The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1922-01-13

WHERE THE STATE 4
MONEY WENT.
The work of. checking up the finan-
cial end Of the state affairs, as they
We're left by the Nonpartisan admin
istration, has been going on rather
slowly on account of the complicated
way the affairs Of some of the de-
partments were conducted. But as
lar as the work has gone some won
derful revelations have been made.
By the time everything is checked
up it will be seen. that the state
funds were recklessly squandered
for political purposes and to help
those who were in sympathy with
the League.
Take the work of the Industrial
Commission for instance. They have
loaned money in large sums to non
residents who owned land in the
state but who made no effort to de-
velope the property. In some cases
these non-residents had defective
titles so that money could not be
borrowed on the property through
any other source, and some of them
who borrowed the money have nei-
ther paid the interest or taxes since
the loan was made. This goes to
show that they simply sold the land
to the state through the ''loan DEAL"
It is claimed that non-residents Of at
least ten different states have OBJ
tanned loans through the Industrial
Commission in that way. Here are
a few instances that have come to
light through the investigation so
far, and many more are sure to de-.
velope: 8
D. j. Mahon of St. Paul, Mimi,
has loan of s25,O0O on land in the
western part of the state, and his
title to the land is said to be defec-I
tive, and the land could not be sold
at any time for the amount of the
mortgage. It is claimed that Mr..
Mahon is a relative Of ex-congress-
man Baer.
Oscar H. Nelson of Wisconsin has
loan of $4,500.
Oscar Semington Of the same state
has loan Of $1,980.
r. DeBurger of Iowa has loan on
his North Dakota land lying in the
western part of the state amounting
to $10,980.
John Haight, banker in Montana,
has a loan Of $19,S0O. The number
of his application was in the 5000,
while his loan numbers in the 200.
This shows that several thousand
applications that were filed before
Mr.. Haight's application was filed,
were turned down. Mr.. Haight is q
personal friend of Mr.. eTownley.
J.. Kroack Of South Dakota has a
loan of $5,445.
r. McKaig of Idaho has loan Of
$1,000.
C. L. Baker, Montana, $11880.
Ben Goss, Minnesota, $500.
w. v. Klebert, Colorado, 1920.
Hazel. Jones, Michigan, $1,000.
The total amount of the loans
made to non-residents 50 far is $685.
175. The peculiar part Of the mat
ter is that all these persons are iden-
titled with the Nonpartisan faith.
But here is one Of the best ones.
Attached to an application for q loan
which was afterwards made, is the|
following notation. It was the rel
port Of one Maile Townsend, and thel
applicant is Ole Hames Of Keef,
Sheridan county. The report reads:
"This man paid $1,100 for this
land. He didn't steal a h Of
lot at that'but it is worth $2,6OO
all right, and he has made. lea
euers of every man in the to~n- q!
+ ship since he moved in there SO
Il guess he is entitled to loan,
and IL you want II changed !
when I come in l will do 80. He II
is going to stay here and farm
Il. MALE TOWNSEND"
It was found that the auditing
committee anpointed hv the Fra-'er'
.dr.;r;str>+;on IN rorort an the con.