The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-06-02


hibit Of the statement signed by ted.
eral relief employees pledging q pr.
ton Of their salaries. Lanier offered
no objection except that he thought
they were unnecessarily clutterins
up the records"
Lanier asked Pfenning . few add
tional questions In redirect examina-
ton.
AT the time Mcdonald came to
the office, when you signed the checks
were you In the market for all OF
those subscriptions" mo" was the
answer.
Sisned 70. Ne on Safe Side'
"When you signed the checks and
paid some were you doing It tn the
interests Of promoting The Leader
or tor some other reason?" Lanier
asked further.
II did 1t to be on the safe side, !"
Pfenning replied.
What do you mean by that?"
II wanted to keep my job"
Sinkler asked q final question,
Nobody said you would lose your job,
did theyp"
mo, but from McDonalds attitude
and what had heard"
o. T. Forde. federal relief en-
ploye in the transient department. de-
scribed his efforts to obtain position
in the relief administration work.
A. M. Christensen, secretary Of the
federal relief administration in North
Dakota; r. M. Stangler, manager Of
the Bank OF North Dakota. and Lee
Nichols, a member Of the state relief
committee, were brought into the evi-
dence BY testimony Of Forde.
Forde said he had been working for
a medical clinic on . commission ba-
sis prior to the time he became fed
eral relief employe. Il wasn't making
enough to pay expenses" he ex-
planned.
Forde said he talked to Christian
son, who called Stanger. who got in
! touch with Nichols. and I was told to
60 and see r. A. Kinzer. did and
I was put to work checking relief or
ders. My salary was $50 per month.
was told that If my work was salts
factory could expect raise. Kin
ger told me that"
About the middle of May, Forde
said, Mcdonald appeared in the office
of the relief workers. HE came in
the afternoon and submitted his plan.
It was about time to close"
What did he say?" asked Lanier.
Asked 70 Sign Up
| "Oh. it was to the effect that We
should sign up for The Leader'-in
my estimation he didn't have = sales
talk-I don't remember-hc seemed to
take 1t for granted that We all knew
who he was and we were expected to
sign up for The Leader"
did you have any discussion with
him after that?' Lanier questioned.
Yves. I asked him who the man
ager was going to be-he said he
didn't know for sure. I asked him
who the editor was going to be-he
said he didn't know for sure. / asked
him six or seven different questions
had never been introduced to him
but he seemed to take it for granted
that We knew who he was
After he talked to you. you knew
whom he represented" Lanier asked
"Yes," said Forde.
At the first meeting Forde said
I'VE were expected to pay five pc,
cent Of our annual salary. to be paid
quarterly. I objected, for one"
did you tell Mcdonald why yov
obtected?" asked Lanier
Couldn't Afford Pledge
Il did the next day when he re.
turned" Forde recalled. Il made m,
reasons very clear why I couldn't pay
Why l couldn't afford to pay tina
much out of my next salary. I tole
him my financial condition would no.
permit it. My wife was in the hos.
/ pital at the time and had a major
operation; had girl at the house
to help her out for awhile, and there
we're the children and everything ane
the money was not enough to pay ex.
penses.'
Forde said he was interested II
knowing about the proposed paper
who would operate 1t and how i,
would be conducted. Mcdonald, he
said. explained he would have the in.
formation when he returned. but die
not have it at the time Of the second
visit
Whom did he say he represented? p
asked Lanier
Il couldn't say positively-it is m,
impression that he said he reprel
sented the Nonpartisan League
couldn't say for sure replied Forde.
Forde said the original proposition
that the subscriptions be paid quart
erly was changed to allow them to be
paid monthly Mcdonald made thi.
announcement when he returned fol
the second time, according to Forde.
did you ever hear Kinzer say any
tning about the change III the ar.
rangements?' inquired I.anier
Payments Arranged Monthly
i couldn't say" replied Forde. "Hs
said the plan seemed to be fair wa.
Of handling it. Mcdonald told US Il
could be arranged on monthly ba.
sis. and Kinzer asked him if 1t coule
be arranged"
/ Twelve checks each for $3.50 ant
drawn on the Bank Of North Dakott
were signed by Forde, he testified. =
told Mcdonald had no funds il
the Bank of North Dakota and ex.
pected to have none. He said W.
could pay the checks each month
that we could pay them at the Of
flee" Forde said he made payments
on the checks to several people. in
cluding r. A. Kinxer.
why did you quit paying?" LAniel
asked him.
well, when / returned from q tril
Ito Minot I was told an order hat
come out telling us We didn't have tx
pay the checks. Forde said he mad,
five payments.
AA ~ ~&-