Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1915-02-04
GOOD ROADS
DEBATE IN HOUSE
May Tax Public Utilities For
State Purposes Only.

A lively good roads debate was
held in the house yesterday over
House Bill No. 143, a constitutional
amendment to allow two-thirds of
the voters of the county, if they so
desire, to bond the county for a good
roads fund. Burnett of Trlill con-
demned the measure and declared it
would increase taxes and was not a
bill favored by the tax payers. 7.
Twitchell defended the bill, claim
ing it would not add one iota to the
present tax. Hjelmstad of Walsh
county said the bill was a scheme to
make tourist roads through North
Dakota for the benefit of privileged
aristocracy. He argued against the
entire proposition of building good
roads in the state and said good roads
men are fanatics, and said that "we
will not trust the people of the cities
on this proposition" In closing,
Hjelmstam said:
IF you are not satisfied with the
roads, get out and dig down in your
pockets and pay for them yourselves.
If you continue on the law-making
course you are now pursuing, the
farmers of the state will rise in their
might and wipe you from political
existence.
| Hjelmstad's talk, all the way
through, was directed against the
man who lives in the city and took
the stand that he was against the
best interests of the farmer at every
turn of the road.
Boise Of Cass opposed the bill and
said he had protests against it from
his constituents. The vote on the
same was put over for day.
Many petitions we're, presented,
one from teacher against the repeal
of the teachers insurance and retire
ment fund law, also one favoring
woman's suffrage and one endorsing
the compulsory hail insurance bill. :
Pendray presented petition from
the Tri-State Grain Growers conven-
ton recently held in Fargo favoring
the terminal elevator plan and pro-
testing against a bill introduced re-
Gently calling for the appointment Of
county assessors. The county asses
sor bill was withdrawn some time
ago..
House Bills Passed by the Senate
The house was notified that the
senate had passed House Bill No. 49,,
relating to the herd law; House Bill
No. Sc, relating to tax certificates,
and also House Bill No. so, relating
to county boards of health.
The senate held a short session and
killed Bratton's house bill to repeal
the publicity pamphlet law.
The four-year-term bills recon-
mended for indefinite postponement
were reconsidered and recommended
for passage.
Mothers Day.
Watts bill, providing that the sec
ond Sunday in June of each year be
observed as Mothers Day, was passed
by the senate and now only awaits
the governors signature to become a
law.
Taxing Public Utilities.
House members are working on
House Bill No. 104 for taxation Of
public utility corporations for state
purposes only. The committee will
recommend a bill that will make the
public utilities companies pay no
more than their share of taxes, but
all taxes they do pay shall be applied
to the expense of the state govern
ment. In this manner the counties
will have no share in the railroad
and other public utility tax, but will
/ be only expected to raise what money
is needed in the county for the busi-
ness of the county. There Is suffi-
cient revenue to be collected from the
utility companies to pay the running
expenses of the state. In this way
there would be way out of the pres
ent unequal division of the revenue
from railroads.
Committee Meeting Put Ahead.
Representative Peterson of Nelson
county has a bill to set the date Of
the meeting of the state central COM
mittee ahead from the first Wednes-
day in September to the fourth We'd
nesday in July following primary
election. 1t is contended that the
people of the state are generally in
a position to attend these meetings at
the time set in his bill than later In
the year, as is now the case. The
new bill does not in any way change
the manner of the selection Of the
committee.
Tuition in Model Schools.
"A bill has been introduced provid-