The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1907-02-21

MINOf, N. d., THURSDAY, FEB. p, 1907.
EDITORIAL COMMENT
The Independent understands that the rail-
way companies are making great efforts to IN
duce the state senate of North Dakota to pass a
~ cent rate bill, and not the two cent rate bill
which was recently passed by the house to the
tune of 70 to IL, C. A. Johnson of Ward being
one of the lucky thirteen.
The bill will soon come before the senate and
the Independent would warn them to have a
care The people are watching every move
ment that the legislators are making this year
and the senator or representative who dares
vote against the two cent rate bill may just as
we'll prepare to retire from the political arena
A legislator cannot vote against the two cent
rate bill and use his constituents fairly. We
trust that Senator Steele, if he has not already
concluded to vote right, will do so at once All
over the land there seems to be wave for the
two cent rate Ohio started out a year ago by
passing this bill This year West Virginia and
Arkansas have sent two cent rate bills to the
governors for their signatures. In Iowa, Mis-
souri,, Indiana and Pennsylvania the two cent
rate bills have passed at least one of the houses
In the latter state the vote was unanimous. Ar
kansas passed the bill without giving the rail-
roads chance to present their side OF the case
In Illinois, Kansas and Minnesota bills are pend
ing. Such bill is certain to pass in Nebraska,
where the bill was drafted by joint house and
ate in South Dakota and is pending in the house,
which has already defeated its own 2 cent rate
fare In Ohio the railroads conformed to the
new law without a murn1er and it is expected
that they will do so in other states. We under
stand that Mr. johnson in defense Of his voting
against the two cent rate bill, says he is in ia
vor of a two and half cent rate, because he
thinks the railroads CANNOT AFFORD TO
CARRY PASSENGERS IN THE WEST FOR
TWO CENTS A MILE. Mr.. Johnson evidently
secured his information from the railroads,
therefore he has probably conferred with some
are anxiously awaiting his explanation.
You are farmer. You live near this town.
You own land. Let us say that you own more
than you need and would like to sell 100 acres.
How much could you get per acre?
Land values have risen lately. But has the
value Of your land risen as you think it should?
Your land is good land. You think it is worth
considerably more than anybody has offered you.
Well, let us see.
A man buying farm land naturally prefers to
locate near thriving, up to date town. He
wants good home markets for his crops. He
wants good schools.
Let us say that your land is three miles from
town. A farm that looks very much like yours
is three miles from town twice as big and
twice as prosperous as this town.
If you were going to buy farm for your own
occupancy, wouldn't you pay whole lot more
for land near the town that is twice as large
and twice as lively?
OF course you would. It would be good
business
Now, what makes town big and bust]ing!
Money. Money in circulation. Not in circula-
ton in Chicago, for instance but right in the
town that wants to grow.
How much money have you sent to the big
Mail Order houses in the city the past ten years?
How much have your neighbors sent? How
much have all of you together put out Of circu-
lation here at home?
It is probably beyond calculation. If all that
money had been spent in your own home town,
isn't it reasonable to assume that the town
would have grown more than it has grown?
Wouldn't this town be bigger and better
town?
Wouldn't it have more stores to buy your
produce?
Wouldn't it have more public improvements
to make it more attractive to outsiders who
might come here to live, to go into business, or
buy your surplus land at good figure?
To trade at home means to help the town
and the neighborhood. To help the town and
the neighborhood means to help yourself.
What are you farmers about these days? Do
you realize that in about month from now
you will be in the fields? You know how busy
you are every spring, and when you think that
you have everything ready to Jump into the
work. you are put out to learn that there are
forty and enc things that you ought to have
done that you not think to do. One thing that
you can do is to look after your harness, see
that the broken parts are mended and that it is
oiled. The machinery may need some attention.
If the pillow is not in the field where you left it
last fall, if not covered with fifteen or twenty
fno< ~ no Oft