The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-03-19

state as a medium through which to
work out it's experiment of state
operated mill. They would have done
this as their contribution to the cause
OF Equity and progress; willingly
foregoing any profit because of their
belief in cooperation.
| For nearly seven years prior to
1915 the proposition of a. state-owned
terminal elevator was endorsed by the
annual conventions Of the Society of
Equity. In the session Of 1915 the final
battle with what was termed the re-
dictionary forces in politics in North
Dakota was waged. In that memoir
able struggle the Equity had the lead
ershlp or LOTUS and from the roll
call of the legislature resulted the
ammunition which gave birth to the
organization to which Governor
Frazier owes his political existence,
and one Of the closing acts of the con-
vention held at Bismarck was the
passage of a set of resolutions calling
upon the legislature to provide the
means for carrying out the expressed
will Of the people.
That convention asked for $4,000
as the initial sum to be used in erect
ing a terminal elevator. For the
sake Of arSument it may be admit
ted that that sum was insufficient,
but 1t was already available and would
have been a beginning. The late
legislature appropriated four times
that sum to be spent by a commission
to be chosen by the governor, a sum
sufficient to have demonstrated once
and for all the advisability of a sys-
tenn OF state owned and controlled
elevators. with the added advantage of
the milling proposition in connection
should the elevator have been located
at paramount Other points would un-
dombtedly offer the same advantages.
There are in North Dakota some
2.S00 elevators. A fair estimate Of
their content capacity would probably
be about 10000 bushels each. The
state averages to raise some 10000
600 bushels of wheat per year. Al
terminal elevator with a capacity of
100000 would be. using the estimat-
cd capacity of the primary elevators,
a magn1hcent regulator Of the flow of
grain; operated in connection with the
Paramount mill it would be q con-
elusive demonstration of Just what is
needed to advance the interests of the
grain ratsers of the state.
ut should not be forgotten that a
large amount OF money for the erec-
ton OF terminal elevator has already
oeen provided by the mill tax levy
purpose. It has cost the EQUITY ex-
change trif1e less than 100000 to
build and equip one Of the best ternjn-
al elevators in the northwest. with a
capacity OF over half million bushels
of grain. and 100000 additional would
provide more than double the storage
capacity OF the present elevator. or i'm
other words the $500, 200 provided hv
the legislature in 8, B. No. SO. The
Equity exchange elevator has work
house and machinery of euf1cient
capacity to handle more than a million
pushel storage capacity, so that the
provision in the bill vetoed by Cover
nor Frazier made ample provision for
working out all Of the experimental
portion Of elevator ownership and
operation on a scale sufficiently broad
as to be conclusive.
1t is morally certain that the farm
ers can never succeed in establishing
the fundamental reforms they demand
without making a start. II success
determine time after time that they
have superior knowledge to the mass
or people who have given their ap-1
proVaI to certain measures then we |
must acknowledge that democracy IL q |
failure. II the plain mandate of the
people, so clearly expressed by their |
votes upon a proposition successfully
submitted to them is to be disre- |
gaFded the question IL how are the |
people to get their will expressed in |
action.
The spacious reasoning of Cover.
nor Frazier is not sufficient argu-
ment against the terminal elevator. |
Erected by the sale of bonds or by
direct taxation the people will have |
to pay for any state owned enter
prise. There is no mysterious and
occult process by which. through the /
sale Of bonds the payment Of princi. |
pie and interest may be evaded. Such |
argument 10 to be classed with the
argument Of the higll-tariff |
advocates that the foreigner pays the /
tax on imported goods.
I'm order that its readers may have
the facts as to terminal elevator /
and operation The Her
aid will in successive articles give /
the actual conditions resulting from
state owned elevators and the results
under the different systems
i