The Bismarck tribune., 1924-11-08
INDEPENDENTS
RETAIN POWER
T0BL0CK N.P.L.
Control of Important Offices
and One Branch Legisla-
ture Gives Them Power
ONE DEADLOCK SEEN
SOrlie as Governor and Inde-
pendent Majority on In
dustrial Commission Equal

The Independents in North Dakota
will surrender control Of many i'm
portant offices in the state after
January l, but will remain a power
full minority, able to block efforts
Of Nonpartisans to extend the state
industries or radically revise the
governmental machinery Of the state.
Reelection of Attorney General
George +. Shafer and Commissioner
of Agriculture and Labor Joseph A.
Kitchen leaves the Independents
with majority on the Industrial
Commission. and control of the state
senate is an effective estoppel
against legislative program fost-
cred by the Nonpartisans.
The Industrial Commission will
be deadlock, however, although the
Independents have two of the three
members, A. G. Sorlie, Governor
elect and Nonpartisan, is the third
member and chairman of the COM
mission. Unders the laws creating
the Industrial Commission, however,
the Governor is given veto power
over the majority. The situation
created is that Sorlie may prevent
anything Kitchen and Shafer do
from becoming effective, and they
may block his ideas. The result will
be either cooperation on the part
of the three members or difficulty
in agreeing on program.
Annointments Cont rolled
The Industrial Commission con-
trolls the appointment of the Mana
ger of the Bank Of North Dakota.
and since the Independents have a
majority they can name the per-
sonnel of the institution. The same
is true of the state mill and elevator
at Grand Forks.
It iu likely also that the Deposi-
tors Guaranty Fund Commission will
remain able to carry out the polio
les now being pursued with refer
ence to the liquidation Of closed
banks, and the supervisory powers
granted under the law of July 1,
1923, to the commission. The men,
bers Of this commission are Cover
nor, ex-officio; Manager of Bank of
North Dakota, ex-officio; S. G. Sew
ertson of Bismarck, first appointed
by Governor Frazier and reappoint-
ed by Governor Nestos, whose term
expires July /, 1926; c. B. Mcmillan
of Hannah, whose term expires July
/, 1925; and there is one vacancy,
presumably to be filled soon. A. L.
Netcher Of Fessenden was appointed
to the commission but was not quail
fled. The state examiner is ex-
officio secretary. Should Governor
. Nestos and the Industrial Commits
sion desire, it appears that they
may, through filling of the present
vacancy and control of the appoint
ment of the Bank Of North Dakota,
make certain q continuation of the
present policies Of the Guaranty
Fund Commission.
Immense appointive power is given
the Governor of the state, but it is
somewhat limited by requiremetlt
Of confirmation by the Senate of
three major appointments. They are
the state bank examiner, tax COM
missioner and state engineer. The
term of Gilbert Semingson, state ex-
'Aaminer, expires March IL, 1925; the
term of W. G. Black, state engineer,
expires April 2, 1927, and the term
Of C. C. Converse, state tax COM
missioner, expires July 26, 1925.
Under the requirement that these be
confirmed by the Senate, the Inde-
pendents would be able to block ap
pointment of men they did not ap-
prove. However, it is possible for
the Governor to make appointments
when the legislature is not in ses-
sion, and in this manner he may, it
is believed by some, carry out his
own desires.
Banking Board Control
Control of the Banking Board, an
important body, will be passed to the
Nonpartisans. This board is COM
posed of the Governor, who will be
, A. G. Sorlie: the Secretary of State,
who will be Robert Byrne, both Non
partisans, and the Attorney-Gen-
eral.
The election has made no change
in the state board of administration,
which controls the state educational,
penal and charitable institutions.
The two ex-officio members are
Commissioner of griculture and
Labor ]. A. Kitchen and State Sup
erintendent Minnie j.. Nelson. There
are three appointive members, at
present R. B. Murphy, chairman; H..
p. Goddard and F. E. Diehl. All are
appointed by the Governor.
The auditing board, which audits
bills for expense of the various de-
partments, will be controlled by the
Nonpartisans. The members are the
Governor, Commissioner of Insur-
ance and Treasurer, who will be
Nonpartisans; the Attorney General,
State Examiner and the Auditor, who
is ex-officio secretary. The state
board Of auditors, charged with duty
under an initiated law Of auditing
the Bank Of North. Dakota and state
mill and elevator, will be lndepen-
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