Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1921-10-26


defeat them in the final elections
but each time enough Republicans
would cling to their party name t.
put over the Nonpartisans. Oppo'
nents Of the league finally came te
the conclusion that if all the Re.
publicans who are opposed to the
league and all of the Democrats
who are Of like mind could be in.
duced to vote the same ticket, the
Nonpartisans could be showed un.
der. So advantage has been taker
of North Dakota's recall election
law which was passed by the Non.
partisans themselves in 1919. Pc
titions signed by some $4,000 voters
were filed with the state officials
demanding the recall of Governor
Lynn ]. Frazier, Attorney General
William Lemke and John N. Hagan
commissioner Of agriculture and
labor. r. A. Nestos Of Minot, has
been nominated as candidate for
governor against Governor Frazier,
Sveinbjorn Johnson of Grand
Forks, as candidate for attorney
general against Mr.. Lemke, and
Joseph A. Kitchen of Sentinel
Butte. as candidate for commission
er of agriculture and labor against
Mr.. Hagan. Under the law, the
names Of all candidates, those IN Of
flee and those opposing them, go on
the ballot without any party desig-
nation.
The Nonpartisans and the hide
pendents disagree when it comes
to stating the issues in the recall
campaign. But the industrial COM
mission Of the state, which is COM
posed of the governor, the attorney
general and the commissioner OF
agriculture and labor, seems to be
the storm center. Nonpartisan
leaguers insist that the issue is un-
changed, that they are battling to
save the farmers Of North Dakota
from the Interests" and that the
recall campaign is inspired by "big
biz" The whole purpose. they say,
is to wreck the farmers program"
The Independents say that is al
ready wrecked. 1t is a question
now of salvage, they say. BY mis-
management of the unlimited power
granted it by law, they assert, the
industrial commission has sunk as
sets of the state into favored banks
now insolvent, into excessive farm
loans, mismanaged flour mill, and
a home builders association that
has become a scandal. BY these
demonstrations, the Independents
say, the industrial commission has
ruined the credit Of the state and
caused the withdrawal of millions
in capital from its banks, its indus
tries and its farms.
Mr.. Lemke, the attorney general,
who is accredited with having sue
ceeded A. c. Townley as head OF
the league in North Dakota, is un.
der fire. The Independents have
been harping on Mr.. Lemke's $780,
600 house in Fargo which was built
by the states own home building
association. The law limited state
operations to houses costing $4,000
or under, but it was disregarded II
Mr.. Lemke's case, he being mem
Der Of the industrial commission
The house building association has
ceased to function and there have
been many scandals as to its mis-
management. The So people who
built homes under the home build.
ing association law are unable ever
now to learn what their houses
cost. They know, it is said, that
the cost will far exceed the est.
mates made.
Mr.. Hagan, the commissioner Of
agriculture and labor, and promi'
nent Nonpartisan, also is under fire
It is claimed that he, as a member
of the industrial commission, made
a. contract with the houscholders
association for house in Bis.
naarek, and also that when he made
a loan of $4,000 upon his land in
McHenry county he had It advanced
from No. 1919 to loan No. IS, apd
at a time other farmers were being
turned down because of "lack OF
funds"
The states flour mill ventures
are another sore spot the indie
pendents are hammering at. The
mill and elevator at Grand Forks
have cost more than 100000 and
are unfinished, but the Independents
charge that it can be replaced for
$4,000. The smaller mill at
Drake ran for while after its nur-