pointee, officers of the Governor, doing political work during this speakership fight? Have you any knowledge that any other appointive officers, appointed by the Governor, did any political work in this speakership fight?

A. Well, I have very little personal knowledge of anything of that kind. I saw a great many appointees about during the speakership contest.

Q. Do you know of any appointive officers of the Governor receiving compensation who were candidates in that speakership fight? Or, were any candidates in the speakership fight on any pay roll of the state?

A. Well, the only candidate I know of who is on the pay roll is Assemblyman Nye of Superior who, I understand, iş a member of the grain and warehouse commission there. I don't know personally that he continues as such member now.

Q. Was he an appointee of the Governor, on that warehouse commission?

A. Yes, he must have been.

Q. You do not know whether he is drawing salary now as warehouse commissioner, do you?

A. I don't know.

The records will show.

Q. Have you any knowledge of him drawing a salary prior to January 8th, during the recess of the last legislature?

A. Why, there was a case in the courts on that question, and the general understanding was that Mr. Nye was acting and drawing salary. I don't think there is any question about that.

Examined by Senator Husting:

Q. Mr. Ekern, do you know whether the Governor himself was active in the last campaign?

A. In the primary election?

Q. Both.

A. Why, yes, of course, he was. That was the general understanding, and the newspaper accounts were full of his speeches, meetings.

Q. Did he take any active part in the fall campaign, the last fall campaign?

A. In the November campaign?

Q. Yes.

A. Why, of course he did. standing.

That was the general under.

Q. Now, it is a matter of common notoriety that he made & stumping tour through the state?

A. Yes. I didn't hear him. I didn't attend a single polit ical meeting.

Q. Do you know of the other appointees of the Governor that were active in the campaign in his behalf in the fall?

A. Well, I cannot say of my own knowledge that I was out and saw any of them campaigning.

Q. Don't you know, as a matter of fact, that a number of appointees, occupying high offices, were engaged in stumping for Mr. McGovern during the campaign?

A. Why, that was the report, but I did not attend any of their meetings, so I really don't know, Senator.

Q. It was a matter of common report that a great number of the employees of the state, appointed by the Governor, were stumping the state in is behalf?

A. Well, I cannot say as to that without going through the list.

Q. Did you ever hear any criticism of any other officer for political activity in behalf of Governor McGovern?

A. No, I never heard any.

The Chairman: Mr. Ekern, I would like to ask you if at any time during the speakership campaign you sent for members, or asked members of the assembly to come to your office, in order to speak to them in regard to any candidate? Mr. Ekern: I did not.

The Chairman: Any other member of the committee any question to ask? If not, the witness may be excused.

Senator Burke: It seems to me we ought to rise and report. I do not make that as a motion, but I would like to get the expression of some of the other senators here.

It is not

Senator Bosshard: This motion I know is not debatable, but I hope the motion will not prevail at this time. so very late. The attorneys and witnesses that have been subpoenaed are here, and we might just as well proceed for another hour rather than take up the time of the day session.

Senator Burke: I do not make that as a motion. I just make it as a suggestion.

Mr. Aylward: If I may make the suggestion, Senator, we can finish in an hour, as far as we are concerned.

The Chairman. Call the next witness.

Mr. Aylward: I offer two affidavits of Louis A. Anderson, being the same affidavits that were used in the Circuit Court.

The Chairman: Received.

(The said affidavits were thereupon marked respectively "Ekern's Exhibit 7" and "Ekern's Exhibit 8").

Mr. Aylward: Mr. Chairman, I will read the affidavit of Mr. Nagler, while we are waiting for Mr. Holmes.

L. B. NAGLER, being first duly sworn, on oath says that he is the assistant secretary of state in and for the state of Wisconsin; that there is on file in said office of the secretary of state no statement of expenses made by any member of the assembly of the state of Wisconsin as a candidate for the position of speaker of the assembly and, to the best of the knowledge, information, and belief of said affiant, no such statement has ever been filed by any member as a candidate for the office of said speaker of the assembly with said secretary of state or with any other person."

FRED L. HOLMES, being first duly sworn, on oath testified as follows:

Examined by Mr. Aylward:

Q. Mr. Holmes, you are a member of the assembly from the capital city, this district?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. And are engaged in newspaper work?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. And are associated with La Follette's magazine?
A. Yes, sir.

Q. In what capacity?

A. I have been business manager of La Follette for about three years, until January 1st, when the legislative work be gan, and that matter is in charge of Mr. Gabrielson while 1 am engaged in official work.

Q. And in addition to that are you also a newspaper re porter?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. And were during the last year?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. You know Mr. Johnson and know Mr. Ekern?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. And in your newspaper work do you visit the Capitol and the chief offices in the Capitol daily?

A. I do.

Q. What is the fact, Mr. Holmes, as to whether you visited the insurance department daily during the past few weeks! A. I think for the past probably eight months that I visited the insurance department almost daily, in fact all the of fices in the east wing and in the north wing of the Capitol. I visited those two wings of the Capitol, the offices in those two wings of the Capitol.

Q. What is the fact as to whether Mr. Johnson's work or campaign for speaker of the assembly was engineered or couducted or run in any manner from that department?

A. It was not, so far as I could see.

Q. So far as you could learn in your daily visits was any work being done there or from there for Mr. Johnson? A. No, sir.

Q. In Mr. Wilbur's testimony, read here to-day, Mr. Wilbur suggests that you were a member of Mr. Johnson's committee. What is the fact as to whether Mr. Johnson had any committee, so far as you knew?

A. He had no committee, so far as I knew.

Q. What is the fact as to whether you were actively engaged in promoting his campaign or his candidacy or not? A. I was not.

Q. Did you serve on or under any campaign committee with

which he was connected?

A. No, sir.

Q. Or manager of it?

A. No, sir.

Q. Did you do any work with Mr. Ekern on that matter?

A. No, sir.

Q. Did you consult with him on that matter?

A. No, sir.

Q. Did Mr. Ekern do any work, from that department or elsewhere, so far as you knew, on behalf of Mr. Johnson?

A. Not so far as I know.

Mr. Aylward: I think that is all.

The Chairman: Any member of the committee wish to question the witness?

(No response).

The Chairman: If not, he is excused.

GEORGE BEEDLE, being first duly sworn, on oath testified as follows:

Examined by Mr. Aylward:

Q. Mr. Beedle, you are assistant commissioner of insurance of the state, are you?

A. Supposed to be.

Q. And you were formerly commissioner of insurance of this state, were you?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. Have you been on duty at the office here in this building during the past year?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. You know Mr. Johnson?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. And have seen his work about the office, have you?
A. Yes, sir.

Q. What is the fact, Mr. Beedle, as to whether the work of the department has been kept up and kept in good condition, so far as you can tell?

A. So far as Mr. Eekrn's work in the department is concerned, I think that I can say, without successful contradiction, that he puts in more hours for the state than any other person in the Capitol.

Q. What hours has he been putting in, Mr. Beedle?

A. Practically from eight in the morning until anywhere from twelve to one or two at night.

Q. Also Sundays?

A. I think he has worked sometimes Sundays.

Q. What is the fact, Mr. Beedle, as to whether Mr. Johnson's campaign, or, call it what you will, has been conducted from the insurance commissioner's office?