Page:Revised Codes of the State of North Dakota 1895.pdf/126

§§ 124-127 missioner, but no information concerning the business or affairs of any individual, firm, company or corporation shall be divulged or in any manner made public by the commissioner or any one in the employ of his office, and any violation of this provision shall subject the party violating to a fine of not more than five hundred dollars or to imprisonment of not more than one year, or both such fine and imprisonment. The refusal or neglect of any such owner, operator or manager of any shop, mill, manufacturing establishment or mine to supply the information asked by the commissioner within the time designated shall be construed as a violation of the following section and shall subject the party so offending to the penalties therein prescribed; provided, that no prosecution shall be begun against such persons for such neglect or refusal until at least twenty days after a second notice and blank shall have been mailed them by the commissioner.

§ 125. Penalty for obstructing commissioner. Any person who willfully impedes or obstructs the commissioner in the full and free performance of his duties shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be punishable by a fine of not less than ten nor more than fifty dollars, or by imprisonment of not less than seven nor more than thirty days in the county jail, or by both. The refusal or neglect of any person for himself or for any person, firm, company or corporation of which he may be a member, or agent, to furnish the information or statistical statement required to be furnished to assessors, shall be construed to be a violation of the provisions of this section, and it is hereby made the duty of the county auditor to report such violation with the names and post office address and place of residence of the violator as furnished him by the assessor to the state's attorney for the county in which such violations occurred, and the state's attorney shall forth with proceed to enforce the penalty provided in this section against such persons; and he is hereby authorized to subpoena the assessor and such other witnesses as may be necessary, and to introduce the assessor's returns in evidence.

§ 126. Power to send for persons, books and papers. He shall have power to send for persons, books and papers whenever in his opinion it is necessary, and he may examine witnesses under oath, being hereby authorized to administer the same in the performance of his duty, and the testimony so taken must be filed and preserved in his office.

§ 127. Duty to promote immigration. He shall look after and devise means to advance the immigration interests of the state, and to encourage and promote the permanent settlement and improvement of all sections of the state. He shall have charge of the preparation in manuscript, the publication and distribution by mail and otherwise of any and all documents and articles of reading matter designed to convey correct and full information on all matters pertaining to the growth and development of the agricultural, manufacturing, commercial and mining interests of the state. He shall attend to all correspondence relating to immigration and shall do all in his power by letter, by the use of published printed matter and through personal effort to secure the most liberal and extensive advertisement of the resources and opportunities of the state. It shall be his aim to induce the investment of capital in agriculture, in mining and in different industrial and mercantile pursuits, and to facilitate the coming to the state of persons and families seeking permanent location