Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1912-02-01
FREE SRED-GRAIN
commissioners BY Close Vote Ne.
side to Provide Free >eed..More
Work for County Auditor

W CtA TOT SVUutv \U0tVE
Elsewhere in this issue appears
the announcement Of the county
auditor relative 70 Seed grain which
is 10 be furnished BY the county.
where needed. TO help the farmers
who have suffered from the two par
tial crop failures in this neighbor-
hood. Last year this experiment
was tried in many counties Of the
state, following law passed BY the
legislature allowing the county COM
nissioners. if the. saw NJ, TO arrange
for the distribution Of seed grain to
needy farmers in their respective
counties. The commissioners Of this
county favored trying the plan last
year. and the county was bonded in
the sum of ST.. 500 to cover the eN-
pense Of securing the seed grain
OF that amount about s. 500 is still
standing out. Most of it is secured.
although in some instances it is
doubtful whether the county could
recover in case the seed used was not
paid for by the applicant.
As to just what arrangements shall
be made for security for grain SO
distributed, the law is rot very def
mite However. it has been the pol
icy of the officials in charge in En-
mons county to make the best ar
engagements possible with those who
secured the grain under this act.
The plan is not new, having twice
been applied in Emmons in the rio-
neer days. 1t is, of course. in the
nature of so-called "paternal leg
islation, making it possible for the
county to help out farmers who are
set back by crop failure. There
has been considerable discussion as
to the merits and dement's of the
law. 1t is being given fair test in
this county. The commissioners at
their last meeting were nearly even
ly divided on the proposition. and
only the vote of the chairman car
lried it. Commissioners Brant and
Volk voted for the measure and
Commissioners McConville and Han
sen recorded their votes against it.
Chairman Fischer decided in favor
of providing the seed grain. The
distributing of grain as provided
for means great increase in the
work of the county auditor. Prac-
tically all of the working details Of
handling this mammoth business
proposition is left to him. Last year
there were about one hundred and
seventy-tive farmers who awaited
themselves of the chance to thus Sc
cure their seed grain, and for each
of such applicants there were from
two to six sets of papers to be made
out.
In addition to the mere clerical
work connected with the seed-grain
proposition. the business acumen of
the auditor is greatly taxed, for a
large part Of the arranging of secur.
ity is left to him, and is passed upon
by the board as suggested by him.
In certain instances last year one APP
plication would necessitate the in
vestigation and approval or rejec-
ton of a chattel mortgage, real
estate mortgage. a crop mortgage
and a personal note.
In speaking of the result Of last
years expenditures to provide seed
grain. County Auditor John Snyder
said this week that inhis opinion the
final loss to the county will not ex-
coed five per cent Of the total amount
bonded. He states that the greatest
drawback to the system results from
the fact that in many cases the grain
is never called for after all arrange.
ment have been made, and thus the
grain IS left in the warehouse only
TO be returned to the dealers at q
loss. Of course, when farmer fails
tocal' for the grain. he does not con.
slider himself bound to pay for it,
even though all arrangements were
completed upon his application.
Another fault in the new law lies in
the fact that most of those who can
get the grain from the county com.
J mlssloners are of such financial
} standing that they could make SINH.
lar arrangements with the local
banks, while those who can get no
credit at the banks usually fare sim.
nary at the hands Of the county dads
!"nen the application comes IN he.