air?
Is North Dakota-not the people,
but the state itself, as an organized
governmenta1 unit-bankrupt? Have
SAS AuANS " =" P0SH4C Gnu ASSSU =
the officials of the state, been stolen,
or lost, or frittered away? If so we
have a rational basis for the reluc-
lance of public officials to render an
account of their Stewardship and to
have the facts made known to the
people. And there is no rational ex-
PLANTATION of their attitude on any
other basis.
From the public standpoint, the de-
termined opposition of the Nonparti-
sans to a public accounting, simply in
creases n intensifies the demand
that such an accounting shall be
made, and that it shall go to the very
root of things. If the state is solvent,
the people want to know it; and they
want something more than the bare
statements of interested politicians.
II the state is insolvent, the people
want to know that. Either way, the
people want to know, and we rather
think that they are going to find out.
Keeping THE POT BOILING