Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-12-31
FARMERS BEING
CRUCIFIED BY.
TWO THIEVES
M. Teigen of Kramer Ex-
plains Aim of New Farm
ers League.

Minot. . D.. Dec. s1.-"The farm
ers of North Dakota are being cruel
fed between " thieves. the chamber
of commerce III n hand and the
the other" declared NJ. Teigen of
Kramer, in an interview yesterday
relative to the statement by Represen-
tative A. M. Hagen of Westhope, that
the new North Dakota Farmers
league was backed by the chamber of
commerce.
Mr.. Teigen, who was one Of the men
who worked side by side with the late
George S. Lotus to build up the Equi-
ty society, is now one Of the founders
of the new North Dakota Farmers
league. This new league was organ
lied recently by representatives from
several counties of northwest North
every township swelling the member
ship. The new league was not or
ganized to fight the Nonpartisan
league, but to have unity among the
farmers to secure a voice In the state
legislature and thereby be enabled to
legisiate for the benefit Of the farmers.
AS soon as the organization was an
nounced and h platform of the new
party, in which House Bill AZ was
denounced. printed, A. M. Hagen. who
was the father of that bill. issued a
statement that the chamber Of com
merce is behind the new league. This
Mr.. Teigen emphatically denies and
declared the farmers OF North Dako-
ia are being crucified between TWO
thieves, the chamber OF commerce
on n hand and the leaders of the
Nonpartisan league on the other.
Further evidence of the pending
break between the Nonpartisan league
leaders and the mon who are loyal to
the Equity society was contained IN
NIo 0S~@N 49, La nI1 s'lhn
men behind the chamber of com.
merce are not half as much afraid
OF the Nonpartisan league as they are
Of the old Equity society. The cham
Der Of knows that If we
have state owned public utilities oper-
ated by the state with the accompany
ing horde of ofice-seekers. thcre will
be so many political tcats hanging
down for politicians to suck that 1t
would wreck any such highly connpe-
titive business as -four and grain. This
was we'll emphasized in Manitoba not
many years ago when h state oper-
ated elevators went bankrupt. having
fattened at the xpense of the farm
ers. However, when the Manitoba
grain growers took over these eleva-
tors and operated them for the gov
eminent on business principles. they
were a success.
f. 1--WE have no objection to the state
owning terminal elevators and -four
mills. That was one of the first planks
in the platform of the old Equity So
ciety. out We want them operated un-
der state regulations and under state
restrictions. Just as economically as
the large elevators n mills run their
business. As long as these large In.
dustries are state operated they will
he nothing hut lodging places for po-
litical papsuckers at high wages. with
little one and a great loss of eff
cheney without profit. We cannot
frjrhten the chamber Of commerce
with any such scare-crow as set up by
Townley. They are not losing sleep
right now. but il we can have state
owned terminal elevators and mills,
operated as in Manitoba, or similar,
with proper state regulations and re-
strictioos they can he made q sue
cess. That is what the chamber OF
commerce men do not like to see, and
it explains why they have bitterly
fought the. Equity. Townlev Is nc
nightmare for the chamber of com
,merce men. his plan will help I'LL
their pockets and they know it. :;
"Our new Farmers league has q
Platform which enlbodies just what
have said. We are not fighting the
Nonpartisan league, We aim to be con.
structive instead Of destructive. OF
course we will be abused by such ner
as HAGEN and other strong Nonparti.
sans. but we have prepared for that
We have a farmers organization
made up of farmers. controlled by
farmers and managed by farmers. Is
there any reason why such an or
ganization should not fill the bill in
N-ortI TIA ko<ar ?"