The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-01-13
LEAGUE PLANS
TO CARRY OUT
ITS PROMISES
CONTINUED from page ona)

bind these eighty-three representa-
tives to support the measure.
The State in Business.
Provision for entrance by the state
into business enterprises is covered in
section "a Of the new bill of rights. II
follows: The right of the state or
any political subdivision to engage in
any occupation or business for public
purposes shall not be denied or pro-
hibited."
Initiative and Referendum.
Under the new initiative and
referendum, 1t would be possible to
propose a legislative enactment Of a
constitutional amendment by a 10 per
cent petition, filed ninety days prior to
primary or a general election, and
the isue would be voted upon in either
OF such elections.
The referendum is also placed on a
10 per cent basis. the petition to be
filed within thirty days of the adj
journment Of the legislature.
Supreme Court.
Under the division relating to the
supreme court, 1t is provided that
when the state has a million people
the court may be increased by the
legislature to seven members.
Bonded Debt Limit.
The bonded debt limit increase from
$500, 900 to 100000, coupled with the
provision for the issuance of mort
cages running against any public
utility or enterprise the state may
engage in, is expected to care for any
business the state may adopt.
Farm Improvement Exemption.
AS a means Of bringing about the
exemption Of farm improvements
from taxation, provision is made that
the legislature may exempt any class
of personal property as long as such
exemption is uniform and farm i'm
provements are declared personal.
Four Year Sessions.
Under the provision for a change
in the legislative sessions, quadrennial
sessions would be held beginning in
1920.
All legislators would be elected for
four-year periods, thus doing away
with the plan of the continuing SEN
ate, being a complete abandonment of
the theory upon which the upper
branch of the legislature is founded.
Adoption of the short ballot would
be optional with succeeding legisla-
lures.
Rural Credit.
Rural credits amendment Is carried
in section 1876 Of the old constitution,
which provides, in present that the
state or it's political subdivisions may
not pledge it's credit. The new sec
ton gives the state the right to
pledge its credit for the promotion Of
a farm credits system.
A change in the election laws Is
made whereby any person residing in
a county ninety days, and in a pre-
cinct thirty days, is authorized to
VOTE while the principle embodied in
the so-called Bacon law, since knock
ed out by the supreme court, whereby
persons removing from one precinct
to another in the same county within
a thirty-day period prior to an cleo
ton would not be disfranchised.
Under the section relating to school
land loans provision Is made whereby
farm loans up to half of the appraised
value of property, may be made, in
stead of one third. and payments of
mortgage would be placed on an
ION or before" basis.
The recall is made operative in the
same manner as the initiative, the re-
call being made initiative by a petit
ton of 10 per cent of the voters who
voted for governor in the last previ-
Gus election in majority OF counties.
Both the recall and the initiative and
are declared self-execut-
i've.
A provision is made whereby the
school fund may be invested in mort
cages Of state-owned public utilities.
The legislature is empowered to
establish a compulsory Torrens title
system, the counties being authorized
to finance it by assessment against
the lands involved.
In submitting the proposed consti-