Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-01-24
POLITICAL
I GOSSIP AT
THECAPlI0L
Only War Measures Should
be Considered, Say
Legislators.
LEAGUE AFRAID
:. TO START FIGHT
One Legislator Wants Fraz-
Ter for President or
Senator,

Bismarck, N. d., Jan. ~. - With
hotel lobbies filled with little groups
Bismarck is assuming a decidedly
legislative atmosphere. Speaker How
ard Wood n William Lenke, league
legal advisor. are not much in evil
dencc. o is Rep. i. L.. Stair of Botti-
lea one of h leagues principal
E,outhpieces in the house. but An
thony Walton of Ward is in evidence.
and Rep. Peterson of Towner and
Dupuis of Williams and Senators
Hamilton and Ettcstad and Mostad
are on deck.
Rep. Peterson has assume his
habitual session %aloofness. He de-
clines to discuss politics or possible
tiles. Anthony Walton. character
istically. is wearing a bland and open
front and freely talking over matters
which he believes the public will be
interested in.
The leagues home guard will is safe
in Mr.. Walton's keeping. He admitted
last evening that he had it, and
Furthermore stated that he intended
to retain it until after the league
caucu
"In all essentials" said Mr.. Walton,
1.-The bill we have drawn up copies the
Minnesota act. 1t forms a home
guard regiment along much similar
lIICS. 10 j xIdLIlcu " MIL lHC III
guard?' NO-siree! We want the
home guard, 1t is not the council of
defense bill. 1t is one which we nave
prepared ourselves" eve. presum-
ably, being the Nonpartisan league
medicine-makers.
No Railroad Legislation.
Rep. c. +. Dupuis of Temple, chair
man of the defense councils railway
board. and father of the league COM
modify rate bill which was defeated in
the last session after a bitter fight, is
confident there will be no railroad
legislation at his session. II came
down to do just what the governor
suggested-help pass some bills that
will take care of the seed and feed
problem" said Mr.. Dupuis. 1.-THE
situation is really very bad in our
country. We must have help"
Mr.. Dupuis also is interested in the
passage of the defense council bill,
making an Appropriation for its ex-
penses and clearly defining its status.
,,Thislmeasure also gives the defense
council much the same powers as are
vested in the safety commission of
Minnesota.
Bad i'm McHcnry.
Conditions are bad in McEIenry."
reported Senator Hamilton. he Of
baseball fame. who came in ON the
North 500 Monday night. 'In my
particular neighborhood we have
enough seed wheat and Il fair amount
Of rye, but we are short Of feed. 1t is
absolutely necessary that Some pro-
vision be made to enable u farmers
to feed their stock over the winter.
We made no hay last fall. and there's
nothing on the prairies for the stock
to eat. even if we didn't have it v
cred up by unusually heavy SHOWS
We have had long continued, steady
cold. and the situation is far from
good. West of us. there was no crop
at all last year, and that region must
have both seed and feed.
"McHenry county farmers aren't
asking charity. They could manage
to get enough land in crop next
spring to carry them oVer, but they
want to plant every acre.. and they
look upon this financing proposition
purely as a war measure. to give them
u chance to do their Bit" ~
Mr.. Hamilton denied having any
pet measures up his sleeve. He is
here. he says. to do what the governor
has asked DONE. r.. "
After Automobile Law.
Rep. Noltemeier of Barnes county
has been asked by his county board to
introduce a bill which will produce
more revenue from the automobile
tax. Under the fee act adopted at the
last session. automobiles pay nothing
more h a the registration ak. After
a flivver has been registered three
years. the whole amoun Of tax rev.
enue obtainable is $3.50 per annum.
The Barnes county commissioners say
they obtained much more for road
work under the old laws, which. per-
mitted the taxation of the car on its
property value in addition to the ex-
action of a fat license fee of So per
annum. - 7h
1t. is, predicted that Rep. Nolte-
meier's bill will last about as long in
league caucus as the proverbial tai
low-legged bow-wow in Kaiser Will
helms .sultry .sub-cellar. The average
hivver-owner has only one complaint
to make of the present law. That is
that under the bore and stroke rating
of the A.. NJ. L. A. ne must pay fifty
cents per ear more as a license fee
on his Humble Henry than the more
fortunate owner of a Maxwell pays on
his more expensive benzine bus. 1t IL
not probable that the automobile law
will be tempered with in any way.
While 1t may not be producing as
great a total revenue as did the
former double barrefcd system OF
taxation. friends Of good roads insist