The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-03-18
ELIMINATION
OF LAND BANK
DUET0H0USE
League Majority Was Warned
That Priority Clause Might
Have Result H.
JACOBSEN MADE BIG FIGHT
Senator From Hettinger County
Sought to Prevent lnclu-
sion of Provision

The announcement that the st.
Paul federal land bank is to withdra"
from North Dakota is blow to the
kra;n- krowers OF the Flickertail state.
In some sections the last two crops
have been almost complete failures.
The past winter has been bitter one
for farmers in drouthstricken sec
lions who have not been in the state
long enough 10 acquire much capltal
reserve.
History Of the Act.
= The seed bonding act which con
tains the section to which the feder'
al land bank takes exceptions origin
ated in the house, and it contained
this provision when it went from the
house to the senate. In the senate
this section was stricken out, and 9th.
er amendments added with view to
making the act more workable. The
house declined to concur and referred
the bill to conference committee OF
three from the house and three from
the senate. This committee remain
ed In cession from Saturday evening
until Monday afternoon about :
o'clock, devoting more than 20 hours
to discussion OF the bill. Two pro
visions were the center Of dispute.
One Of them provided for the state
guaranteeing the bonds issued by the
various counties the other; was 70
give the seed contracts priority over
all mortgages which might be exc
cuted after this act became effective.
Senator Jacobson. the only indie
pendent member of the committee
1.-THE other five were Nonpartisans)
argued for more than 20 hours upon
the proposition Of the state guaranty
and the priority clause. Senator ia.
cooson strenuously opposed the state
guaranty provision as we'll as the
provision which would give the seed
contracts priority over mortgages ex-
ccuted after the law became effec-
tive. He called the attention of the
committee to. the fact that this pro-
vision would interfere with the work
ings OF the Federal Land bank and
private concerns doing business in
North Dakota and might eventually
bar them from transacting business in
the state. The house majority we'll
knew the reasons why one man was
hanging out on the conference com
nittee and knew that tho state guar
anty and priority clause were the
points In difference In fact, he was
given to understand that these pro-
visions would remain in the bill or no
seed grain act would be enacted. j
10 Action 10 A Mystery. -. u
The house majority finally prevailed
In the closing hour of the session, and
the priority clause remained in the
bill As it finally was passed. 1t has
always been mystery to those famil-
lar with the history Of this act that
the house majority should take q
stand which it had been warned
might deprive the farmers Of aid from
the federal land bank as we'll as from
insurance companies and others that
have been doing business in the state
when of reality it was contended by
those opposed to this provision that
1t was OF little benefit to the act and
Of no aid in disposing of the bonds.
More than three million dollars
worth of seed and feed bonds have
been voted or issued by the following
counties in the amounts named: