The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-01-08
BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION SURGEO BY
G0vERN0Rl, B, HANNA N HIS MESSAGE

|luV1vll JIv lIvO W6OOUOG
the %convicts of the penitcitnary. or al
least a part of them. might be en-
ployed during certain months of the
year in the building OF roads. For in.
stance thc counties or districts in
which the loads are to be built should
furnish the tools to be used in road
building. and to pay in addition there.
to the difference In the cost of main
tenance between what il would cost to
maintain the convicts at the peniten-
tiary and while they are out on the
road. Convicts who have merited the
confidence of the warden and have
earned good time should work on the
roads. and there should be a diminu.
ton of their sentence for faithful ser
vice. as that would put them on their
good behavior. and l have been in
formed that where this has been tried
out in Colorado. that 1t has not proven
necessary to employ large numbers OF
guards. a certain number OF them be-
ing under the foreman during the day,
and at night there is a guard of one
or two trusty cOnvicts. and II is said
that the convicts escaping have only
hcen two or three in the three or -four
years that his system has been tried
out.
One of the main points in a good
road is to maintain 1t after II is built.
to he used in employing labor to care
for the roads. dragging and rolling
them. 1t would be found that this will
so Il long way toward solving the road
problem in North Dakota.
The Farmers.
The basis OF wealth in North Dako-
ia is agriculture. and North Dakota
Is more surely an agricultural state
than any other state in the Union.
h larger part OF the burden Of taxa
ton falls upon the farmer. and 1t
should DC our highest duty to endeav-
or to enact laws hat may be helpful
n beneficial to him. The Congress
of h United States has already pass
cd a bill known as the Lever Demon
stration bill, and il is now pending in
the senate. its purpose being that un-
der certain conditions the government
OF the United States shall give to tho
states that Cooperate with 1t a GER.
tain amount Of money for the pur-
pose of CARRYING demonstration work
direct to the farmers that they may
be shown how TO grow better crops
ana To advance III a material way.
hi work has been taken up to some
extent by individuals and corporations
interested In u state. and without
doubt. even though it has been In OPP
Grafton but a few months. has done
an immense amount OF good. A law
should he passed authorizing the coun-
ties to take up this work and to help
to push it along. If We can teach our
farmers to raise one bushel moro Of
wheat to he acre. 1t would mean in
this state five million bushels more
of wheat annually. and that would pay
the cost and expense any times over.
We need farmers institutes. They
are largely held in the winter when
armer and business men have time.
which cannot be more proftably spent
and am in favor of the state giving
every possible aid to farmers insti-
tute work. There are many creamcr.
les in North Dakota. but a very large
part OF them are not running. largely
on account Of the shortage OF green
feed for the COWS. We should build
silos. The government has put one or
two expert silo men into the state for
the past two years. North Dakota
should. in cooperation with u dair,.
commissioner. employ for two or
three months of the year. at least. a
dozen silo experts to teach the farm
ers how to build silos. and II this Is
done. within a short time there will
be silos all over the state. which will
develope our dairy interests and will
thus enable our farmers to diversity
their crops and get into stock raising
and butter making.
Flax and Wheat Straw.
\ year ago congress appropriated
flax straw for paper making. These
experiments have been started recent
~ under that law. In the agricultural
appropriation bill that will 70 through
congress this winter the same amount
OF money that was appropriated last
winter is to be appropriated again for
Iurther experiments with fax straw,
l 90 not believe that the Almighty
ever intended that we should raise
grain and then burn the straw. For
thirty years we have burned millions
OF tons OF straw every year-an enor-
nous waste. Would 1t not be wise for
our state to appropriate some money
Tor the purpose of cooperating with
tne United States government In the
experiments with fax. wheat and 9TH
er straws. that some way or method
may ne found to make their use profit
aole. and thereby and largely to the
! wealth and earnings Of our farmers?
Farm Credits.
AS stated in another section of +h;.
message, II We are to make a great
STATE OF North Dakota. we must do all
mat lies within our power to aid and
neip the farmers of the state. The
census report OF 1910 shows that the
farm mortgage Indebtedness Of North
Dakota was about 7.000.0 900. This
has no doubt been increased within
the last W and one-haIf years. and
u IS now estimated that 1t is about
s6S,ooo.o00. The interest on this in
deotedness at per cent, which Der
maps is an average rate the state over.
would amount to about five million dol
lars yearly. 1t is estimated h a nine.
ty-hve per n Of the farm mort
gage Indebtedness OF North Dakota is
heid without the state, so that this
very large sum of interest leaves the
state each year and is gone forever
What can We do to correct thiso First
! believe that We should the
ioaning Of money upon our farm lands
ny people within our own state. where
they have the money to make sucl,
loans; and second, / wish TO call your
attention to the s~o-called horticultural
credits system which are in operation
IN certain European countries. Hon.
Myron I. Horrick was for many wears
at the head OF the Society for Savings
in Cleveland. Ohio-one of the grea,
savings banks OF the country. He is
now the United States ambassador ~