The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-01-05
WINS VOTE OF
.:LEAGUE CAUCUS
OVER 3 OTHERS
Representative From Eddy
and Foster Counties Select
! ed For High Positions
SENATE is UNCERTAIN
Contest Talk Clouds Issues in
That Body AS Time For
Session Nears
SENATE is UNCERTAIN

Ben c. Larkin of Brantford, repre-
sentative from the 32nd legislative
district, Eddy and Foster counties,
will he speaker Of the 10th legisla-
tive assembly, which opens here to-
morrow, if the Nonpartsans are able
to control its organization. Nonpar-
tisan solons, expecting to assume
I control, in caucus, voted to support
! Larkin for the position, when the
House meets at noon Tuesday to go
into session.
Larkin won the position over F. A.
Vogel Of Coleharbor, Mrs. Minnie
Craig of Esmond and j. H. Burkhart
of Ward county. On the first ballot
in the caucus. Larkin had II votes,
Vogel Ii and Burkhart and Mrs.
Craig six each. On the second bal
lot Larkin received all but two votes.
Vogel, in asking the members not
to vote for him, urged that Larkin
be named for speaker, and Vogel, in
turn, was named the League floor
leader.
Organization of the Senate remain
ed clouded today, with the prospect
of three contests being brought. Non
partisans, it was announced recently,
would contest the seats of lndepend-
ents from Wells and Grant counties,
and today it was learned that objec-
ton may be made to the seating of
L. r. Baird, Senator-elect from Stark
county. Baird's seat will be contest
ed, it is understood, on the ground
that since he is general receiver OF
closed banks he is barred from hold
ents, however, do not fear this con-
test, pointing to supreme court de-
cision of last week in which Mr..
Bairds right to accept the position
of receiver was upheld, although he
was a member of the Senate two
years ago when the general receiver
ship law was enacted.
Compromise Talk
There was talk today of a COM
promise arrangement, under which
the Nonpartisans and Independents
would share committees in the Sem
ate, providing contests were dropped.
Otherwise, the Independents may at
tempt to organize the Senate, name
rail- committees and distribute all jobs.
Gov. Sorle was brought into confer
ence on this subject.
The legislative session is expected
to be devoted wholly to organization
matters Tuesday, and under present
plans the House and Senate will
meet in joint session at 2 o'clock
Wednesday afternoon to hear the
messages of the retiring Governor, r.
A. Nestos, and incoming Governor, A.
&. Sorlie, after which the regular
legislative grind will get under way,
to continue until March 6.
Divide Jobs
The Nonpartisans of the House,
adopting a plan for the distribution
of jobs, figured there were about 30
positions to give out and that the
Leaguers had control of 30 districts.
Each district was declared entitled
to one job, except that the chief
clerk of the House was considered
elected at large, and the EddyFos-
ter district, which got the speaker
ship, was to be denied patronage.
j. c. Miller of Bottineau, formerly
a member of the House, was agreed
on for chief clerk, with Howard
Thomas of Driscoll as assistant chief
clerk. R. R. Smith of Bottineau will
:, be in charge Of stenographers. Other
positions are expected to be allotted
by committee on employment, which
was named.
C. F. Very of Minot probably will
be named secretary of the Senate, it
Independents organize it, and Nose
Rosensweig appeared as candidate
for assistant secretary.
NEGOTIATIONS ON
Independents were holding out the
olive branch this afternoon in the
organization of the Senate, agreeing
to a division of organization if con-
tests were dropped, but also asking
for division of patronage in the
House providing the Independents
gave up their apparent majority pow
er in the Senate. Committees of the
Senate were to meet this afternoon
to go over the matter, after informal
conferences had been held during
the day, which included Governor
Sorlie.
!. The House Nonpartisans were pro-
ceeding with the expectation of COM
pleting their organization. Side
/. lights on the League house proceed
ings included the refusal Of the Lea
Y guers to name R. w. Frazier, mem
ber Of the League state executive
/, committee, as Sergeant-at-Arms of
the house.
POLICIES UNCERTAIN
The nineteenth legislative assem-
bly, Of North Dakota since statehood
will get under way with its leeisla-
tive policies in the most indefinite
form Of any session in many years,
tcentinasd on Page .