Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-11-23
THE NEW ADMINISTRATION

THE NEW ADMINISTRATION
Three new officials take charge Of three state
offices today as a result Of the recall of the governor,
secretary of state and commissioners of agriculture
and labor. This is the first time in history that the
governor OF. a state has been recalled. The expert
ence is a humiliating one to those who were sub
lected to it, and the application of the recall is
something that the citizens generally wotli have
been glad to forego. The three officials, by virtue
of their control of the work of the IndustIia: com
mission, possessed such great power, however, and
were so determined to use it in a manner highly in
furious to the interests of the state that no othe.
course seemed possible than to use the expedient
which the law had provided, but which everyone
realized should be used only for the graye:t of rea-
SONS. The action Of those who initiated the move
ment for the recall was endorsed by the people ut
the polls, and three new officials have been chosen.
Messrs Nestos, Johnson and Kitchen take over
the administration Of their respective offices and
assume the management Of the work of the Indus
trial commission under circumstances of unusual
gravity. The state has suffered in money and i'll
reputation from the recent management of it's
affairs, and the work of the new administration
will necessarily be largely that Of correction, rehab-
%llltatlon and reconstruction. The Herald entertains
some very we'll defined views as to the general
principles which must be observed if the state is to
reap the desired benefits from this change of admin
%istration, and it has expressed those opinions fire..
quently and plainly.
There must be first a careful examination Of all
the departments Of the states business so that
there may be an intelligent understanding Of lust
what the facts are. In that work it will ~ nc:es-
sary to employ the aid of experts in accounting:
whose reports will necessarily be quite volu1ninous
In order that the public may be correctly informed
1T is to be hoped that in addition to whatever &c.
tailed reports these examiners 1nake-which will
necessarily be filed as public records. there will
be made summaries Of the essential features Of
such reports, the substance of which can be graspel
and understood by the average citizen.
There must be the most rigid economy in the
management OF all the work of the state. Wherever
there are found employed persons whose services
are not needed, or who are employed for political
purposes only, those persons should be retired, and
where new employees are actually needed they
should be chosen solely with reference to their fit
ness for the work which the state has for them to do.
The affairs of the Bank of North Dakota must
be wound up as speedily as possib< so far as those
affairs relate to the business of commercial banking.
The bank should be transformed as soon as practic-
able into a rural credits bank and placed under the
direction of persons who will conduct it as an in
strumentality for the convenience and the benefit
OF the great agricultural interests of the state.
The Home Builders association has had a dis
astrous experience. The situation would not have
been so intolerable had ordinary business Judgment
been shown in its management, but there has never
been a real need for it and it should be wound up
as soon as its affairs can be untangled.
The mill and elevator at Grand Forks must be
completed and put into operation at the earliest
possible moment. This enterprise stands as the
sole step toward the realization of a demand exist
ing long before Mr.. Townley began his political
activities, and the fact that he and his lieutenants
played politics with it and brought it into discredit
must not be permitted to stand in the way of the
performance of an act of simple good faith to the
people of the state.
For the financing of the mill and elevator, the
development of rural credits and the settling Of
bills due to former extravaganza and incapacity, the
states bonds must be sold. In order that there
may be full compliance with the law which requires
that state bonds shall not be sold at less than par,
and that excessive interest," rates may not be
charged, full advantage must be taken of the oppor-
tunlty afforded to demonstrate the good faith, the
commercial soundness and. the business capacity Of
the men IN charge of our government, and in this
respect much will depend on the early course OF
the officials. A bad impression created at the out
set requires a long time for it's removal.
The kind of program above indicated is some
thing on which The Herald has no copyright. 1t
is the sort Of program which the exigencies Of the
situation demand, and one which the vast majority
OF the people of the state expect to see carried out.
In stating it The Herald is not merely declaring
its own views. It is confident that it Is 7oi,:;nZ
The earnest desire of all Of the people of the state.
whose vision is not ciouded by extreme partisan
ship. That program, it is gratifying to know. is
the program on which the three new officials stood
before election, and OF which they have stood
firmly and squarely since election. In Carrying it
out they will need the wisest possible counsel and
the heartiest possible support. That couascl and
.hoA support HluSt U e toydHy AHu NIeciy gwen. Ana
it must be given with the understanding, that tn,
counsel and advice are to be help:ul rather than
dictatorial. These, our officials, are charged with
ir1portant responsibilities. Upon The decisions
which they make will their work be juLged. They
cannot evade, nor do they desire to evad!e any por-
tier of their responsibility. and they must be- cen
! cdkd the right, as they viii conceive it Il, lie their
d;:ty, when they have sought counsel wherever it
is to be found, to make their own DECISIONS, Iasiog
ten on their own informed and enlightened judg-
IEent.
THROWN OUT OF COURT
The supreme court has declined to consider
the charges made as to the insufficicr:y Of the
lreCai1 netifionS and has denied the ,no1;c.t;on a.,