The Bismarck tribune., 1921-12-24
SEARCH FILES
FOR FIRST SET
OF N B BOOKS
Secretary of Industrial Commits
sion Seeks TO Find What
Became of Them
FIGUREDIN INQUIRY
Books Sought BY Auditing Firm
Previous TO Time OF
Investigation


first set of books kept by the Mill and
Elevator Association under j. H. Nc
Govern. Records of the commission
show that bill was paid for the two
sets of books, according to Lewis
Crawford, secretary. Only one set of
books is in the Office.
There was journal, cash book and
ledger in the first set of books pur-
chased for the Mill and Elevator AS
sociation office. according to the rec
ords. J. II. McGOvern was appointed
manager Of the Mill and Elevator Az. .
sociation, on May "a, 1919, and drew
a salary on Ju1fe 80, 1919. A second
set Of books was purchased on Dec.
6, 1920. The second set of books con-
tains entries entirely in purple ink
which does not show age.
The books. of the Mill and Elevator
Association became notorious during
the time the Bishop, Brissslan Audit
company was seeking them for the
purpose, of making an audit for the
state board of audits. The Bishop,
Brissman report speaks of the efforts
to get these records as follows:
eve inquired Of the secretary of the
1ndustrial- Commission at Bismarck
for these records, and were advised
that all of the records Of the North
Dakota Mill and Elevator Association
were either at the Drake mill or at
the offices of the association at Fargo
or mill Office at Grand Forks.
1--WE inquired for these consignment
records at the Office of the associa-
ton. Mr.. McGovern's secretary, Mrs
Dodds, informed us that Mr.. McGov-
ern was absent from the city at the
time; and in regard to the consign-
ment sales records, that no such rec
ords were at the Fargo office but tina:
weekly reports were made by the con-
signees to the Office at Drake or to
the Industrial Commissions office at
Bismarck.
Mrs. Dodds also informed us that
the bookkeeping records of the Fargo
office had been turned over to the
Equitable Audit company for audit the
latter part of the preceding month,
and to the best of her knowledge were
still in their possession.
we next inquired Of Mr.. Darling,
the representative of the said Equit
able Audit company then at Bismarck
if he knew where these records were
obtainable, and were advised by him
that part of them were in suit case
of his locked up in Fargo, and that
the remainder were in his possession
at Bismarck; that the records were
in confused condition and he had
been engaged in endeavoring to
straighten them out, when he was
called away from Fargo. We asked
him if it would be possible to get an
order from him for the records at
Fargo, and were informed that no.
body but himself could get them
Two Markers Shown.
The records are not voluminOus and
the number of entries are compare
lively small A bill had been allowed
to the Equitable Audit company for
SIG for work on the records of the
Mill and Elevator Association.
There are vouchers to show tha,
two sets of books were purchased,
but only one set of books is in the pos
session of the Industrial Commission,
and nothing to indicate what became
of the first set OF books.
In this connection records show
that ]. H. McGovern resigned as man
ager of the Mill and Elevator Asso-
citation last January %, effective Feb
ruary /. When McGovern's resigna-
ton was announced during the legis-
lative session last winter, it was said
he had resigned in the previous No
vember.
Another example of handling of rec
ords was revealed when a resolution
which, according to a copy of the res
olutions, was adopted by the Indus
trial Commission JAM %, 1921. was
: not spread upon the permanent record
of the commission.
This resolution introduced by At
torney General Lemke, was to make
retroactive an agreement as to pay at
the Drake mill with the International
Union of Brewery, Flour, Cereal aflu
Soft Drink Workers. The resolution
provided that the contract made Jan
%, 1921, be made retroactive to take
effect from and after June 80, 1920
to Feb. 2S, 1921 The Equitable Audit
Company's report showed that retro
active pay was allowed
However, the paragraph which was
in a typewriter copy Of the minutes
of the meeting, relating to this, was
omitted from the permanent record OF
the minutes. All other parts of the
days business were included.