The Bismarck tribune., 1919-03-31
Petitions Filed With Secretary
of State Contain Double
Number Required
REFERENDUM TO BE LATER
Was Necessary That Initiative
Be Started Not Later Than
Week From Tuesday

ted by the league at the laSC geneFai
election, were filed with the secre,
1ary of state this morning by T.. J.
Nelson of Fargo, secretary, Of the In
dependent Voters association, and j.
X. Doran OF. Bismarck. chairman Of the
Eurleigh county organization.
The petitions initiate an act cover
ing rural credits, with 2l,466 signers;
a nonpartisan election law. with 2o,-
SIT signers, law creating q terminal
elevator and flour mill association,
with 2O,425 signers, and establishing
q home builders association, with
2O,753 signers.
The amendment initiated by the
league last fall provides that 10000
electors at large may propose any
measure by initiative petition, to be
filed with the secretary of state not
less than 90 days before the election
ut which it is to be voted upon The
Independent Voters association is ask
ing the governor to call special cleo
ton for the consideration OF initia.
tive and referendum measures on July
8, and the association could have ae.
1erred the fling of its initiative peti-
tiOns one week. nr
What Measures Are.
The mill and elevator act initiated
provides for the establishment of
system of elevators and flour mill
under the name of the North Dakota
Mill and Elevator association; pro-
vides fofr the election of commits
sion, for the operation and manage
ment and control of the association,
confers upon the commission power to
o
sary buildings; apropriates the sum
OF $4,000, 900 out OF the terminal ele
vator fund and moneys to be raised by
bond ISSUES; requires the state exam.
iner to examine the association at
least twice annually and report the re-
suit, thereof to tine commission, and
repeals laws enacted by the 10th legis-
lative assembly known as the mill AID
elevator association bill, the mill and
elevator bonding ,bill and the lndu s
trial commission bill. ~ sa 9Ttsj- " "a
Nonpartisan Election Law.
The nonpartisan election law init!at-
ed provides for the nOnpartisan nom.
ination and. election Of all elective
state, county and legislative offices
and judges of the supreme and dis.
trict courts, excepting United States
senator's, congressman, presidential
electors, delegates to national con-
ventiOns or party precinct committee.
men. i,a,' # 49, + !
1t is decreed that nominating petit
tions shall make no reference to a
party ballot or to the party affiliations
Of the candidate; requires the names
of candidates at primary elections TO
he placed upon ballots entitled Non
partisan Ballot" specifies the order
IN which candidates for the various
offices shall appear upon the ballot
and prescribes the form Of ballot;
provides that the two highest candf-
dates for each office shall be nomi-
noted thereto and that their names
be printed upon the NOnpartisan cleo
tion ballot, and repeals Sections
y04, 9O5, 9O7, 90S, 9O9, 9l7, 9lS, and
919, compiled laws OF 1913, and Sen
ate Bill 73 Of the Sixteenth legislative
assembly. a.
Rural Credits.
The rural credits acts provides for
a bond issue to not exceed $10,O00,0 900
authorizes the board of university aid
school lands to assign real estate
mortgages to the state treasurer in
trust to secure bonds issued by the
state under the designation OF Bonds
OF North Dakota, real estate series; I"
requires the governor and state treas
urer to issue negotiable bonds Of the
state in an amount not exceeding the
mortgages so assigned to the state
treasurer, gives the board of univers-
ity and school lands power to sell
bonds as required, appropriates $lO,-
900 to carry out the provisions of the
act, and repeals all conflicting laws.
Home Building Law.
The home building act established
an association to promote home-build~
ing and ownership; creates a home:
building commission to be composed
of the commissioner of agriculture and
labor, the governor and the state
treasurer; authorizes the commission
to lease property or construct or re-
pair buildings; provides for purchas-
ing or building homes not to exceed
q salable value of $4,000, and the pur-
chase of farms of value not to ex-
ceed 100000; authorizes the laying
out of subdivisions and Che Organi.a-
ton of home-buyers' leagues; appro-
pirates $1,00O,O0O for the purposes Of
the act and repeals all acts or parts
of acts in conflict Herewith.
Many Farmers Sign.
Secretary Nelson stated this morn
ing that IS per cent of the signatures
were those of farmers, and aScursOry
examination of the petitions would
tend to bear out this statement. The
petitions appear to be complete in de-
tail, and each bears the name of the
man who circulated 1t, which will fa-
cilitate the checking process.
The secretary Of states force was
engaged all day in counting the sig.
natures and verifying the totals of
the Independent Voters association.
It is only necessary that the secretary
d state satisfy himself that each p.ti-
tion contains 10000 bonafide sigma
lures
Referendum Petitions Later.
Some time will elapse before 1t be-
comes necessary to file the referen-
dunn petitions which are still IN circu-
lation. Secretary Nelson advises that
more than $4,000 signatures have al-
(CeotiDoo1 - PaOs Thfoo.l