The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-01-03

state been in as good shape financially
as IL is at the present time. Fouf
years ago the state owed over and
above all funds and revenues available
100000. In the past four years that
has been paid. Had We been receiving
the income from the oil inspection
fees for the past three and one-hah
years, as had been done for a number
Of years previous. there would be IN
the general fund In the state treasury
today between three hundred and fiftyr
and four hundred and fifty thousand
dollars. Several appropriations mada
by the 1915 legislature and paid IN
the past two years will not come up
again. Among the larger of these
believed taken Illegally from the wolf
bounty fund in 1911 and credited TO
the general fund Of the state for cur.
rent expenses. In the past two years
this money has been paid back to the
wolf bounty fund where 1t belong;
ed.
Bonded Debt.
-Four years ago the bonded debt OF
the state was 1897, 300. Today it is
$4,000, a reduction in the bonded
debt in four years of S475.3OO, or a
little more than one-half." -
Terminal Elevator. e.
In a discussion OF the terminal
elevator movement. Governor Hanna
added:
THE first bill upon this subject
introduced in our state legislature was
introduced by myself in 1907, when b.
member Of the North Dakota State
senate. The bill provided for the APP,
pointment Of a grain commission who
should give to the subject OF terminal
elevators grain grading, dockage and
all that might pertain to that par
ttcular business careful considerations
and that the commission should make
a report Of their findings to the gov
ernor Of the state that he might refer
the matter to the legislature for ar
propriate action. The bill introduced
became a law and under the terms and
conditions OF the law, Hon. John
Burke. then governor. appointed the
commission They made very good
report, although they did not go into
the subject as fully as I would haYDs
liked to have had them. Nse q
I'm a direct sense. we have no
terminals. for the terminals for our
grain lie within the confines of other
states. II we build elevators in other,
states, the question arises as to what
control we would have over them, also
as to the control we might have over
the inspection of grain made at thess
bStLutldlb. IL ID true LIldL at the pTGS~
ert time we have federal inspection,
but that as yet is only in the begin
ming and we cannot say whether fed
eral inspection will be more satisfac-
tory to our people than state inspec-
ton has been.
Were we to build terminals in
North Dakota, they would not be term
inal elevators, but would be really
storage elevators. A large number of
al Ia, TaI
now owned by the farmers More will
be and these farm elevators contribute
a very large amount Of storage. North
Dakota ordinarily ships out more than
that 100.000000 bushels OF grain and O.
large part of this grain goes forward
in the months of September, October
and November. 1t would be impossible
for US to build anywhere near ade-
qUate storage for that vast amount OF
gain.
"All of the so-called country eleva-
tors in North Dakota should be en-
cOuraged and probably should be re-
quired by law to be equipped with
modern grain cleaners and with power
sufficient to run the cleaners in addie
ton to the operation of the elevators.
If the grains we send forward. either
to storage in our own state or to the
terminals in other states were cleaned .
before they went forward, the grades
would be better. We would save a
large amount of money in freight. for
we would not then pay freight upon
screenings. We would also save the
screenings to be used for feeding pur=
poses by our own people at home rath-
er than giving them away as We do
now, and clean grain invariably weighs
better, looks better and brings more
money. ~
Further, the elevator companies in
the state should be required by law
to build up a large surplus in addition
to their capital stock. as additional
security both to their stockholders and
their customers. II we shall build
storage elevators in North Dakota,
should be made with
the railroad companies for transit
our grain to q storage elevator at Far
go or Grand Forks and pay the regular
freight rate there and then later ON
take the grain out OF that elevator
and send it on to Minneapolis or.
Duluth and pay another freight
charge. A transit rate Of freight is
necessary, which will permit the un-1
loading of cars and the reloading of
them when 1t is the desire and wish
that the grain shall go forward.
Again, a large amount Of money
would be necessary to finance and
carry grain in these storage elevators. !
Banks, state and national are only
permitted to loan a certain percentage
of their capital and surplus to any one
firm or corporation. This
law is a wise one and we have mo-
banks in our own state sufficiently
large to handle a large banking posi- |
ton such as this would be. arrange
ments would have to be made for the /!
bringing in of outside capital. Read
the report made by the grain commits
sion named in 1907. and also the rel
ports as made to the legislature. OF
1915 by the state board of control and
the recent report by the state board
OF railway commissioners: A fund OF
valuable information can be found ini
State Militia.
THE attention OF the Legislatures is
called to the fact that legislation will
be required by your honorable bodies
at this session to enact legislation to
conform to the act of congress APP
proved by the president June 3, 1916,
in order that our state laws governing
the National Guard may conform to
and be in accord with the national
laws. The proper data which may be
necessary for intelligent corporation
and legislation can be obtained
through the Office of the adjutant gem
eral."
Other matters discussed by Cover
nor Hanna related to the state board
of regents, the state board of contr0E
the budget committee. primary eisc-
lions, rural credits. coal, oil. leEisla-
ton, the old soldiers and good roads.
In Closing.
In closing, Governor Hanna said
Il wish to express my appreciation
tt. 4. n. - Iii