The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1915-05-06
ABUSE OF THE REFERENDUM.

1t is stated with appearance of au-
thority that the people who have in
terested themselves in the movement
to apply the referendum to fourteen
bills passed by the last legislature are
certain to secure enough signatures
to their petitions to make those petit
tons effective. The result will be that
without anything resembling popular
demand, through the activity of few
individuals, and, probably, the ex-
penditure of a small sum of money, |
the action Of the general assembly of
the state on fourteen somewhat i'm
portant legislative measures will be
rendered nugatory until after the gen.
eral election Of 1916.
Among the measures attacked is one
for the erection of new buildings at
the hospital for the insane at James
town. All proceedings for the erection
Of these buildings must be suspended
for at least a year and a half, and
the provisions for the care Of the in
mates, unfortunate charges of the
state. will remain inadequate. Other
bills On the list provide for making
up shortages in various state funds,
shortages due. to the inadequacy of
former appropriations to carry on the
necessary work. The effect OF hold
ing up these appropriations will mere
ly be to defer payment, with the re-
sultant interest charges which must
ultimately be borne by the state. The
work and material represented by
these several sums have been used
properly for the benefit Of the state,
and the state must pay It's bills, If
not now, then later. One Of the bills
provides for the continuance of the
work already undertaken for the
checking Of state accounts and the
completion of a business-like account
ing system. Another is the immigra-
ton bill, the purpose Of which is to
encourage immigration to. the state
now, when the prospects for it are
better than ever before and the need
is thoroughly recognized. Another
is the bill placing the state education
al institutions under a single board Of
control, a measure having the hearty
approval of practically all who r ia
miliar with the work of these institu-
lions, and without which there is, and
will continue to be, great waste of
money and effort through duplica-
ton of work and lack Of centralized
control, of finances. These are some
Of the important measures attacked.
It is a little strange that those respon.
sible for this movement limited their
efforts to fourteen bills. They could
just as we'll have included all the bills
passed al the session with the excep.
ton of the budget bill which carried
the constitutional emergency clause
1t would have been practically as easy
to secure petitions against the entire
list as against the bills selected, fol
it is a notorious fact that it is pos.
sible to secure numerous signature.
to petitions Of any. sort whatever
And, as the purpose of the movemen,
seems to be to hamper the TRANSACTION
of public business, this could hav.
been done somewhat more effectivel,
if the entire proceedings Of the legis
lature had been included in the petit
lions.
1t is difficult to foresee where thi.
sort Of thing will end. Oregon hal
an unpleasant experience with her ref
erendum law during the first year o
it's existence, and, among other things
the appropriations for all the educa
tional institutions were held up fol
more than a year. When the peopl,
got a chance to vote they approved
the bills and rebuked those who hat
obstructed them. Oregon has had NJ
similar experience since then, and tn,
state seems to have come to a realiza
tion of the fact that the referendum
is not to be used as a plaything, no.
as a means of gratifying the spite o
disgruntled politicians. North Dakot,
has not learned this lesson from tn,
experience Of her neighbor. She ma,
learn 1t from her own. If, however
a factious minority continues to oh
struct the progress of the state, /
will be necessary to take steps to de
prive that minority of it's too liberia
allowance Of power.-Grand Fork
Herald.
ARBOR DAY.
II wac formally a ~oo1louo or,%or