Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-01-10
EXTRA SESSION
MAY CONSIDER
MANY MEASURES
The Sky is the Limit and at
the Option Of the
Members.
(Herald Special service.)

Wednesday, January. %.
The governor confines his purpose in
graph as follows: "In order that
the necessary seed and feed a be
supplied to assure a good crop acre.
age being planted next spring"
The governor expressed the desire
that the work Of the session be
wound up in four days, but as far as
that goes, it is only the governors
wish, a sort of suggestion to the leg.
islators that they do what he wants
done, do it quickly and then go home.
Range of Possibilities Wide.
Taking present conditions at the
capitol into consideration. astute pol
iticians see a wide range Of POSSIBLE
tiles in the coming session.
There is nothing to prevent, il
any legislator chances to will it, the
investigation Of every department at
the capitol. and Of ever.' board and
constitutional body over which the
legislature has any authority, and of
every state institution" said a vet
eran member of the senate from
west of the river who CHANGED to be
in the city when the news broke.
Senator Paul Kretschmar of Ven
was still some doubt as to the gov
ernor's ultimate decision, expressed
the opinion that a special session
might not be advisable. +.
For political reasons a number Of
state officers and heads Of depart
ments are said to have d~isapproved
Of the extraordinary assembly, and
to have expressed to the governor
their disapproval.
Rep. Peterson of Gwinner, Nom
partisan floor leader in the last house.
while in the city in DecU nber went
on record rs opposed to a special ses-
sion, providing any other way could
be found of financing North Dakota
farmers in need of assistance. De-
velopments have come since that
date which no doubt would cause
Rep. Peterson to change his mind.
The governors method of relieving
ldorSement of. if it did not originate
with, John N. Hagan, commissioner
of agriculture. Mr.. Hagan has only
recently returned from Washington,
where he conferred with North Da-
kota's congressional representatives,
and with Secretary of Agriculture
Houston. He came home convinced
that Congressman Baer's bill, appro-
priating SIS, 900. 900 to be loaned the
farmer, would not pass, and that Sec
rotary Houston's~ bill. carrying So
600, 900 v e if it should pass, would
not greatly relieve the situation in
| North Dakota, inasmuch as it does
not contemplate 1oaning this money
to the farmer, but merely the pur-
chase of seed to be sold the farmer at
cost.
"If the farmer has no money. he
cannot buy seed. even when it's sold
at cost" said MIR. Hagan in discuss
ing the extra session possibility Tues
day.
I'VE must look to III county bond
ing act" said Mr.. Hagan, land in its
present form it is inadequate. 1t
was drafted to meet the needs of the
16O-acre homestead. Today the av-
erage North Dakota farm is Of 800
acres. Under the present bonding
act, no county>can issue warrants 70:
or it's equivalent in other grains to
any one farm"
Relies on Patriotism.
ST rely upon the patriotism OF our
legislators to come down here and do
what is necessary to be lone and
then adjourn, occasioning the people
not n cent more expense than is
absolutely required"
When Goernor Andrew Burke is
sued a similar appeal when he called
a special session for June l, 1892, the
legislators passed acts providing for
the election of presidential electors
; and state. county and district oftic-
ers; creating a state board of can
vassers: governing contests in the
election of presidential electors. and
making appropriations for North Da-
| kota's exhibit and bAilding at the
Columbian exposition to be held. in
Chicago.
The legislator" also considered Gov
5000. rl.--1r>s-. . 80 ~. -I-kR>--.
elevator bill, old-timers recall, and
they did not like it. AS an odd CO.
incidence, it will be recalled that
Governor Frazier's one veto which at
tracted wide attention and created
general comment in this state follow
ing the last regular session was Of a
terminal elevator bill.
In 1892 the Populist party was
just coming into power. In Govern
or Burke's legislature were several
Independents and Farmers Alliance
representatives. The. following fall,
Governor Burke was defeated for re-
election, and Eli c. D. Shortridge was
elevated to power by the yPopulists,
although. elected as a Democrat.
Probable Legislation.
One thing which the Fifteenth leg
islative assembly will probably con-
slider under the head. of war meas
uTGS Is d Jill IS6dlIAAIlS dllu CkCdL1uS
q North Dakota state home guard or
state militia. The Minnesota legis-
lature was in session when war was
declared. and it promptly took this
step. The North Dakota legislature
had adjourned, and, although every
/! city of 500 or more population in
North Dakota has a home guard. they
are practically without official sane
ton or legal recognition. A bill to
establish a state guard or militia
probably will be one Of the first to
go into the hopper.
Another war measur in all prob
ability will be a bill creating a state
safety commission similar to oEc
which has operated in Minnesota
since the beginning of the war.
A third will be a bill to
provide for the proper financing of
the North Dakota defense council.
| which to date has had no income
except from joint notes of its direct
ors, who have been guaranteed the
return Of their money by the gov
ernor.
Prohdbttaon Amendment.
It is quite likely that the special
session will take up the national con-
10000