The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1917-04-06
A PROGRESSIVE
COMMONWEALTH


industries of universal need financed
and operated by those who work
them-grain elevators and flour mills,
stock yards and packing houses
with later industries to follow the
first program. Hail Insurance, which
is a matter of vital consequence to
Northwestern farmers is to be
through state agency.
The taxation program for the state
is to exempt improvements on land
from taxation and to lay all burdens
of taxation on the land values
whether idle or in use) and on all
special privileges like franchises I'M
til the public utilities that require
franchises for private operation shall
be taken over by the state. Such
natural resources as coal mines and
water powers are to be owned and
developed in public ownership.
The states credit is to be put be-
hind each industry or public utility
so taken out of the circle of private
profit; but each industry itself shall
pay it's debts and interest out of it's
own income and not be supported
by general state taxation.
That is brief sketch of the most
significant features of the program
of the Non-Partisian League, COM
posed now mostly of farmers, but
offering it's advantages to all workers
and forming, as it's advocates and
members declare, a cooperative field
in which producers and con-
sumers can work for mutual ad-
vantage by eliminating parasites
and particularly parasitic credit
system.
Three years ago a man named A.
c. Townley, who was then an ogan-
IGOR for the Socialist party of North
Dakota started out on a house to
house canvas of all the farmers of
that state. Today the organization
he began in that way (the Non
PARTISAN League) has elected the
Governor, the Attorney General, the
Secretary of State, the Commissioner
of Insurance, the Commissioner of
Agriculture and Labor, the three
Railroad Commissioners, and three
of the five judges of the Supreme
Court. 1t owns outright and con-
ducts the two largest newspapers
in the state and the largest general
printing plant in the Northwest. One
hundred and fifty automobiles, owned
by it, are ceaselessly carrying rep
resentatives of the League to spread
among all the homes of the farmers
and other workers the program of
the League in political and industrial
re-making of the state. The organ
ization and its propaganda have
spread to Minnesota, South Dakota,
Montana, Wisconsin, Nebraska and
Kansas, and is fast gaining recogni-
ton as national political and econ
omic power.
The best defination of what the
League is in American Life is found
in the things it stands for.
A "holdover" group of the state
senators elected for four year terms
two years ago have held back the
immediate carrying into effect of
the Leagues major purposes.
But the League (Which already has
an enrolment in North Dakota of
more than $4,000 dues paying mem
bers and which elected its candidate
for Governor with $1,000 votes out
of total Of 100000 votes cast) is
not waiting to get action until il
can elect new senators in the "hold.
overs" places. 1t is proposing a new
constitution to put into effect the fun
damental changes indicated. Practi
cally "co-operative commonwealth
is growing in the Northwestern grair
fields. It's "seed" is not from any
! N'i~Niy y, buL 4lOll lilG pEdCIlCdl 1acts
of American life. Eventually-anC
the event is to come as quickly a.
possible-the political life of tn,
state is to manifest itself through
its industrial life. "A state conclav,
Of industrial units will be the state
affiliated units in separate organiza
tons, each doing certain things TO-
the workers and certain things TO
farmers, and all getting rid of tn,
parasites in between" as Arthur L.
Sueur, legal adviser of the League
and President of the Peoples ColIeg
Of Fort Scott, Kansas, has explaine,
recently to Eastern audiences.
The North Dakota organization
and the organizations of the Leagu
in the nearby Northwestern state
are composed chiefly of farmers, be
cause the bulk of their non,la+io