The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-03-08
THUNDERBO[T TO.
EQUITY, ASSERTS
STATE PRESIDENT
Society Was Not Consulted and
Had No Idea That Terminal
-.... Bill Was to Die
DISCUSSES BONDING AS
COMPARED WITH TAXATION

"The news came as thunderbolt
to me-" said President NJ. p. Johnson,
who, with Secretary NJ. V. Boldly of
the state union of the Equity, was in.
terviewed briefly last evening on the
veto of S. B. "a.
II couldn't believe, until l saw the
governors message actually in print,
that the report could be true. At no
time did we receive any intimation of
the governors intention, nor were we
consulted as to our views in the mat
ter. The Equity had worked seven
years for this bill. 1t carried out to
a large extent the Equity's ideas OF
what the bill should contain, and had
the governor signed it, as we fully ex'
pected him to do, it would have been
q great aid to the Equity movement.
II can't say what the next step OF
the Equity will be. ] anticipated that
a conference will be held in the near
future. l am wondering what the ef-
feet of this league move will be on the
attempts to organize Minnesota, now
under way. If Minnesota comes to
the conclusion that the North Dakota
Equity union has assisted in building
up an organization which intends to
block everything the Equity has work
ed for, don't believe the league will
get very far in Minnesota.
Bonding vs.. Tax.
$50 far as the farmer is concerned,
direct tax is the equitable plan, to
my mind, in the building of these util-
tiles. haven't the exact figures, but
l believe the Minnesota penitentiary
at saltwater has paid back into the
general fund something like $350,0OO
after paying off the bonds issued for
it's construction. All of this money
comes directly from the pockets OF the
farmers, who we're the sole consumers
of the prison products-agricultural
machinery and prison .twine. Every
interest in Minnesota however, the
big factories, the railroads and the
banks, benefit from the decrease in
taxation which results from the prof
it's turned into the general fund by
the prison. g.as
Had the prison been built by direct
taxation to begin with, everyone In
the state would have contributed his
share, the burden would not have fall
en- alone on the farmer, and everyone.
would have shared alike in the reduc-
ton in the tax rate which would have
resulted when vdbes prison reached a
paying basis. dttsa as leng, as it is
broad. Whether it's bond issue or
a direct tax, it must bespaidlinf some
way. The bond dssueg gIhO Owevernputs
the entire burden on the farmer,' and
the direct tax passes the burden
around and gives everyone a chance
to help. The same thing would apply
to terminal elevators and flour mills.
"The Equity has taken several
tumbles, but it always has got up
again and kept going. l don't think
the Equity has finished its work in
North Dakota and Minnesota. | can't
say what our next move will be, but
], for one, have no intention of quit
ting
Was Not Bound.
Senate Bill 81 gave Governor F'raz-
ier authority to name his own com.
mission, to spend any part of $30e,OO0
in investigating the feasibility of ter
minal elevators, and to stop there, il
the plan did not appeal to him as
practical. His hands were not tied in
any way. 1t was the first measure
which has passed the North Dakota
legislature which made any adequate
effort to look into the terminal ele.
vator proposition. The people last
fall approved bill calling upon the
railway commission to conduct an in
vestigation, but by the time the votes
had been canvassed, only 30 days re.
NAMED in which the rail board could
carry out the provisions of the act,
and the investigation was more per.
functory than real. .-,.. ..