The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1918-11-02

~" as a MAXIMUM to
be charged for the ensuing
five years for the commodity
the rate for which is then
under investigation"
Note the word. maximum.
Upon the cost Of coal or other
things entering into the price 50
fixed, decreasing in any meas
ure, either the people Of Fargo
or the City Commissioners can
at once petition the Railroad
Commission for the establish
rnent Of a new rate and such
new rate can be by the Railroad
Commission established, based
upon the then expense of pro-
ducing light power, or gas as
shown at such hearing.
The Townley-Le Sueur paper
insinuates that inadoquacy in
the provisions of this law is the
reason why a hearing has not
been had and rates fixed by the
Railroad Commission for the
consumers Of Fargo. A lie. The
proof. Signed statements pub
Eshed by the members Of the
Railroad Commission that the
attorney general is the sole
cause of the hearing not having
been had and of the citizens of
Fargo not having secured the
establishment Of a fair rate. The
reason this rate hearing has not
been had is that the Socialist
powers that be, wish to create
enough dissatisfaction in Fargo
to, elect their three candidates
to the Legislature.
The Townley-Le Sueur paper
states that / opposed a bill in
troduced to correct the claimed
evils of this law. did not know
that any other bill on this sub
ject had ever been intro
duced in the Legislature until
after I read this charge, when
I looked up proposed legislation
on the subject and found a bill
had been introduced in the 1917
oSSSlOtlp vi " AlLSAA "SAo AASE NS
member. l knew nothing OF
such measure and did not op-
pose it.
The Townley-LeSeuer Social
ist sheet states that betray-
ed the people and worked
against the Doyle -Ployhar-
Blakemore Initiative and Ref
NJ
Blakemore says so. Mr.. Blake
more says he didn't charge that
betrayed anyone.
The House and Senate jour
nails OF the 1913 Session Of the
Legislature show that 1 voted
for the Doyle-Ployhar-B Blake
more bill every time l had an
opportunity and as long as there
was any prospect OF passing it;
that after the Senate had pass
ed this measure by a. majority
OF one vote, one of the senators
who had voted for it deserted to
the opposition and with his aid
the vote was reoonSidered, it
being apparent to anyone that
the opposition to this measure
was then in tHe majority ana
that it could not be passed in
the Senate, on the last day of
the session I voted for the SEN
ate substitute measures as did
Mr., Blakemore and Mr.. Ployhar.
Mr.. Doyle was not member OF
that session.
The Townley-LeSueur sheet
charges, as does Mr.. Blakemore,.
that Mr.. Divet and my
self were members of q con-
ference committee appointed to
consider this bill. The house
and senate journals of the 1913
session show no conference
committee was ever asked for
or appointed to consider this
bill.
The Townley-LeSueur sheet
charges that l am a tool OF
Big Business and more friendly
to the interests of corporations
than to those Of the people. My
vote on every measure before
the house for passage at the
Sessions of. 1913 and 1915 as re-
corded in the house journals,
am now, and have been since
LAASAV aAGhNS pCSAA any ~ n 4Ses4
sive Republican; I have had
charge of practically every
campaign Of the Progressive Re
publicans in Cass county, and
have given as much time and
money to their cause as any
man in this district. Incident
ally, only twice was an attempt
made to influence my vote on
any measure by a representative
of a corporation. One OF these
men left Bismarck on the next
train when he discovered his
mistake. The other one, upon
complaint Of Mr.. Divet and my
self, was put in Jail by the
house for the balance OF the sess
sion and was afterwards on our
testimony sentenced and con-
yicted for attempted bribery, by
the District Court OF Burieigll
county.
They say I voted against the
Terminal Elevator Bill. 1 did
vote against It and at the time
gave my reasons for voting
against a Terminal Elevator
built with money OF the tax
payers OF North Dakota to be
leased to the operative Ex-