The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-03-05
STAGE SET FOR
RIG RATTLE ON
PROBE REPORT

(COnLlnueO from page OneJ
bitration board Mr.. Bliss was noti-
fled by Mr.. Black to have all parties
who knew about the facts brought
before the arbitration board; and
that the arbitration board were
themselves handling the question Of
witnesses and as to whom they would
hear, and did not look to Mr.. Black
to furnish witnesses.
Throughout the majority report the
committee condemns w. G. Black for
alleged lack Of knowledge, and states
that his answers to the questions put
by the committees counsel were
evasive, and claims that his testi-
mony discloses that he was not ia
miliar with matters he was testify
ing about, particularly with refer
ence to the Richland and Sargent
county projects. In all fairness to
Mr.. Black, we again want to call the
attention of this House to the fact
that Mr.. Black on the stand continu-
f, ally reiterated to the committee and
its counsel that almost all of the
work in connection with the Richland
county and Sargent county projects
had been done under the previous
administration, and that he was not
:, familiar with The details, and did not
know what had been done with ref
erence to those projects; but that
/ in spite Of these repeated declara-
tions by Mr.. Black, the committee
continued to ask him questions that
had to do with the details of the
former Highway Commission and the
former state engineer, Mr.. Robinson
which from the very necessity OF
things were not within the knowl-
edge Of Mr.. Black, and any state
ments that he would make with ref
erence thereto must necessarily have
been hearsay; and it is not surpris-
ing that there were many questions
asked him concerning the former ad.
ministration which he could not an.
swer and concerning which he did
not have that positive knowledge
that would qualify him to testify as
to those instances. And we further
call the attention of the Legislature
to the fact that continually during
the hearing Mr.. Black was interrupt
ed and not permitted to make the
Explanations that he evidently desired
to make; in other words, that the
attitude towards Mr.. Black assumed
by the counsel for the committee was
that of trying to trap him and ash
him unfair questions rather thar
giving him an opportunity to explain
As far as we observed, Mr.. Blacl
was courteous to the committee
throughout the entire hearing, ant
made an honest endeavor to produce
all facts and documents requested
by the committee.
We find that Mr.. Black is an eff
ficient engineer, that he is gradu
ate in the course of engineering
that he has wide experience in tina
profession, and has good record 4:
an engineer in the army of the Uni
ted States; and we find nothing from
the testimony that has been intro
duced before this committee that cal
condemn Mr.. Black of the Highwa!
Commission; and find that the onl!
matters of any criticism at all arr
matters Of mere Irregularities tina
may and usually do occur in any de
partment of the state government.
We further find that during tn
years 1928 and 1924, under the ad
ministra:;Un Of the present hignwa.
Commission, 918.25 miles of roads il
this state had been constructed ant
accepted, and that in addition t.
that during those two years the pres