The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-01-30
State Labor Chief Denies Re
sponsibility for Delaying
Bank Program

Roy q. ArntSOn, deputy commits
sioner Of agriculture and labor, Mon
day snapped back at The Leader
Langer-sponsored political weekly
which has been accusing him o
blocking q program Of farm rehabili
,,tation sponsored by the Bank o
North Dakota.
The program, submitted to tn,
state CWA committee weeks ago, ha.
not been placed In operation. TIL,
Leader has blamed Arnston and JOIN
HUSKY. his superior. on the grount
that arguments over q wage scale {,
be paid to certain CWA workers ha!
delayed the work.
The project Is being held up, &C
cording to Executive Secretary Johr
E. williams Of the state emergenc,
relief committee, because Of short,
age Of CWA funds. The project hat
been authorized and 100000 set asid.
for its completion before a recent
order from Washington was received
holding up all new CWA projects
The bank, under the program approx.
ed, was to contribute 100000 to the
project.
williams IS Of the opinion that thu
telegram received by him on January
Is, cutting hours Of CWA workers te
"a hours per week in cities and Is pei
week in country districts makes It ne.
cessary for the bank project to be re.
submitted to headquarters at Wash
ington for approval, as the wire stat
ed that all projects requiring ma
terial should again be submitted t.
Washington.
Overdrawn, Says Williasna
Postponement Of the project Il
caused by several states over-tlrawine
their CWA quota, williams believes
He cited the fact that Illinois had
been compelled to lay Oft 100000 men
as an example Of how some states
had been operating. He had no idea
OF when the banks project would be
approved, he said.
Arntson in his statement says that
the attack on him by the admins
tration paper Is for the purpose Of
discrediting Commissioner HUSKY. He
asks why the governor did not CO.
operate with HUSKY last week In his
effort to have the former volume Of
work under the CWA restored IN
North Dakota.
Arntson says he heartily approves
o. any program Of the Bank Of North
Dakota or anyone else that will put
unemployed people to work, but says
he has no knowledge Of the banks
program other than what he has read
in the Leader. He denies appearing
before the CWA committee Ia opposi-
ton to the banks program or dis
cussing 1t with any member Of the
committee.
Arntson's statement follows IN full:
Personal Mud Battery
I'm the last four issues Of The
Leader. Governor Langers personal
mud battery. q vicious and unbridled
attack has been directed at John Hus-
by. Commissioner Of Agriculture and
Labor, and not being able to find any
other angle from which to launch this
attack, they use me as the piece de
resistance through which they seek to
uiscredit an able and honorable state
official. They charge that I caused
the Bank Of North Dakota's paint and
repair program to be held up, thereby
causing loss Of thousands Of dollars
to farmers and laborers who are In
bad need Of employment.
when the article was first publish
ed, elected to ignore 1t. but since they
have repeated the same attack again
and again, I desire to make the fol-
lowing statement and to make 1t in
such plain language that even The
Leader will understand what 1t Is all
about.
Il am In hearty accord with, and ap-
prove Of any program that the Bank
Of North Dakota or anyone else will
place in operation that will provide
work opportunities for the less for
tunate Of our citizens. I have at no
time opposed this or any other pro-
gram which would provide employ
ment. I have never, as The Leader
alleges, appeared before the State
Civil Works committee In opposition
to any program the Bank may have
had, I have never discussed this pro.