New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-08
St. Paul Headquarters
of New Movement
for Reform
EXTENDS WORK
TO EIGHT STATES
Great Convention OF
Farmers Will Be
Held in 1919
By WILLIAM NJ. HOUGHTON

/ crs' Non-Partisan Political League,
which with only two years growth
swept the old political organizations
/ into the discard in this state this
I fall and seized control OF the gov
+ crnmcnt. made its first move to-day
TO strike into seven other states at
once. In the background arc plans
I to make the organization national in
/ its scope.
The naturalization Of the league
was announced to-day by A. c. Town
| ley. president Of the organization.
With The removal of the leagues
headquarters from Fargo, y. D., to
ST. Paul. comes the statement that
Iowa, Nebraska, Michigan and Wis
/ consin have been added 70 the list OF
those in which the association will
work.
For three or four months the work
Of organization has been IN Progress in
Minnesota apd South Dskote and Mon
tans. In Minnesota the league already
has 10000 member,, and IN South Da-
/ kota 5000, while in Montana there have
been $500 enrolled IN two months
Later, President Townley says, the or.
ganzation work will be extended 10 the
Pacific Coast the Southwest and the
extreme South, and perhaps even New
York
Now National in Scope
"The removal of the headquarters
and the launching Of our organization
work in the other states mean the
movement has become national in its
scope" said President Townley to-day
The programme Of the Non Partisan
League of North Dakota in it's essen
tisls seeks to find remedy for abuses
from which the farmers Of the state
have suffered. Programmes in other
states in which organization work is
going forward are similar. They call
for strict state supervision Of market
ing conditions and public ownership Of
important industries which relate 10
the marketing of the farmers products,
such as grain elevators. by which it is
proposed TO establish fair system Of
grades and marketing; packing houses,
cold storage plants and -four mills
ultimately" said President Town
/ ley, eve shall have Federal ownership
/ of grain elevators and other important
and necessary adjuncts to marketing
which are now controlled by monopoly
| TO the great injury of every citizen Of
| the United States. consumers OF farm
products. as we'll as farmers
National Gathering Planned
/ President Townley said it is planned
] to have a great national gathering Of
/ league members in s.. Paul within the
I next two years, probably within the
/ next year. which he believes will be
the greatest mass gathering Of farm
ers ever held.
+ The league has not yet dipped into
national politics. Here in North Da
/ kota this fall it interested itself only
/ i'm the local elections, displaying no
preference in the campaigns for Presi-
/, dent and United States Senator. Sena-
/ tor McCumber was up for reelection to
the Senate from this state, and, though
he had been known as Mckenzie man.
the league exhibited not the slightest
opposition to his candidacy. He was re-
+ elected, and II is said now that nc is
not unfriendly to the league.
National Headquarters for League
But. though the league is still pri-
narily interested in a solution Of the
North Dakota problems and is bending
every energy to the accomplishment OF
its drastic reforms in this state. u is
not unmindful OF larger destiny.
There is a wealth of significance IN
, this new location. st. Paul. together
with Minneapolis. is the very nerve
centre Of the industrial Northwest.
the source Of capital. the home OF
/ the octopus and the real seat OF
government for all the states now in
/ volved in the bipartisan league move
ment South Dakota and, TO a less eE-
tent. Montana. have, like North Da-
kota. been tributary 10 this alien cen
tire. Minnesota, Of course, has been
, governed openly from the Twin Cities,
but with the proud consciousness, II
there is any room for pride IN the stu
/. ton. that these cities were a part OF
the State and at least nominally sub
I iect TO it's regulation.
In other words. the Farmers Non
Partisan League has now established
its Offices within sight of those great
-four mills which frown upon the Mis-
sissippi like windowless castles and
which typify the almost feudal domlna-
tion Of the Northwest by its metropo-
lis. II has settled down beside them to
the same time, of the Capitalization of
this section which they have helped to
effect. And from this strategic centre
| il expects to$xert its influence within
an ever widening circle, until the farm
ers of the entire country have come
! under its spell.
interested in New York, Too
Even the great State of New York,
which seems infinitely remote 70 these
sons of the plough now intent upon
their own local problem, is included in
their dream of dominion. They know
out here in a general way that the
subject of better market facilities and
Of cooperation among the producing
farmers has come 10 the fore lately
i'm the Empire State. A. c. Townley,
the organizing genius and president OF
the Non Partisan League, has his eye
on the New York situation. and seemed
very much interested this morning
when It'd Of the recommendations
which the Perkins commission made
20 the Governor regarding greater CO.
operation among the farmers.
ANY movement in the State OF New