Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1918-10-31

have been adopted by sixteen states of the United States and
long have been employed in Switzerland, Australia and New
Zealand, and in every instance the people have used these
measures with great discretion to put many good laws on
the statute books and to defeat bad laws passed by corrupt
or reactionary legislatures. The Initiative is simply the
spur that drives the balky legislature and the Referendum
the bit and bride that keeps it from running away or going
in the wrong direction.
The remaining four amendments are designed to end the in
dustrial domination of Big Business monopolists by permitting
the people to own and operate flour mills, terminal elevators,
packing plants and other things necessary to social welfare.
These public utilities are now owned by private interests who
gouge producer and consumer Of millions of dollars every year.
Both producer and consumer would benefit by eliminating these
excessive profits and manufacturing these commodities at cost
AMENDMENT HITS TAX DODGERS
One amendment permits the Legislature to EXEMPT city
homes and farm improvements from taxation. This would
compel the great land specializing corporations-which now
own andahold in idleness 40 per cent of the land of this state
TO pay the same amount Of taxes as the farmer who has
improved his land and is actually putting it to productive
use. Farm improvements are exempted in Australia, New
Zealand, and the neighboring Canadian provinces of Alberta
and Saskatchewan, and experience proves that this law puts
a premium on industry, lowers the taxes for the producer,
and results in the breaking UP and working of the huge
areas held by land spectators.
STATE HAIL INSURANCE CHEAPER
Another amendment provides for State Hail Insurance at cost.
This will be better and cheaper in every way than the insurance
now issued by private companies.
Montana, Alberta and Saskatchewan all have state hail
insurance and it only costs about ONEsIXTH as much as
the insurance issued by private companies, It also is safer, for
the state never fails, while private concerns have been
known not to pay their losses in time Of need.
The last two amendments are intended to permit the people
to build and operate flour mills, terminal elevators, packing
plants and other public utilities and to establish state rural
credit land banks, and to finance these public utilities BY the
issuance of bonds, the interest and principle On these bonds to be
paid by the profits on these stateowned public utilities.
This program is not radical or revolutionary as the Big
Business advertisements claim; nor dangerous except to the
profits Of the monopolists. It has been tested by time and ex-
perience proves it beneficial.
PROGRAM Is TIME TESTED
Nearly every country in Europe owns and operates the rail
road, telegraph and telephone lines. So do Australia and New
Zealand. =.
In Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, and New Zea-
land the people own and operate packing plants and flour mills.
The elevator and warehouse facilities are owned by the state
in nearly all European countries. Several Canadian provinces
also own terminal warehouses;, and so does Louisiana and other
Southern states and several Pacific coast cities.
Denmark, Germany, New Zealand, several Canadian provinces
and Australia conduct rural credits banks. So does the United
States government.
South Australia has run a state land bank for % years. It has
loaned more than $8,d0Q00O to workers, farmers and merchants
on long time loans at an average rate Of 4 and 4 IL per cent in
terest.
The Big Business advertisements say that "rural credits banks
are a dangerous experiment" What has happened In South Aus
traia?
LAND BANK PROMOTES PROSPERITY
After % years of this dangerous experiment, A per cent Of
the entire population, men, women and children, had de-
posits in the state savingg banks in 1914 and &haHe' dounoeito