The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1919-06-19
Facts About Referred Laws

| thrown by the law around state and
national banks. House Bill No. Is,
Bank of North Dakota law, takes con-
troll Of all public money away from
township, school district, city, village
and county %treasurers, all of whom
are heavily bonded, and puts it in the
hands of political appointees, that are
subject to change every two years. Ac-
cording to reports some of the officers
Of the bank are to receive $12,5OO.OO
per year salary. The plums are to be
so juicy that whenever there is q
! change Of governor a complete change
of management is reasonably certain.
No bank or any industry Of any kind
ayers. The whole scheme is framed
so that those who are willing to help
get votes can be favored, and those
who won't can be punished. Public
money deposited in banks that are
owned by people who disagree with
the governor, can be taken out and
placed in other banks owned by people
who r willing to support him po-
litically or do him other favors. 1t is
an extremely dangerous proposition
for the state to try.
There is nothing to prevent the
Bank of North Dakota from continu-
ing to solicit and accept deposits from
unsuspecting people e after the
bank itself is insolvent.
The bank is to be examined by a
bank examiner appointed by the gov
ernOr, who also controls the industrial
commission that appoints the bank
manager. The established necessity
for checks and balances, in order to
have good government, is entirely ig-
nored in the framing Of this bank law.
Grating is not only made easy in
public office, but is actually encour-
aged under this law.
Fifteen states have tried banking in
n form or another. Thirteen of
them ended disastrously with big
losses to the state and individual citi-
Zens. The other two were dissolved
because the banks could not be kept
out of politics.
NEWSPAPER LAW.
Senate Bill No. 1877.
This law will create a printing COM
mission that is given power to mo-
nopolize the public press and incident
ally to muZzle free speech because it
proposes that all moneys paid for the
publication of legal notices and official
proceedings Of all kinds shall be pub
lished In one paper in each county,
this paper to be appointed by the COM
mission. This will take away from
dozens of little independent papers
scattered throughout the state enough
revenue to freeze them out Of bust
ness. Honest reformerS and capable
statesmen always court opposition, but
Townleyism is doing all in its power
to stamp out every NEAR by which
those who disagree may get their
ideas before the people. No one shall
dare TO peep a word about any IT.
regularity or crookedness in public
offices anywhere. The free press of
America, the safety valve Of liberty
and popular government is, to be
muzzled. This law does not provide
that official papers in the various
counties are to be determined by the
majority vote Of the citizens OF the
county.
With legal notices ana county pro-
%ceedings in only one paper, hundreds
of voters in each county would have
to subscribe for one more paper in
order to get the official news and re-
ports, and that would cost each one of
them more than what might be saved
in taxes if there was any saving at
all. Out-Of-state corporations must
now pay taxes that help to maintain
local newspapers. If this law is ap.
proved local people will have it all ia
pay themselves.
Read senate bill No. 157 in the pub.
licity pamphlet which you will receive
from the secretary of state a few days
before the election, and see If you can
find anything in this law which pro.
vides for the selection Of county Off.
cial papers by a majority vote.
EDUCATION BILL.
Senate Bill No. 1874.
by plONlSiOuS VI ILLS law, Tie pEO
fessional activities of the educational
! forces Of the state are in the selection
Of material, in methods of instruction
and general school organization, sub
ordinated to the mandate of a board
consisting Of q commissioner Of labor
and agriculture, three political ap'
pointees and the state superintendent,
of public Instruction. board Of fou,
non-professional members to one pro
fessional member. This plan has al
ways been and is now condemned BY
the highest educational authorities Of
our state and in the United States.
Text books may be selected, anc
possibly written and published, by
this board, of which q majority
may be, as you will see, appointed
by the governor, thus paving the way