The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-01-07

| you spend the first twenty days of
the session in considering and pass
| ing the necessary general appropri-
alton bills providing for the actual
| necessities of the state, and that
until these necessary bills have been
| disposed of, no other legislation Of
any kind be considered.
4 Year Elections
recommend that you exercise
| strict economy in providing for of
| ficials, clerks and helpers in CON
Quoting the business of the session.
You should have an efficient cler-
ical force, sufficient only for the
business to be performed, and there
should be no place in Ahe employ of
the state for incompetents or poll
teal hangers-on. Why not make Il
! record along these lines?
The reservation to the people of
the right to recall unsatisfactory Of
ficials, which is now part of our
laws. makes biennial elections UNI
necessary. I, therefore, recommend
that you take the necessary steps
to initiate an amendment to the Con
stitution providing for general cleo
tions only once in four years, and
for only one session of the legisla-
ture in that period.
The various departments admins
tering the government and business
of our state, as we'll as of our ci-
ties, counties and school districts,
have been evolved from time to
time as new laws have gone into eff
feet, SO that they necessarily cannot
in all things coordinate. This lack
of coordination has resulted in
great duplication of endeavor and
waste of TING, energy and material
In any business corporation this
condition would not be permitted to
exist, and there is no reason why
such inefficient and wasteful meth
DDS should be permitted to exist in
public affairs.
|, therefore, recommend that you
provide for State Efficiency En-
pert, to be appointed by and to act
under the direction of the COVER
nor. Such expert should devote his
or her entire time and skill to this
office and to the examination of
such public offices, businesses or
departments as the governor may
assign from time to time. He or
she should be given authority TO
examine all matters, books and pa
pers connected with or pertaining
to the various subjects directed to
examine. He or she should report
to the governing board or official
as the case may be, in writing, with
a duplicate report directly to the
governor, suggesting new laws,
rules, methods, practices and appl-
ances to render more efficient and
economical the operation of public
affairs. A sufficient salary should
be provided SO that person of real
ability may be employed. Such an
officer should eventually attain
proper CO. ordination among our diff
ferent departments, boards and Of
fices, which must result in more eff
ficient management and greater
economy.
Bank Plan
The banks of the state have here
tOfOre been accustomed to borrow
money from other banks in time of
need, and to secure such loans by
collateral of face and actual value
two and often three times the
amount of the money borrowed. In
the event of inability of the banks
to pay the loans at maturity, serious
| losses have been sustained. l rec
| ommend this matter to your body for
consideration and action, and urge
the passage of such laws as in your
judgment will remedy the wrong
The problems of handling our closed
banks and those that may hereafter
| close, SO as to cause the least loss
and inconvenience to the depositors
is one that should engage the seri-
Gus attention of the state govern
ment. Under the present and accept
| ed method of doing business, the
state government assumes to exam
inc and control all state banks, and
by permitting their operation, to
advertise to the public generally
| that such banks are safe depositaries
| for money.
| When bank fails the state au-
| thorities assume absolute control of
it's management, but in no manner
provide any funds to assist either in
| reopening or in conserving the as
sets of the closed bank. As a re-
suit, during the period through
which we Rave just passed, a vast
| amount of papers, equitably the
property of the depositors has been
lost by reason of the inability OF
I the failed institutions to pay back
to other banks the loans obtained
prior to their failure. This has re-
suited in the foreclosure of pledges
secured by property of vastly great
err value than the amount of the
| debts secured. In some instances
! reasonably good commercial paper
we'll secured, Of face value three
times that Of the money borrowed
has been pledged, and when the fail
ure came and the failed institution
had no available funds with which
to redeem the pledged paper; the
pledge has been foreclosed, the pa
per bid in for the amount of the debt
or loss, and the depositors have been
robbed in their helplessness.
Wants Investigation
recommend that you Immediate
ly appoint a committee to examine
into the whole question and ascer.
tain if the following suggestions
cannot be put into practical form
and effect.
Within stated time, say ninety
days after bank has closed its
doors, or sooner upon request of
the State Examiner, if the bank has
not been reopened, possession of all
it's assets should be taken by the