The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1921-01-27
LEMKE'S THRUST
AT THE HOUSE
CAUSES DEBATE
Attorney General Says Repre-
sentatives Are Helping
Railroads
HE TALKS ON FINANCES
Independents Object to Lang
uage Used by Lemke
in Letter
Independents Resent Letter.

today a resolution that the let.
ter Of Mr.. Lemke to the House
be expunged from the permanent
journal. His resolution was to
set forth that there were suffi.
cient funds in the hands of Gov.
ernor Frazier and under the con.
troll Of the emergency commits.
sion to defray all extra expenses
of the attorney generals office.
Independents claim that there
is available in all funds for spe.
cial attorney hire some $4,000.
"A caustic letter by William Lemke,
Attorney General, will appear in the
house of representatives journal to-
day. s.. 5t....
1t was ordered in the journal after
a short word battle on the floor Of the
house, yesterday afternoon, the vote
being &C for to 46 against, with sew
eral not voting.
Mr.. Lemke's communication was
read at the request of Representative
Walter Maddox. Mr. Lemke, in the
communication, asked the house for
action looking to the appropriation Of
$4,000 for his Office to be available
until July /, when the new biennial
appropriation becomes effective.
Speaks OF Litigation
The Attorney General said that it
was necessary to have aid in repre-.
senting the state in the bond and
stock case of the United States dis
trict court. the Minnesota-North Da-
kota flood case in the United States
supreme court, the railroad rate case,
the grain grading case in the United
States circuit court of appeals.
The communication said that when
d1anger turned over the office there
appeared a balance of $7j805.6O to run
the office until July l. Since that
time bills amounting to $4,O25:o2 have
been presented, that the printing Of
hangers report will bring down the
total left and that some bills proba'
bly are unpaid, making the amount
available for the Office for six months
only about $3,71S.1S. as,>..~~2
Language Brings Reply
The language used aroused the ire
of some Independent representatives,
who objected to such language going
in the journal. -'1i..'
Mr.. Lemke, at one place said, Gen
tlemen, either purposely and with
the intention to cause the state OF
North Dakota to suffer the losses
which will result from defeat in the
litigation have mentioned or through
ignorance, you have failed to provide
the funds with which a defense may
be made in such SUITS and again
he said If you persist in your inten'
ton YOU cannot deny that you know
ingly and deliberately served the caus'
es of the great railroad interests and OF
those who would practice unfair meth
ods in grain handling and of the f1nan-
cial enemies of your state, by hobbling
and hampering your Attorney Gener'
al ="
take what action you will. have
done ny part" he said in his letter
as a parting thrust at the house.
Representative Olson objected to
what he called political propaganda in
the letter. Representative Maddox,
of Benson, spoke hardly toward the
railroads and talked little bit about
a rotund gentleman he said was lobby
ing for the railroads at this session.
He got little applause from the gal
lery and Speaker Twitchell threaten
ed to clear the place.
H. Speakers views
In voting mo" Speaker Twitchell
declared that he did not object to an
appropriation for Mr.. Lemke's office
but did object to the tenor OF MS
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