Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1927-03-04
STEWART PROBE
GROWS IN SCOPE
STATE INSURANCE AND AUTO
MOBILE REGISTRATION FUNDS
CONSIDERED
Billings Normal School Funds APP
proved; Great Falls Bank Case
Closed; Wallace Retains Lincoln
Commissioner Job; Mock Session
(By Our Helena Correspondent

Closed; Wallace Retains Lincoln
Commissioners Job; Mock Session
(By Our Helena Correspondent
As a basis for q possible recommended
ton that the attorney general proceed to
recover from Secretary Of State Charles
T. Stewart money which may have been
spent without legal sanction In conncc-
ton with the publication Of proposed
constitutional amendments, the house
committee investigating Secretary Stew
arts office q few days ago asked Attor-
ney General L.. A. Foot for an opinion
whether publication for less han the
three months required by the constitu-
ton would constitute . legal claim
against the state. Tho attorney general
has already virtually decided that pub
LEGATION for less than three months Is In
complete publication.
Secretary Stewart reluctantly tool the
stand after j. e. Murphy, state purchasing
agent, had testified as t. publication of
proposed amendments in 1922, 1924 and
1926. Questioned by Chairman Moss. the
purchasing agent said that last year he
had recommended that the secretary OF
states list Of newspapers in which the
amendment was to appear be cut to the
constitutional minimum OF one paper In
each county, but that this had not been
followed, the requisition being taken away
and, not .eturned.
Stewart testified that in not including
the plan of the purchasing agent he had
(been guided by the opinion of the state
board OF examiners to the effect that TINS
publication was made mandatory on the
| secretary Of state through constitutional
| provision and that the purchasing agent
had nothing to do with It..
What disposition Secretary OF State
| Charles T. Stewart made Of $40 900 expend
ed in the administration Of the motor We.
hicle registration department from July i
1925, to December ! of that year, when the
work was transferred to the warden OF
the state prison at Deer Lodge. is also
committee appointed to probe the offcial
! acts OF Secretary Stewart. The committee
has been informed, Chairman Moss said
that after Stewart had spent $4,000, A. B
Middleton, the prison warden, had only
$4,000 left for the remainder. of the hsca
year and had to provide for a $4,000 ex'
penditure for the purchase Of automobile
license plates.
Probing Of reports that the secretary OF
state may have profited personally by the
placing Of state insurance has Ybeen begun
by the special house committee appointed
to investigate the official acts of Secretary
Stewart. Inquiry centered on operations
OF w. NJ. Biggs & Co, OF which Stewart Is
vice president and manager, AT the re.
| quest of the committee, Governor Erickson
issued an executive order permitting the
committee to subpoena corporation income
records from the state board of equaliza'
ton as related to the Biggs company. The
records were produced by l.. w. butcher
chief of the corporation tax department
: Other state records have been subpoenaed
by the committee, 1t was announced by
Chairman Moss.
WITH appropriations for building elm.
mated, the house passed a bill providing
funds for the operation of the Billings
normal school during the next two years
Argument on the measure was p~refaced by
- n-~-- n--l 9 ~
appropriation committee to the effect that
state board Of equalization had furnished
new estimates of revenue which assured
| sufficient funds for this and all other ap.
preparations thus far approved.
Responsibility Of stockholders in the
Cascade bank Of Great Falls ended thret
years from the time the bank was sold t.
the American Bank & Trust company OF
that city and the claim Of Anna l.. Brown
not having been resented within that time
is valueiess, the supreme court holds.
Mrs. Brown was a depositor in the Cas-
cade bank. She was absent from the stat
until some time In 1922. In the meantime
the Cascade bank had changed hands ant
It's purchaser, the American bank, had gon'
and other stockholders of the Cascade banl
on her $4,000 claim. The district cour
found against her and is upheld by tn
supreme court.
HdQ she brought HcLlOn WltulD the STAT
utory period, 1t would have been propel
against the stockholders In that the asset
of the Cascade bank were exhausted b,
their transfer to the American bank, tn
court said. However, her contention tina
the statute Of limitations did not begin 4
to the transfer the court finds withou
merit.
w. A. Wallace was negligent in qualify
tn0 for fhA AHAnn 80 nntntr mr. Dn p,t aninnn
of Lincoln county and thus a vacancy wa
created which the district judge coul'
properly I'LL, the supreme court says In al
opinion.
court seeking to GUST f. c. Callaw VIII
had been appointed by the court.
Stories told at the mock session in tn
house by w. N. Smith OF Great Falls VIII
Erickson, were frequently commented O.
in hectic debates in the house and occasion
ally the members were reminded that tn
mock session was over Smith is vic
president Of the Montana Flour Mills com
pany.
Governor Erickson sat in a conspicuou
place while Mr.. Smith delivered the gov
%ernor's message to the session, the governo
laughing as much as anyone at his I'm
personator's on state and ma
tional questions. After the Scandinavian
had been "kidded" considerably, Repre-
sentative Robert Larson Of Sheridan coun
ty gave the audience a thrill by pretend
ing to resent 1t, but Larson soon brok
out In laughter and was pushed back [
his seat by sergeants-at-arms. Gran
Reeds singing Of the How Do You DO
song caused much amusement at the ex
pense OF certain member of the house. .
When the fun was over, Mrs. q. \
Davis. wife of Speaker Davis, was mad
temporary speaker Of the ASSEMBLY, and WI
presented with a basket OF viOlets by Coy
ernor Erickson, In the name Of the men
bers of the house and attaches. Selection
OF the house trio-Reed, Chatham and Nj
son--and ensemble singing of Montana