Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-08-31
WHAT NEsTos PLEDGED.

ny governor NeStOS tnat steps would be taken a
the next legislative session to dissolve the bank o
North Dakota. the Fargo Courier News says o
Governor Nestos:
This man was elected governor because he
promised to carry out the Nonpartisan pro-
gram.
The answer to that statement is the lie direct
Mr.. Nestos made no such promise, and he was no
elected because he was supposed to have made am
such promise. The promises which he made wer'
directly to the contrary, and they were made pub
licly in the press and in addresses delivered all ovel
the state. "
In the campaign preceding the recall election
OF last tall Mr.. Nestos and the men who were as
ISOLATED with him as candidates for places in tn.
state administration and on the industrial commits
sion made certain definite and specific pledges
They pledged themselves:
To complete and put into effective opera
ton at the earliest possible moment the mill
and elevator at Grand Forks;
To extend and expand the farm loan feat
ure of the business of the Bank of North Da-
kota, to conine the work of the bank to that
feature, and to ~liquidate it as a commercial
banking institution;
To wind up the affairs of the Home Build
ing association, and to withdraw the state from
its building activities;
To ask the assistance of a non-partisan
commission in devising the best methods of
financing, completing and operating the mill
and elevator plant;
To have the states accounts audited by a
competent auditing company, to the end that
facts which had been hidden by the league ad-
ministration might, as far as possible, be re-
vealed, and on the basis of the knowledge
gained to systematic the work in order that
losses from negligence and incompetence
might be stopped, and that the financial affairs
Of the state might be placed on a sound basis.
These pledges were made publicly, and they
VIVIAN @eesI1o H.: ..~:-- H.
paign. They were understood by the public, and
with that understanding the independent candidates
were elected.
The new officials took charge in November. In
the nine months that have interviewed every one OF
those pledges has been fulfilled as fully and as
rapidly as fulhl1ment was possible.
The confusion in which the states affairs were
left has not been fully Strengthened out, but excel
lent progress has been made in that direction. Leaks
have been stopped real assets have been separated
from worthless paper; steps have been taken to
collect moneys due the state and to write off losses
where losses were manifested.
The mill and elevator commission which Mr..
Nestos promised to appoint was appointed. 1t went
over the whole subject from the beginning, sub
mitted it's findings of fact and made its recommen.
dations. The governor has acted substantially on
those recommendations. One of the state officers
of the Nonpartisan league is a member of that com
mission. He has participated in its deliberations
oAo ~ T. TIC WOIk
on the plant has been rushed. Every man who could
be used to advantage on the plant has been EN-.
ployed. Money was found for the resumption OF
operations which the former administration had
suspended indefinitely. Within four or five months
of actual working time the immense buildings have
been almost completed; much of the machinery has
been installed; men who are experienced, and who
are as thoroughly competent in their
respective lines have been engaged for the manage,
ment OF the separate departments of elevator work
and milling. No man has yet pointed out a single
item in which there has been unnecessary DELAY.
The great plant will not be complete this fall. That
has never been expected. But at least one of the
elevator units will be in operation before cold
weather sets in, and it, will handle grain from this
years crop. w.. ~,
The farm loan business of the Bank of North
Dakota has been expanded as was promised. Loan
applications that had been sidetracked and pigeon
holed for months have been allowed and the appli.
.cants are now using the money. Additional funds
have been secured for the making of new loans. The
commercial part of the banks business has been
practically suspended pending the Strengthening
out Of its complicated affairs and the work of get
ting it's assets into such shape that they can be real
lied on. The next logical step will be the dissolu.
leave it as an exclusive farm loan institution,
The management of the Home Building asso-
citation has entailed enormous loss on the state
How much that loss will be nobody knows. 1t has
been necessary to go to the courts to learn what
claims Of the association are enforcible and what
are not. AS soon as the status Of these claims can
be definitely established the work Of liquidation can
In the meantime; in accordance with the
promises, the work Of the men in charge of the as.
|sociation's work has been confined to. the checking
up Of accounts and the rntangling Of complications
No new building has been undertaken, nor is any
contemplated. s
Such in brief, are the pledges which Governor
Nestos and his associates made, and such is the
manner in which they are being fulfilled. Any
statement that they were pledged at any time to the
carrying out Of the league program IS false.
President harrington 81 the Illinois mine work.
srs union announces that the union has pledged ev-
cry means st its command for the defense Of any 81
IS who may be indicted il the Herrin