Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1916-11-01
NO QUESTION AS
TO THE OUTCOME
IN NORTH DAKOTA
Conceded the Farmers Non
partisan League Will Con-
troll State Affairs for Next
Two Years.

kota for the next two years. 1t was
the Farmers Non Partisan league that
nominated practically every successful
candidate for office at the primaries.
The question with the average North
Dakota business man, in spite Of the
fact that many of them are lined up
with the non-partisan league, is
whether the farmers form the league
or the league forms the farmers. Inc
league, which came into existence less
than year ago, carried the primaries
with matorities so overwhelming that
there is no question as to the result
of the election to be held one week
from today.
| The league did not enter politics to
\ the extent of offering a ticket. 1t SIM
ply Endorsed candidates on the regular
tickets, and these candidates, without
exception, won. A majority OF the
men who received this Endorsement
were Republicans, but in, the final
analysis they are and must be non
partisan leaguers, and the league Will
very nearly, If not completely. con-
troll every state office from governor
down to the members of the legisla-
ture, as well as majority of the coun-
ty offices. for the two years follow
! ing Jan. / next.
MOVEMENT POPULAR.
The Non-Partisan league movement
was a popular one in North Dakota,
where population is very largely rural
and always inclined to distrust big
business" The tiller of the soil
blamed big business" for great
many things, and quite a fair per-
centage of the small town business
men and professional men. some for
reasons of policy, but many from alb
solute conviction, sided with the
farmer.
The league stands sponsor in its
platform, which was adopted in its en-
tirety by the Republican state central
committee at it's recent meeting In
Bismarck, for many things the worth
Of which none can deny.
Il The league plans to control the nom
resident, speculative landlord through
| the medium of substantial tax on
the land and the exemption of all i'm
provements thereupon. 1t also favors
strongly the assessing of public utili-
ties for all the traffic will bear. Pub
lie utilities in North Dakota have been
good Investments. Railways, in par
ticular, have earned from 10 to 20 per
cent more In this state than they have
lin some, perhaps merely because North
Dakota has never failed to produce
big crop since 1910. At the same time.
the authorities have been inclined to
favor the railways in the matter OF
taxation with the hope that the rail-
WAYS might reciprc cate in the extern
sion of their systems. Such extern
sions have not been made, despite that
railway development of vast stretches
of idle lands and the. league contends
that railway property should be as
sessed Just the same as any other
money making proposition.
FAVoRS HIGHWAY SYSTEM.
The league Is in favor of a state
1 highway system; state aid for trunk
3 line highways and other mediums that
will assist North Dakota to avail it
4 self of the graduated federal aid, be-
, ginning with $4,000 per annum. vouch-
safed by the Shackleford good roads
. bill North Dakota Is already crossed
and criss- crossed by some half dozen
. trans continental and "Dominion- to-
the Gulf highways. the expense of
a which to date has been borne entirely
by the municipalities. townships or
counties most directly benefited. Fed
> eral aid will mean a vast Improvement
in these highways and. perhaps, some
. wagon bridges across the Missouri
! river which to date is spanned by but
one pontoon bridge accessible to au-
I tomobiles in it's entire travels across
n the state.
4 The development of the state farm
loan plan, which contemplates the lend
ing of public institutional funds to the
q agriculturist at per cent, is urged
= by the league. The average rate of
4 interest on farm loans in North Da-
e kota, the federal government finds. is
= 81 per cent, including commissions
[. For many years the state loaned In
: stitutional funds to an amount not ex-
ceeding third OF the assessed value
of the land only, not including I'M
provements, at 6 per cent and the in
terest rate for the past two years has
been per cent. At present there are
outstanding between $500 and 5000 loans
Of this type, representing total OF
more than 100000, covering $685.!
of North Dakota's 100000 arabic
acres.
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