The Dickinson press., 1916-09-09
The Dickinson Normal School
Project Endorsed Unanimously
By Republican Central Committee


leaders secured complete control of
the republican state central commit
tee which met Wednesday at Bis
marck to organize.
Every plank which was advocated
in the platform prepared Tuesday at
the conference of the league delegates
and leaders at the Grand Pacific
hotel was Incorporated into the re-
publican state platform, save that urg-
ing rural credit legislation.
William Lemke of Fargo, attorney
general for the Nonpartisan league
and its choice for chairman, was elect
ed. No candidate ran against him.
Ray McKaig of Morton county, floor
leader for the league, was chosen Sec
retary.
The first action after the election
Of permanent officers was the ap-
pointment by the chairman of the fol-
lowing to the resolution committee:
L. A. Simpson, Treadwell Twitchell,
V. A. Corbett, Berndt Anderson, R. J.
Hughes, G. S. Reishus and H. w.
Green.
Amendments Moved.
The unanimous report of the COM
mittee left out several of the planks
urged by the Nonpartisan league and
Mr.. McKaig moved amendments, all
but one Of which were adopted, but
by a. close vote.
A clause was inserted by the COM
mittee in the plank declaring for a
terminal elevator, which provided that
it should be erected within the state.
The member from Morton county
moved that these qualifying words be
struck out. Treadwell 'Twitchell and
L. A. Simpson opposed this, asserting
that the terminal elevator should be
built where it could be controlled by
the state and that this control was
only possible when it is built in
North Dakota. He said that the
people did not want a repetition of
the fight two years ago, when lobby
lists from another state swarmed into
the capitol. Mr.. McKaig held that
the legislature should be left free to
do as it thought best.
The amendment carried by an af-
firmative vote Of rs, with a. present.
No Votes Against Normal
E. L. Richter of Larimore, Grand
Forks county, here put an amend
ment striking all reference in the
platform to the location of a normal
school on the Missouri Slope.
This brought forth spirited reply
from L. A. Simpson of Dickinson,
Stark county. He declared that he
had never opposed the giving cf mon
ey to the educational institutions
which Grand Forks had monopolized
and that he did not see why the
member of that county should object
to the support of normal school in
district which was not now repre-
sented by any similar educational in
stitution and in which, because of
this, less than five per cent of the
teachers were normal school gradu-
ates.
Not single affirmative vote was
cast for striking out the plank.
Rural Credit Amendment Loses
Mr.. McKaig then moved the amend
ment urging rural credit legislation.
Mr.. Twitchell pointed out that the
national government had just initi-
ated rural credit system and urged
that North Dakota not take any
action until the federal plan had been
given a trial. The amendment lost
by a tie vote, % to %.
Exemption of farm improvements
from taxation was the last amend
ment offered by the league leader.
Twitchell charged that this was class
legislation of the worst kind. Sew
eral farmer delegates rose and de-
Tended it on the grounds that the
present system gave the absent owner
whose land was unimproved an unfair