The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1916-12-30


| posal for an early adjournment.
Can Establish Elevator.
During the heat of the last cam
| paign. numerous matters have been
brought to the front that will require
| the attention of the present assembly.
| There are. for instance such issues as
| the proposed establishment Of terminal
elevator. which the assembly Is now
! empowered by the constitution to do.
| True. 1t has been said that the league
| program cannot he realized in its en-
| tirety without extensive amendments
| to the constitution, but insofar as the
| terminal elevator question is concern
| ed. the way is clear.
In adopting legislation for the es-
| tablishment of such elevator - and
league leaders, headed by Pres. A. c..
Townley insist the leagues program
| will be carried out--the method of
| operating such elevators must be work
| ed out. 1t is big task, including not
| only the establishment of legislative
| machinery for the handling of the
| elevators. but 1t also requires the crea
| ton of system Of grain grading,
which the legislature is empowered to
do. Coupled with the grain grading
| system there is opened the whole
problem Of grain handling, and it will
he necessary for the assembly to carry
into effect plan for the betterment
| of the grain handling business within
| the state. If the league Is to make good
on its pledges to the people of the
state.
State Ownership for Future.
State owned Touring mills. state
| owned packing plants, state insur-
| ance. and other state enterprises
must await the time when the consti-
tuition can be so amended as to per-
nit of their establishment But there
| is no barrier against the establish
ment of the terminal elevator. and
most of the league members elect of
the assembly, now on the ground,
have indicated their intention of TAX
| ing steps to bring about the immedi-
ate consumma ton of at least that
| project
Location Is Real Issue.
The question of establishing a
| state owned terminal elevator also
J opens the question of location-ad-
mittedly complicated, and fraught
with danger of creating splits. OF
course, these are features the league
men have taken into consideration.
and they are not worrying about such
troubles as may arise over the ques-
ton of location. until such complica-
| tions really arise.
Already. the Missouri slope district
| Is making bid for the establishment
of state owned terminals at either
Mandan or Bismarck Certain legls-
lators in the eastern section of the
state are likely to ask that the ele-
vators be established in either Grand
| Forks or Fargo, and there likely will
be no little support for the establish
ment of terminal elevators at the
| present grain terminals in Minnesota.
... Might Buy Terminal.
Along the line of thought recently
loot tod
| Equity and the Nonpartisan league
| interests joined hands on the estab-
lishment of a state owned packing
plant in Fargo, it has been proposed
| that the state might buy the Society
of Equitys terminal elevator, recently
dedicated IN st. Paul.
Board of Regents.
Another vital issue that will be rails
ed is that of changing the status of
the state board of regents. Several
plans have been proposed, including
the increase in the membership from
five to seven, thus giving the incoming
administration control of the board
through the fact that four positions
would be thrown open for appoint
ment, as well as the proposed abolish
,ment of the board and the substitution
of two new boards one governing
academic institutions. the other gov
erning industrial and agricultural
Institutions
The report of the survey commits
sion, which proposes such radical
changes in the work of the North Da-
kota Agricultural college, will come in
for serious consideration at the hands
of the assembly. Friends of the agri-
cultural college are ready to ask the
legislature to set aside the work of
the board of regents so far as it re-
lates to the survey commission report,
and that action would come, of course,
through the change in the board men,
bership, or a change in the governing
system.
Right along this same line is the
proposed election by the legislature of
John II. Worst to the post of president
emeritus of the agricultural college
position to which he was twice el.
ed by governing boards, but which he
declined in each instance because he
felt the circumstances under which the
election was made, were humiliating
Now his friends will ask for vindica-
tion at the hands of the legislature.
Will Control Board of Control.
There has been no little discussion
OF the board Of control act, and well
known leaguers have pointed out the
possibility Of changes in that depart
ment of state government. If the
league controls the senate, there is no
reason to doubt that the league will
take over control of the board and
league leaders also indicate that con-
troll of the senate isn't entirely es-
sential to their plan of obtaining a
majority of the boards membership.
Exemption from taxation of farm
improvements is another big problem
with which the Legislature will deal.
1t is included in the program of the
Nonpartisan league, and will have the
support of the league caucus.
Land Title System.
A change in the title system is an
other proposal that is likely to get
prominent attention, it being proposed |
that the Torrens title system be adopt |
ed to displace the present system 1t |
is an issue over which sentiment IS di- |
Nided, and it has elements that may |
bring about sharp conflict of opinion |
within the assembly.
Ena actment of legislation barring the |
sale of nostrums and patent medicines |
will be asked of the assembly, the |
proposal having the backing of Presi-
dent E. F. Ladd of the agricultural |
college.
Commercial Clubs Active.
Commercial clubs of the state have
fo Goyarn0r T.vY,y L,,-,z;a,.