Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1921-10-20

single share of the voting stock Of the
Courier-News corporation. At any
rate the farmers who have contributed
the money to pay for it will in case of
a showdown as to who shall exercise
control find that they are minus the
necessary authority to have their way
about 1t. They will find that although
1t is represented to be farmers paper
1t Is In fact not owned by the farmers.
The Consumers United Stores CO.
The Consumers United Stores Co.
has a membership Of 1900 at $4,000
per share. BY means Of this scheme
there was moved out of the pockets Of
the farmers Of North Dakota total of
81, 1O0, 10000. OF this amount approx
imately $lOO,O0OOO was invested in 81
stores. The balance was used for DO
litical and propaganda purposes or to
pay the cost. Of keeping imported or
ganizers in comfortable circumstances
and In many cases the luxury Of high
powered automobiles was provided for.
VIM. Lemke owned seven of the ten
voting shares of this company. He htd
absolute control of this company and
cannot escape responsibility for the
mismanagement Of Its affairs and the
consequent loss of money suffered by
the farmers who became involved in It..
The Publishers National Service and
Northwest Service Bureau.
By means of these two organizations
the inner circle of the Nonpartisan
League got ownership or control of a
majority Of the voting stock Of 5O-odd
country newspapers without putting in
any cash. By means of these papers
there was moved out Of the pockets Of
the farmers of the state for stock
alone over $500, 100000. To this amount
should be added the money collected
for subscriptions from farmers and for
advertising from businessmen amount
ing total of 100000.
By means of these two agencies a
large portion Of the money that the
farmers put into these newspapers was
taken out in the form Of commissions
for organization, for news service and
commissions were collected from job
bers on needless printing machinery
that was sold to many of the farmer
newspapers at excessive prices. In
most cases where an existing news
paper was bought and turned over to
the farmers it was common practice to
collect a commission from the party
that owned it for selling and from the
farmers who bought for organizing
them.
Tho League Exchange.
This is million dollar corporation
used as a holding company and an
agency for buying and selling and 9TH
erwise transferring stocks, bonds and
collateral of various kinds direct or
through q third party as it has been
necessary for the League leaders to do
often, in order to cover up their tracks.
No definite information has been made
public as to the amount of stock that
has been sold or by whom it is held ex-
cept that 1t Is matter of common
knowledge that this corporation is con-
trolled by the inner circle League lead
ers and that many farmers have put
some Of their money into it. Only a
few Of the pets have shared In the
large commissions that have been
charged by this company for its SER
vices. BY means Of this scheme the
League leaders not only obtained con-
troll Of many banks without putting in
any cash but they took of the cash put
up by the farmers to pay the excessive
commissions that were collected for
buying or organizing League banks.
Very often, in case Of a Reorganization
Of a bank, commissions were collected
from both sides on top Of a big slice OF
the stock of the new concern.
Tho Scandinavian American Bank
This Institution has been used not
only as a means of moving more than
half a million. dollars from the Bank
Of North Dakota into the pockets Of
political henchmen, but it has been
used as a means Of doing likewise with
thousands Of dollars Of the savings Of
honest and thrifty people farmers,
laborers, and businessmen. The mass
meeting which was called in October.
1920, for the purpose Of bolstering the
credit and enhancing the resources of
the bank brought thousands Of dollars
of hard earned savings into q defunct
bank. Governor FRAZIER, Attorney
General Lemke and Commissioner Of
lAgriculture md Labor Hasan were big
l figures In that MEETING and did their