Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-02-02
| AZ -s
HEARING ADJOURNS
AFTER SESSION OF
HALF HOUR TODAY
Committee Will Send For
NAL Request to Commits
sion For Records.
OFFICIALS TAKE
PECULIAR STAND
Paddock Informs Committee
Of Orders Issued to
Employees.
(Ey staff Corresnondrn,., !,

SASy w. w..
(By Staff Correspondent
Bismarck. n, D., Feb. 2.-Hearings
by the audit company committee Of
the North Dakota house Of representa-
tives probing the state industries were
temporarily adjourned after a half
hour session this morning when H. A..
Paddock, acting under the orders of
the Industrial commission, refused to
produce any of the records of the COM
mission as ordered by the committee.
They will be resumed at $3.50 o'clock
Thursday.
Applies to All Employees.
The order of the industrial commits
sion. under which Mr.. Paddock acted
also applies to all officials and en-
ployes of the Bank of North Dakota,
the Home, Building Association, the
Mill and Elevator association, and the
other employees of the, industrial COM
mission. 1t is signed by Lynn ]. Fra
zier, governor: William Lemke, attor-
ney general, and J. n. Hagan. commits
sioner of agriculture and labor. The
only concession made to the audit
committee is that it is permitted to
examine the records at the offices Of
the various institutions and the indus
tr1al commission.
THE ORDER.
The order declares that in the
opinion Of the governor, tho at
tO1ncy general and the cOmmis-
siOncr of agric,lltl l1s,ct and labor.
the actions and rcgulptio Of tlst, ~
= hOnsc committee wtre.dt dtH af7ts 'N
~ purpose OF preventing . full and
honest investigation OF the North
J Dakota industries.
That compliance with the de-
mand to produce books and rec
Oris Of the state industries would
absolutely stop the operations of
the state industries and destroy
them.
That such actions as these TAX
cn ny the committee arc in viola
ton OF the constitution of tho
state OF North Dakota and an at
tempt to usllrp tho powers of the
executive department Of the state.
Therefore all officials and cm-
piOycs Of any of the state indus
trics arc forbidden to turn over
any papers. books. files or other
papers to the house committee ex-
ccpt on order Of the industrial
commission. says the order. In
conclusion. after giving the mc1n-
bers of the committee or their
dfsSNlS ~ CAduuuC SA1HI1
papers. records. etc. in the Offices
in which they are kept. the en-
ploycs arc ordered not to permit
the persons SO inspecting any such
items to change, alter or remove
any OF tho same. Outside of this
the officials and employees are in
structed to cooperate and assist
the committee.
May Make New Ruling.
Mr.. Paddock informed the commit
tee. however that he believed the in
dustrial commission would permit
them to bring records before the COM
mittee for reading or copying of ex-
erpts providing the records were re-
turned with him at the conclusion OF
each session. A formal request that
this be done has been drawn up by the
committee and dispatched to the in
dustrial commission. If this is refused
other steps of more serious nature
will probably be taken.
81 To Appear Tomorrow.
Mr.. Paddock is to appear again at
$3.50 O'Clock Thursday. Two witnesses
were on the stand during the hearing
this morning. They were Mr.. Paddock
and w. A. Anderson. former secretary
Of the industrial commission At the
opening of the proceedings this morn
a witness Attorney General VIM.
Lemke appeared with him and de-
manded that he be allowed to appear
as counsel for the witnesses and the
executive, department Of the state.
On this being refused by NJ. o.
Grangaard. chairman of the commit
tee, Mr.. Lemke entered an objection.
| taking the grounds that the action Of
the committee was unconstitutional.
and that the committee was uslrping
the powers Of the executive branch of
the government.
He also declared his intention OF be-
| ing present at the hearing and enter
ing such objections from time to time
as he might see fit. He also demanded
that he might be allowed to have a
stenographer of his own to take down
the proceedings in order that he might
be sure OF having a truthful record.
Take Peculiar Stand.
The whole attitude Of Lemke. Pad
! dock and other league members OF
! the state administration appears to be
| that the house committee has no right
| to investigate the state industries sup
| posedly controlled blythe people. This
, is shown by the language of the order
! issued by the industrial commission
which insinuates throughout that the
committee has no authority and also
casts doubt on its good faith. and also
| by the remarks Of Mr.. Lemke and the
witnesses placed on the stand thia
morning.
! It was 1926 o'clock when the hear
| ing opened this morning. II began with
! the reading Of the minutes OF the
Eprev1ous sessions and committees, and
1 then Attorney Francis Murphy, ACTING
4 for the committee, called w. A. An.
derson. former secretary Of the indus