Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-01-09

the convicts OF the penitentiary, or at
least a part of them, might be employ.
ed during certain months Of the year
in the building OF roads. For instance
the counties or districts IL which the
roads are 70 be built should furnish
the tools to be used in road building.
and to pay in addition thereto the diff.
ference in the cost Of maintenance be-
tween what it would cost to maintain
the convicts at the penitentiary and
while they are out on the road. Con-
victs who have merited the confidence
of the warden and have earned good
time should work on the roads, and
there should be a diminution Of their
sentence Ior faithful service, as that
would put them on their good behav.
ior, and | have been informed that
where this has been tried out In Col.
orado, that it is not necessary to elm.
ploy guards to watch the men while
they are working on the roads, a Ger.
tain number Of them being under the
foreman Turing the day, and at night
there Is a guard OF n or two trusty
.convicts, and it is said that the con.
victs escaping have only been two or
three in the three or four years that
this system has been tried out
one of the main points in a good
road is to maintain it after it is built,
and if a part Of the road money were
to be used in employing labor to care
for the roads, dragging and rolling
them, it would be found that this will
60 a 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 purely an agricultural state
than any other state in the Union.
The larger part OF the burden of taxa
tion falls upon the farmer, and it
should be cur highest duty to endeav-
or to enact laws that may be helpful
and beneficial to him. The Congress
of the United States has already pass
ed a bill known as the Lever Demon
stration bill, and it is now pending in
the Senate, its purpose being that
under certain conditions the govern
ment of the United States shall give
to the states that cooperate with 1t a
certain 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
and to advance IN a material way.
This work has been taken up to some
extent by Individuals and corporations
interested in Our state, and without
doubt, even though it has been In oper-
alton but a few months, has done an
immense amount Of good. A law
should be passed authorizing the coun-
ties to take up this work and to help
to push it along. If we a teach our
farmers to raise one bushel O of
wheat to the acre, it would meal in
this state gave a million bushels more
of wheat annually, and that would pay
the cost and expense many times over.
We need farmers Institutes. They
are largely held in the winter when
farmers and business men have time,
which cannot be more probably spent
than in attending those Institutes,
and | am in favor of the state giving
every possible aid to farmers insti.
tute work. There are many creamer-
les in North Dakota. but a very large
part of them are not running, largely
Oh account of the shortage Of green
feed for the cows. We should build
silos. The government has put n or
two expert silo men into the state for
the past two years. North Dakota
should, in cooperation with our dairy
commissioner, employ for two or three
months of the year, at least, a dozen
silo experts to teach the farmers how
to build silos, and if this is done, with
in a short time there will be silos all
over the state, which will deyel-
up 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.
A year ago congress appropriated
money for making experiments with
flax straw for paper making. These
experiments have been started recent
ly under chat law. In the agricultural
appropriation bill that will 20 through
congress this winter the same amount
of money that was appropriated last
winter is to be appropriated again for
further experiments with flax straw.
l do 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 it not be wise for
our state to appropriate some money
for the purpose of cooperating with
til United States government in the
experiments with flax, wheat and 9TH
err straws, that some way or method
may be found to make their use profit
able, and thereby add largely to the
wealth and earnings Of our farmers?
Farm Credits. =,
As stated in another section Of this
message, if we are to make a great
state Of North Dakota, we must do all
that lies within our power to aid and
help the farmers of the state. The
census report of 1910 shows that the
farm mortgage indebtedness Of North
! akota was about $47,00 900 20. This
has no doubt been increased within
the last two and 0ne-half years, and
1t is now estimated that it Is about
$65,000,000. 90. The interest on this in
debtedness at Z per cent, which per.
haps Is an average rate the state over,
= = - -.A o.