The Bismarck Tribune Newspaper, December 19, 1917, Page 3

Ae ra WEDNESDAY, DEO. 19, 1917 BISMARCK EVENING TRIBUNE STATE AUDITOR TAKES SHOT AT ~ HIGHWAY WORK Karl Kositzky Believes Engineer- | ing Expense Is Run- ning High. | Friction between Cass county offi- cials and the North Dakota highway commission culminated this morning in a letter from State Auditor Karl Kositzky to J. W. Bliss, state engi- neer and secretary of the highway commission, in which the state auditor calls attention to the fact that since March 1, 1917, there has béen paid | out of the highway fund $30,303.50, of | which $214.12 has been paid for road work, and $30,089.38 for salaries and traveling expenses. He calls atten- tion to the fact that the state high- way commission has on it payroll 30 people, drawing nearly 000 per month in salaries and traveling ex- Penses, and advises that as a member of the auditing board he is opposed to the expenditure of the highway fund in this way, “and shall vote against paying said claims after January 1, 1918. It is my honest belief that the people of the state expect roads to be built out of dirt and not out of paper,” concludes the state auditor. . Not Inspired. While State Auditor Kositzky ad- mits that complaints have reached his ears from Cass county, where con tractors object to the state highway! commission’s specifications because they are too precise, he insists that the letter which he served this morn-; ing on Mr. Bliss originated with him- self. As Mr. Kositzky construes the | state highway law, ten percent of the funds annually apportioned to the commission from automobile regis- | tration fees may be expended at the discretion of the commissioner for en- | gineering and office expense, the re- maining 90 per cent to be spent in| the counties in which the fees orig- inated. Mr. Kositzky says. that $94,581 has been collected from the registration of automobile vehicles since the law be- | came operative,’ and that of this amount the commission is entitled, un, ' der the law, to but $9,458. The act also speciftcally appropriates $8,000 for the office expense of the commis- sion, which would, the state auditor contends, make the whole amount available this year for office-and engi- meering expense $17,458, an amount) owhich. he insists has. been exceeded by ! $12,631 in bills already allowed. Specifications prepared for federal aid highway work by the state com- mission have complied with federal re- quirements. They are admittedly more strict than specifications upon which highway contractors have been asked to bid in years past, their aim being to give the sta‘e and she federal gov- ernment real roads in exchange for real money. Mr. Kositzky explained at length this morning that he has a very high regard for the state engineer and the state shway commission, but that he canjsee no reason for such heavy office and engineering expenses. The state Highway commission has been working, since the first of March on! preliminary projects entirely, prepar-! ing a vast amount of detail work! west of New Rockford were approved te? ‘to forty Pe cont. the increases which is necessary before construc: | by the commission today. A thorough Were ere testes erday by ae tion can be started on state and feder- | discussion of future policies of the 'C¢ of the trainmen’s brotherhoods. al highways which have been ap-; proved. The engineering expense has [GOVERNOR FRAZIER DECLINES TO MEET GOVERNOR MONTANA CO-OPERATIVE CONGRESS Great Falls, Mont., Dec. 19.—It be- came known yesterday that Governor Frazier of North Dakota had declined to come to the Co-operators’ congress, which will gather here in February next, unless he was assigned to a day different from that when Governor S. V. Stewart is to be present. The vish of the Nerth Dakota executive s brought to the local management of the congress when the manager of STEWART AT THE ; the Frazier speaking ‘tours came to Great Falls and demanded ‘the date to be changed from Tuesday to: either] - ; Wednesday or Thursday. The Non- ’ Partisan league has been assigned to! Friday, which is the last day of the i congress. The meeting is intended to; be a great farmers’ gathering when the Equity Farmers ynion, Non-Par-! tisan leaguers and Grangers all will meet for discussion of subjects of mu- tual interest. been unusually heavy because the state has been compelled to duplicate much of its work, due to a change of mind on the part of the federal de. partmeat of reads. All of the work, the highwar commission has set forth from time to time, has been necessary, as without careful estimates and ac- curate engineering the federal depart- ment of roads would not consent to accept any project for federal aid. During the first year practically no construction work has been done or attempted. This fact makes the com- Parison between roads built on paper and those built from dirt especially disparaging. North Dakotans who have had forty years’ experience with roads built from dirt without prelim- inary road-building on paper and who report that today they haven’t any highways worth mentioning to show for their money have shown an in- clination to give the state highway commission a chance to prove the wis- dom of its plan before becoming criti- cal. The Cass county flurry has been expected to develop into an attack on the commission, but capital folk who are familiar with the good work which ‘the highway board has been doing ex- press the hope that the fact that one county has a grievance real or fancied may not plunge the entire state high- way system into chaos. Theodore Andrew of Mayville and the capitol Tuesday afternooon for a stated meeting of the commission. Commissioner of Agriculture and La- bor John N. Hagan and State Engi- neer Bliss complete the membership of the board in attendance. The com- mission has under consideration appli- cations from Bowman, Eddy, Pamsey, Stark and Towner counties for addi- tional aid to balance further appro- priations which have been made by the counties themselves for federal and state aid projects upon which or- iginal requesis already have been granted. In a numberof counties the estimated cost of the work has had to be revised owing to the increasing cost and scarcity of labor, and it is found|- necessary to increase estimates, for (1918 over those of 1917. The board has for consideration a new application for federal aid from Renville county, and Ward county has submitted a request that the commis- sion designate some of its principal highways state roads. Traill county is the only county.in which contracts were awarded last year, and it-is ma- King further applications for sta and federal aid. The contract for sev- en miles of road, west of Cummings, because of the lateness of the begin- ning of construction and an unusually unfavorable October is only 50 per- cent finished. Requests from Bow- men county for both state and fedg@- al aid and a request from Eddy coun for aid on roads running south 4&4 commission is scheduled for this after- noon. ANDREW J. PETERS =~ MILWAUKEE PRIMARY IS. ANTI-LA FOLLETTE Manger (Dem.) Out in Favor ~ of Mons (Rep.) Milwaukee, Wis., Dec. 19.—With half the primary vote cast in the pres- idential primary, the eighth senatorial district, comprising five wards on the south side of Milwaukee, including the | strongest Polish wards, nominated Herbert R. Manger on the Democratic, Louis A. Fons on the Republican and Edmund T. Melms on the Socialist tic- ket today. Immediately after the re- MAYOR OF BOSTON' Doston, Mass., Dec. 19.—Andrew i. Peters, formerly assistant secretary of ; the treasury department was elected | mayor of Boston, defeating Mayor: ‘James M.\ Curley, his nearest oppon- ent, by approximately 9,000 votes, based on unofficial police figures. Congressman James A. Gallivan ran third and Congressman Peter F. Tague, fourth. The tickets were non- Partisan. N STRIKE. PROBE NEARLY FINISHED Minneapolis, Dec. 19.—The Federal mediation commission, investigating the Twin City labor situation, growing out of the State Public Safety com- mission’s order against wearing of union buttons by street car men, ex- pected to complete the: inquiry today and depart for Washington. Of§cers of the Twin City Rapid Transit com- pany, were given an opportunity to present their side of the controversy before the mediation body today. They contend that in denying further em- ployment to several hundred Minneap- olis and St. Paul car men, who failed | to abide by the ruling, they were only ‘conforming with the Safety commis- | Sion’s findings. Secretary Wilson, head of the medi- ation commission, stated that unless satisfactory settlement could be ar- ranged, no announcement relative to the commission’s findings would be made until after a report had been submitted to President Wilson. All sessions were held behind clos- ed doors, and reports that the men had agreed to discard their union em- ; blems if reinstated and permitted to maintain their union, lacked confirm- ation. OFFICER KILLED BY : GRENADE EXPLOSION| San Diego, Calif, Dec.’ 19.—-Firrst Lieutenant Irving McCracken, 157th infantry of 415 Camden street, San Antonio, Texas, was killed today at Camp Kearney, near this city, in an explosion of a hand grenade in prac- ; tice. First Lieut. Holbert G. Brown of the same regiment, whose home is in Denver, Colo.,-was badly injured in the same explosion. FIREMEN VOTE ON INCREASE OF WAGE Chicago, Ill, Dec. 19.—Seventy-five ! thousand locomotive fifemen on all railroads in the United States will véle tomorrow on wagéuincreases of | Wanted—Gunnysacks at Gussner’s. Make Royal Christmas Gift- On. the Easy Payment Plan © } ai “ No. 8060 Diamond Lavalliere, solid No. 8064 7 Stone Cluster Diamond turns were in Manger withdrew in fav- or of Fons and pledged him his sup- port in the pre-election contest, which | will be on the issues of loyalty to the administration in the war. Fons, a| former La Folette man, has repudiat- ed the, senator because. of his attitude! in the war. i | CANADIAN UNIONISTS HAVE MAJORITY OF 44 | Ottawa, Oont., Dec. 19—A majority of 44 for the Unionist, government in the Canadian parliament, with a poss- ibility of more when the soldier vote is counted, was indicated by the lat- est returns tonight from the election of yesterday. Returns from Alberta show Laurier candidates leading in three constituencies, but it is pre- dicted that the soldier vote may change the result. The Unionists won the ‘other’ districts in that province. COURT ORDERS PROSECUTOR 10 TAKE HIS SEAT (Continued From Page One.) —— jection, and admitted the print to evi- dence. That $1,200 Item. The alleged fact that $1,200 of 1917 automobile registration receipts were deposited in the closing montis of 1916, to which the state attaches much importance, again was brought out in the testimony of Deputy State Treasurer J. 0. Lyngstad. He stated that approximately 400 $3 items were deposited in 1916 and about 900 such items in 1917 before the tag number as a mark of identification again ap- heaved, and that the numbers the gan’ at 1,300, which’ he acknowlddged would correspond with hts records. The large amount of currency deposit- ed the day following the reopening of the safe in the automobile registration department was produced in court and identified by Mr. Lynkstad. By stipulation, this wealth was then re- stored to safe-keeping in the state treasurer's Vault. .....Reyer on Stand. L. 8. Royer, cashier of the Mer- chants’ National bank of Mandan, tes- tified that Mr. Hall had been loaned $500 on a note endorsed by W. H. Stutsman. Oct. 30, and that this in- creased the defendant’s indebtedness to that bank to $2,214. Harold Wright, Martin‘Thompson and A. W. Carlson, iptoyes or former. employes of the tomobile registrations; department, testified to having rged checks written in their favo; the defend- ant and presented to them by E. M. Walla with the request that they be endorsed. They admitted that they owed Mr. Hall nothing at this time) and that he owed them nothing. Miss Margaret Wynkoop testified that in six mgnths preceding the October de- nouncement she had handled deposits and that no currency had been de- posited in all that time. Fight Over Statements. Lyngstad's testimony as to the statements made from time to time by the secretary of: state, showing the receipts from automobile registra- tions, as required by an act of 1917, was admitted only after a long and spirited debate between the opposing counsel. Attorney W. H. Stutsman, for the defense, contended that Hall's affidavit was binding only as to the receipts of his office, and that any other information contained in these statements, filed with the state audi- tor and the state treasurer, were mere estimates of expenses and expendi- tures,, matters purely discretionary in their nature. Competent Evidence. Assistant Attorney General Bren- nan argued that any statement which Mr. Hall may have made as to the condition of the automobile registra- tion fund in his office, even though it might have been a mere memoran- dum, or a letter to a friend, so long as it bore his signature, was compet- ent evidence, especially in view of the evident intent of the defense to convince the jury that the defendant was not familiar with affairs in the 116,000,000 BUSHELS be-| load lots for a periéd of 24 hours aft- gold , 15 in. chain, 5 good white snappy diamonds, exceptional value. Price ....----- $100.00 No. 8061 Diamond Lavalliere, same as above in. quality, 3 diamonds. \\ Price .--------.------ $55.00 4 No. 8062 Diamond Lavalliere, 3 \! Diamonds set in plainum mount- ing and 15 in platinum chain. A beauty. Price .......- $75.00 No. 8063 Solid Gold Diamond La- valliere with 15 in. gold chain, three diamonds, drop design. Good value. Price....-. $16.00 No. 8063 Solid Gold Layaliere, fine cut diamond, best value that money can buy. Price-.$10,00 No. 8068 Ladies’ fine cut Dia- mond set in fancyypand-carved mounting -.---------+ $10.00 iy iy Opposite N. P. Depot s FOLSOM 3g Ring set in platinum, Tiffany Mounting. Fine white matched stones with a spread of 11%, carots. Price .. - $65.60 No. 8065 Ladies’ platinum set Diamond Ring, set with five beautiful, fine, white diamonds. Price _.. ----$60.00 No. 6066 Geint’s Diamond Ring set in a Belcher Mounting. The largest value that money can buy ----------------- $45.00 No. 8067 Ladies’ fine, white Dia- mond set in Tiffany setting. A rare beauty, full of life and fire --.-------------- $30.00 All goods sold on the easy pay- ment plan. Write or phone us for your selection*on this page. It makes no difference how far away you live your credit is good. Bismarck, WN. D. automobile registration department of his office. The fact, contended Bren- nan, that Hall had sworn to the Te: ceipts from automobile registration fees at various times during the last year must be accepted as proof that he had some familiarity witb the de- tails of that department. Hall Affidavits. At the suggestion of the court, the prosecution took advantage of a half- hour rece ‘0 prepare a statement of its claims in connection with the af- fidavits of Mr. Hall. This offer was not read, but was filed with the court, and in it the presecution proposed to show that the secretary of state had taken advantage of these periodical} statements to cover up shortages ex: isting in his cash drawer, and that he had made statements as to the amount | of cash and checks on hand which had a direct hearing on this case. Judge Coffey, after noting that “the state can not try a man on the prop- osition that a lot of things shall be introduced with a possibility that they may prove material,” and that it would be impossible for the state to prove that Mr. Hall had drawn any warrants or had any first hand know- ledge of warrants drawn by the audit- or and paid by the treasurer, finally overruled the objection of the de- fense; the affidavits under discussion were introduced in evidence, and the examination of Lyngstad, with a view to proving that false statements had been ‘made in these affidavits, con- FEDERAL FOOD BOARD ISSUES WHEAT ORDER Regulations Fixing Amount of Wheat Used by Millers Promise Big Economy. PRESENT CROP YEAR Maximum Prices for Mill Feeds TO-NIGH BISMARCK Theatre Relative to Price of Wheat Established. New York, Dec. 19,—New regula- tions)prescribing the amount of wheat | to be used by millers of the United States in manufacturing flour, detail- ing tke manner in which the prices of mill feeds shall be determined and which are calculated to effect’ a sav- ing of more than 16,000,000 bushels of wheat during the present crop year, were announced here today by the milling division of the federal food administration. Maximum Prices Fixed. The establishment of maximum Prices for mill feeds relative to the cost of wheat is expected to result and it is hoped this will operate to lower the price of milk and other dairy products as soon as the effects of the new rulings are felt in large dairy centers, food administration of-| ficials declare. Flour Content. Prescribing the wheat content of flour, the statement says’ “No licensee shall afte¥ Dec. 25, use more than 264 pounds of clean wheat in making 196 pounds of 100 per cent flour.” Fro mthe 100 per cent flour so pro- duced the licensee may, at his option, remove not more than five per cent of clear or low grade flours, none of which may be mixed with or sold as: feed. The 95 per cent of tho 196 pounds of flour remaining shall not be subject to further separation or di- vision. Car ‘Load Lots. Millers are directed to establish, from time to time, a price at which each grade of flour will be sold in car- er such prices arg;estabshed, and, until a new price is named by the licensee, all flour gold shall be sold! at this figure. A margin‘of 25 cents per barrel bulk at the mill above or below this price is provided, however, for mills, “in making a price to meet, competition of mills in various t tories.” Bran, Shorts, etc. Bran is to be sold at a price per ton not exceeding 38 per cent of the aver- age cost of wheat to the millers. “Shorts” and “middlings” are to be sold at approximately $2 per ton above the price of bran, mixed feeds at not more than $4 above this basis figure, and flour middlings at not more than $9 above the price of bran. “Increasing difficulties of transpor- tation” and “the uncertainty of the fu- ture” emphasize’ the importance of providing surpluses of, wheat against future needs and constitute the rea- sons for the new regulations,” a state- ment issued by the milling division says. Safeguarding Future Needs. . Agricultural reports indicating the harvest of large quantities of all kinds of cereals during the present crop year determined the present as the proper time—‘a time of plenty’—in which measures should be taken to in a marked reduction in their price, | ing BRYANT WASHBURN “The Golden Idiot” How a beloved vagabond takes a 1,000 to 1 chance for a fortune and wins it, as well as the love of a pretty heiress. QUAINT HUMOR — STRONG ACTING —WONDERFUL PLOT To-morrow Geraldine Farrar ~ Tn “Woman God Forgot’ | safeguard future needs, it states, add- ing: “Proceeding on this theory, the food administration is bending every effort to effect a maximum saving in wheat products to the end that ample sup- plies may be available for home, war and allied requirements.” CONGRESS ENDS SESSION UNTIL JANUARY 3kD (Continued From Page Onc.) another futile effort to get a hearing but Chairman Reed announced that while he wanted to treat the adminis- trator with courtesy he did not see any reason for keeping other witness- es waiting. It was suggested without result that’ Mr. Hoover was a busy man and was delaying a trip to New York to testify. Mr. Babst was on the stand through- out the day’s hearing » and will ¢on- tinue his testimony tomorrow. Always something good to eat, steaniing hot, served properly and at- tractively, day or night, at the McKen- zie dairy launch, WINTER WHEAT ACREAGE SHOWS BIG INCREASES (Continued From Page One.) sas, the pricipal winter wheat grow- ing state. Rainfall during that month was less than twenty-five per cent of the normal from eastern Kansas east- ward, across Iowa, Northern Missouri, centran and northern Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, which states form principal winter wheat growing belts. The de- partment of agriculture, however, says that the yield of winter wheat is not determined entirely by the rain- fall during the late summer and fall, The condition of winter wheat on December 1, compares with 85.7 per cent of a normal,on that date last year, 87.7 per cent in 1915, and 89.3 per cent the ten year average. The December ist rye condition compares with 88.9 percent of a nor- mal on December 1st last year, 91.5 per cent in 1915, and 92.2'the ten year average. Don’t delay that Xmas suit or over- coat order. Place it today with Klein —tailer and cleaner. Dee. 11 5t WIN A BATTLE FOR CHRISTMAS. If all the citizens of this territory this year give United States Savings Certificates the government can place great guns on the right spot at the lives. right time and save American War Savings Stamps are $5.00 government bonds. They bear four per cent compound interest and are the best investment in the world. . They cost $4.12 in December. The interest rolls up just by keeping them. They are bet- ter than gold. They can be had at the postoffice or at your bank. G. F. Dullam, chairman; R. M. Bergeson, Frank B. Reed, W. E. Parsons, C. L. Burton. Bismarck. BORO tinued. Gifts That Bind When Parted “Confidence” is the basis of gift-giving—the tie between “Home” and the “Army tent.” Gifts of Jewelry are beautiful, practical and durable. Lack of confi- dence breeds distrust, dissatisfaction and even war among nations. The Jeweler who has tie satisfaction of his customers at heart radiates con- fidence, the assurance of FAITH in his statements and promises. Knowles, tia Jeweler, eleven years’ reputation in the progress of.2. CONFIDENCE : has woven an indissoluble tic between his establishment and the people of People are proud to say that their Gifts bear Knowles’ the Jewelers, Crest, and most people who consider Knowles’ their Diamond and Jewelry store depend on Knowles for the Gift remembrances they are making to the nation’s fighters—Gifts of Confidence in the name of Knowles. Knowles, the Jeweler Importer of Diamonds (Formerly Knowles & Haney) BISMARCK, N. D.