The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1919-04-10

VI I" pe'oNS ~ OSoS oN1 |
ture, and at present being referred to
the voters of the state. BY substi-
tuting the name of Steele County
towns and newspapers in place of the
LaMour county names, you have the
exact situation placed before you for
your consideration and thought. Fol-
lowing is the article:
Without the slightest reference to
its possible effect on this paper for
good or i'll, the Chronicle is unalter-
ably opposed to the Official county
newspaper bill" enacted in the clos
ing hours OF the assembly last week.
We are opposed to it, not because it
was a Nonpartisan league measure,
but because we believe it to be unjust
and uncalled for.
The statement made by a member
of the House in defense of the bill
that the people of this state want
it. was false and sheer nonsense be-
sides. 1t is false because the propo-
j.! sition Of having n official news
paper in each county has eve been
before the people of this state; has
never been an issue, and no faintest
whisper that such a measure was to
be proposed during the last campaign
or any other. By what authority
could any man claim that the people
want such a law. 1t was sheer nom
sense because the people of North Da-
kota are not so lacking in local pride
and se%lf-interest that they want to
kill off their local newspapers.
The statement was also made that
this measure would save the taxpay-
ers hundreds of thousands of dol
lars" That is a barefaced and gro
tesque falsehood. AS this paper
pointed out two or three weeks ago,
the rate or fee to be charged for pub
fishing legal notices is fixed by law;
it costs no more to publish a legal
notice in one paper than another. So
far as the ordinary run Of legal no
tices is concerned, the bill enacted
last week will not save a single pen
ny to the taxpayers Or anyone else.
Under the present law in this state
and in every other state the party in
interest has the right to choose and
designate the certain paper in which
he desires to have a legal notice pub
lished. Under the bill just adopted
this right is taken away from the
] party in interest, but the publication
fee will be the same as it has been
In just one instance this bill will.
result in an i~nfnitesimal saving tt
the taXpayer-and they won't ap'
preciate it at that. Under the pres
ent law three official newspapers
;! are designated at the beginning o.
4 each year by the board Of county
commissioners and these newspaper:
D publish the commissioners proceed
y ings, notices for bids, etc.. The Law
!: is based-and W. believe soundl!
3 based-upcn the theory that all o
! the taxpayers in a county are EMIT
led to know what is going on in tn
official circles OF the county; wha
. bills are being c%ontracted; how tn
Z public funds are expended, and so on
!: 1t "a held that no single pape
: could disseminate this important in
formation throughout the entir
= county, and SO it is provided tina
!: there shall be three official newspap
: ers in each county.
= Granting that there is room for al
gument on that score the question i
Z beside the point. That is not tn
cause Of the widespread dissen
!: against the bill enacted last week
. The gross injustice Of that bill lie
Z in the fact that it provides for an OF
: fetal newspaper in each county i
which all legal notices of every kin
and character shall be published
Z That is rank! That is infamous
Without doing the community an
possible good it takes the bread OF
Z of the mouth of one publisher an
: gives it to another who is not er
titled to it.
Just consider the monumental al
z surdity and injustice of this mes
s sure: If a mar at Verona, say, ha
. occasion to f0recl0se a chattel NOR
. gage and sell a mule at public aut
s tion, he may have to publish the M
. tice of chattel mortgage sale in tn
Kuhn Messenger, at the extrem
E other end of the county. But it
4 fair to assume that no one at VerOn