The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-03-19
Frazier's Veto of
Terminal Elevator
Severely Criticized
By Organ Of Equity

A significant contribution to the dis
cussion that is centering about Gov.
ernor Lynn FraZier's veto Of the So
ciety of Equity bill for the establish
ment of terminal elevator. passed BY
the last legislature and negatived by
the governor q few days after the ses.
| sion adjourned, comes from The Co.
operators Herald. the official organ Of
the Society of Equity. published in
| Fargo.
Asserting its inability to follow Gov.
ernor Frazier through his argument
made in substantiation Of his veto
that a terminal elevator shouldn't be
constructed till the state is ready tt
build flour mill beside it, and the
governors contention that the state
shouldn't enter into the public utili-
ties business till 1t is able to bond
for such enterprises, The Co-operat-
ors' Herald calls attention to the fact
that the people Of this state have
twice very specifically voted in favor
of terminal elevators.
The 'Co-operators' Herald contrasts
the governors position on the termin-
al elevator with his action in appeal
ing to the recent legislature for the
passage Of House Bill No. a.. the Non
partisan leagues bill. when he inter-
preted his own election as q demand
for a new constitution. and insisted
that the peoples will should be
obeyed.
The Co-operators' Herald, quoting
at length from an interview given out
by President M. P. Johnson. of the
Society of equity, says:
"A farmers governor has been the
instrument used to kill off the state
owned terminal elevator bill passed
by the recent legislature.
AT first thought this would seem an
impossibility when one remembers
that the revolt Of the farmers against
the Hanna administration was caused
by the same or similar action in the
legislature of 1915. -
The governors action has aroused
the Equity men to realization Of the
fact that the Equity fight is again
unsuccessful-this time at the hand of
a man who owes his election to the
battle for a stare-owned terminal le-
evator. -.
IS. B. No. 81 gave Governor Frazier
authority to name his own commits
sion, to spend any part Of 100000 in
investigating the feasibility Of ter
minal elevators, and to stop there, II
the plan did not appeal to him as
practical. His hands were not tied
in any way. 1t was the first measure
which had passed the North Dakota
legislature which made any adequate
effort to look into the terminal ele-
vator proposition. The people last
fall approved a bill calling upon the
railway commission to conduct an in
vestigation but by the time the votes
had been canavssed. but thirty days
remained in which the rail board could
carry out the provisions of the act,
and the investigation was more per-
fI1nctorv than real
GAS to Governor Fraziers conten-
tions that the proper form in which
to finance the state-owned terminal
is by bonding rather than by direct
tax 1t is but necessary to point to the
fact that the people have twice voted
for the utility and have through two
successive legislatures provided the
method Of financing the same. 1t is
interesting to note his entire disregard
for the wishes of the people in the
matter OF the terminal elevator when
one remembers his demand that the
pass House Bill a., be-
cause the people had voted for him in
the primary and again in the fall ell
ection. In what way shall we consid-
er the voice Of the people mandatory
as related to proposition on which
it aside on a question upon which they
had twice voted, after thorough dis
cussion and by overwhelming major
tiles.
GAS related by President Johnson
the terminal elevator question is pecu-
liarly an Equity proposition. The
Equity organization gave it birth and
its advocacy by the Equity men
brought it to the attention of the vot-I
ers and was the primary impulse to its
original passage by the legislature.
About it centered the activities OF
the greatest advocate which the cause
Of the farmers has ever called into
action-the late George 8. Loftus--and
to 1t he devoted the last hours OF his
life. Involved in 1t lis a principle larger
than the ideas of any man and worthy
Of the support of all men who claim
to be working in the interests OF the
farmers.
"If, as has been intimated by the
governor the state-towned terminal
elevator must wait the moment when
the people Of North Dakota have ac-
1uiesced in an unlimited bonding
it is in nowise certain that
North Dakota will ever own such a
utility. In the opinion of many OF the
staunchest supporters he has had in
he Equity ranks his action in vetoing
he terminal elevator bill is indefensible
and his argument in support Of his ac-
ton wholly without logical foundation.
Taking up the contention that a
terminal elevator cannot succeed I'M
ess connected with a milling PROPOSE
ion; it is barely possible that the
men who have been in the forefront Of
he battle for the past ten years may
be az well informed as to what they
want in the way of terminal elevators
- Is the governor, a more recent re-
sruit; but in any event it is merely
necessary to call attention to the fact
hat at Fairmount, the point which had
he most active support as the Local
ion Of q state-owned terminal elo-
2ator, there stands a splendid -four
ng mill, capable Of producing 400
barrels OF flour per day, and 1t Is safe
10 wager that the farmers Of that
ocality who own and control the
equity Cooperative flour mill would