Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1935-10-17
GAME, FISH
EMBR0|LED
Warden Ousting Brings
Considerable Trouble to
Director SwenSOn.
Commission Demands Rein
statement of Warden
After Hearing.
By A. F. LOCKHART,

DuTl0p the past lWO WcchS COHSiu
cradle publicity has appeared in the
press of the state regarding the con
flict between the State Conservation
Commission and Erling Swenson. di
rector of Game and Fish.
There have been several breaks be
tween the Commission and Mr.. Sven
son during the past several months
but the present cause of conflict was
the dismissal of r. F. Grandquist
game warden at White Bear Lake
Swenson dismissed Grandquist from
the warden service on the grounds
that charges had been filed against
him of a very serious nature. Mr.
GrandQuist denied the charges in toto
and demanded a hearing before the
commission which was granted. The
tober and 5.
Case Collapsed.
The case against Grandquist com
pletely collapsed at the hearing
Senator George Seigel of st. Paul
handled the case for Warden Grand
quist and proved by the testimony OF
Swenson's witnesses that there was
not a semblance of support for the
charges upon which the case had
been brought. The commission there
upon ordered the immediate rein
statement of Granquist as warden
with full pay from the date of his
suspension from the service.
1t is doubtful whether any previous
case brought against state employe
had as dishonest and corrupt founda-
ton as the case against Grandqulst
There is not a shadow of doubt that
the case against him was framed by
Swenson aided by A. L. kaupanger,
secretary of the Isaac Walton League,
and colleague of Tom Schall in po-
litical matters. That SwenSon knew
the charges were false before the
case was brought is more than OBJ
vious.
SwenSOn Knew Facts.
The interesting thing about it all
is that the name of Grandquist was
substituted for that of another war
den who was guilty of charges al
legged. Swenson knew very we'll what
the facts were and sanctioned the
substitution of Grandquists's name
for the man involved in the affair
This fact was admitted at the hear
ing by the signer of the affidavit upon
which the case was based.
What the Conservation Commission
must do to retain the confidence of
the people of the state is to eliminate
Mr.. Swenson as we'll as several of
his aids in the department. includ-
ing George Weaver in charge of COM
mercial fishing; NJ V. Frederickson.
quite generally known as a frame-up
artist. and alleged investigator in the
Division; Tony Stefano. whose work
in the Game and Fish Department is
a bit uncertain and whose activity
appears to have been mostly in aiding
Frederickson in the work of working
I'D evidence against Farmer-Labor
game wardens.
1t should be of interest to the peo-
PIC vi lnC SldtC " hIlOW that llC
whole set-up in the Game and Fish
Division today is substantially the
same as under the Jay Gould regime
in the days of Jake Preus.
Republicans in Charge.
The Division of Game and Fish
though theoretically Farmer-Labor is
in practical effect Republican of the
Andy Rain and Tom Schall variety
All of the men who collaborated in
framing Grandquist are Republicans
of the Schall school. Swenson has
held membership in the Farmer
Labor Association but has for many
years been a close associate of Tom
Schall in North Minneapolis. More
over. he has boasted of friendship
for kaupanger. man who has been
constantly on the job spreading pois-
on against the present Farmer-Labor
Weaver. who is prob
ably the most influential in the Game
and Fish Division has been solicitate
of Mr. Gould many years which
makes him part of the Rahn-Schall
regime.
Kept Press for SwensOn.
The fact that the Twin City daily
papers have set out to defend Sven
son in his controversy with the COM
mission is not the only indictment
of his record. Frame-ups do not. of
course. bother the men of the metro
politan press unless it should happen
that the victim was one of their own
crowd.
The Conservation Commission will
have to eliminate Mr.. Swenson. and
with him should go Weaver, Stefano,
and Frederickson. To leave any one
Of these birds on the Job in the Game