Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1917-01-03


tiers tremendous struggle" It fur
Their declares tenant farming to be a
growing menace. AS a remedy it urg-
es State requirement of land, to be
sold in small tracts on long time to
settlers.
Secretary of War Baker appeared
before the Senate Committee on Mill
tary Affairs on December 10 and de-
clared "the obligation to serve the
country is a universal one" In re-
gard to preparedness he said:
whether universal military service
or selective CONSUMPTION is the cor
rect answer l do not know. The the
DRY, of common interest in a CON-
mon country would be satisfied by a
method of selecting soldiers that was
not voluntary in character" On De-
cember 20 Howard H. Gross of Chi
cago, of the Universal Military Train
ing League, and Edward Harding of
the Boy Scouts. appeared before the
committee. Both advocated compuls-
DRY service. Mr.. Gross declared that
the army should not be used for con-
stabulary duty and thereby hoped to
reconcile organized labor to universal
service.
By a decision Of the Supreme Court
of North Dakota, the three recently
elected Farmers Non-Partisan League
Supreme Judges will be kept out of
their seats for one month. The State
Constitution provides that the judic-
ial term shall begin on the first Mon
day in December. 1t has been Gus
tomary for the judges hitherto to dis
| @~.l hi s~s@ 0vol %0ly off
in January, holding over for month
at the end of their term. The Non
partisan League Judges demanded
their seats Of the retiring Judges on
the date set by the Constitution.
tom. The Attorney General thereup-
on asked the Supreme Court for
writ summoning both retiring and
elected Judges before it. The two
holdover Judges selected three dis
trict Judges to serve temporarily on
the court in place of the three retir-
ing MEMBERS Then on the ground
that they, too, were interested in the
case, the holdovers withdrew and the
three district Judges selected two
others to complete the panel. The
newly elected Judges held court so
constituted to be illegal and refused
to appear. The decision upheld the
retiring Judges in their reversal of
the Constitution.
The Nebraska Farmers Congress,
held at Omaha on DecembelD12 to IA,
adopted the following resolution:
We believe that the general proper
ty tax required by the Nebraska con.
stitution distributes the burden Of
taxation uneQually, that it cannot be
impartially enforced, and that it has
so broken down in it's administration
as to demand change. We, there
fore, urge upon the Nebraska legisla-
ture the necessity of submitting a
constitutional amendment, the adop-
ton of which will permit the passage
of modern tax laws.
The resolution was adopted after a
discussion of the land value taxation
| laws of western Canada. Opposition
was voiced by Professor H. G. Filley,
who denounced the Singletax as con-
fiscatory, and partial to the rich. Is
sue was taken with the professor by
a farmer, ]. o. Shroyer of Richard
son County, owner of Canadian farm
which he declared to be taxed lower
proportionately than his Nebraska
farm. A prediction that all farmers
would be advocating Singletax in
twenty-five years was made by anoth-
er farmer, Carl Slatt of Clay County.
The congress also declared for gov
eminent ownership of railroads.
The annual farmers convention at
St. Paul, Minnesota, held on Decem-
Der 8, under the auspices of the
Equity Cooperative Exchange, adopt
ed resolutions urging all States of the
Northwest to enact uniform legisla-
ton. In regard to taxation the rec
ommendation is as follows:
"A law increasing the personal tax
exemption to at least 5000.
"a law providing for lower tax
on structures and improvements than
upon land The present system of
taxation penalties a man for erect
ing buildings or otherwise improving
his land, by forcing him to pay pen
atty to the State in the form of in
creased taxes. In Canada, New Zea-
land and other places, land is taxed
the same amount, regardless OF struc-
lures and improvements. We endorse
the principles of the Canadian and
New Zealand acts as one which will
serve to equalize the present tolerable
burden of taxation, and one which
will tend to relieve the farmer, the
laborer and the business man of mod
crate means, from the present unfair
burden of taxation which he BEARS"
The meeting is reported as the larg-
est gathering of farmers ever assem-
bled in convention in the Northwest.
Delegates from all northwestern
States were present.
The Porto Rican Government bill
which, as it passed the House, dis
franchised the greater part of the in
habitants, will be amended In the Sen
ate if an agreement is kept between
the Commission advocating the bill
and representatives of the American
Federation of Labor. The agreement
arrived at on December II is to sub
stitute the following for the section
DISTINGUISHING all who pay less than
three dollars in direct taxes.
Sec. 35-That at the first election
held pursuant to this act, the qualified
electors shall be those having the
qualifications of voters under the
present law; thereafter voters for all
offices elected by the people shall
have the qualifications prescribed by
the Legislature of Porto Rico and be
comprised within one Of the following
classes: CAY Those who at the cleo
ton of 1917 were legal voters and ex-
ercised the right of suffrage. (B)
Those who are able to read or write