Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-04-07
rlRG o. TowMLGv LAVE.
To Vote on Changes Of Many Bills Re-
Gently Enacted.

contty euaOSeus
Fargo. y, d., April 3.-Results or
the first drive by the North Dakota
Independent Voters Association Tor
signatures to initiative and referendum
petitions are a surprise to friends ana
foes alike Of the Nonpartisan league.
The special election. which 1t IL pro-
posed to hold July 5, is not likely 10
bring out u total vote OF more thah
100000, That being the case. IL a total
OF 10000 signatures can be obtained
without q really intensive canvass,
there appears to be substantial basis
for the assertion of the opposition
that the nonprogram measures may be
defeated and the important program
bills Of the Towney league may be
modified by the initiative.
Petitions for initiated laws or
amendments to newly enacted league
marck. as follows:
Amendment to the terminal eleva-
tor act creating a special commission
Of seven members to govern the sys-
tenn, and limiting the expenditures to
81, 900, 900, provided for by a state bond
issue.
Amendment to the home builders
act, giving supervisory powers to the
home builders commission made up
OF the governor, commissioner of agri-
culture and labor, and the state treas
urer, and doing away with the right
of eminent domain given to the In
dustrial commission under the league
home builders act.
Amendment to the sl0,000,000 rural
credits act by giving supervisory
powers to the state board Of school and
university lands. which also is in
charge of the investment of the state
school fund, much OF which is used
in financing farmers.
Abolishins OF the party system of
electing state and county officers and
Legislative members. and establishing
instead the nonpartisan system of
election of such officials, provides for
the election Of party committeeman
in the presidential electors primary
instead of the state primary.
\ sufficient number of signatures
has been secured to refer seven Nom
partisan league enacted laws. but as
these petitions need not be filed for
several weeks yet the canvass will be
continued and many more names
added. These petitions call for a refer
endum vote on the state bank. indus
trial commission, printing board of ad-
ministration. immigration department,
tax commissioner and judicial redis
tricting bills.
III working out plan for the revt-
sion Of the industrial scheme as it was
put over by Townley in the legisla-
ture, the referendum forces have pro-
vided a terminal elevator bill wnr>..
limits the activities to the construc-
ton and operation of terminal eleva-
tors and flour mills, whereas the law
passed by the Townley men provides
not only for such enterprises, but per-
mits the state to engage also in any
and all other industries related to Tn,
marketing of farm products
The referendum plan proposes
bond issue of $1,000, 900 for the ter
minal elevator and -four mill system.
whereas the league bill as passed calls
for 100000 experiments.
The referendum plan provides for a
commission of seven members to oper-
ate the elevator and mill system, the
SONcIHoI W uS u HiSllpST VI lHe GULL
and to appoint the other six
members; two for six years, two for
four years, and two for two years.
Thereafter each two years. the
legislature would elect two members
biennially.
The veto power possessed by the
governor under the leagues industrial
commission bill is taken from him in
the initiated bill. but he is made chSir-
man Of the commission
The Independent Voters Association
contends that it is more advantageous
to the state to have a continuing COM
mission in charge of the industries.
than it is to have three elective state
officials whose terms expire every two
years, in charge, Aspthe indust rlAi
commission law. stands the governor,
attorney general and the commissioner
of agriculture are members: the gov
ernor has the power tocreto anything
the majority members may order, and
the entire membership Of the commits
sion could be thrown out in one cleo
ton. .t
The initiated law also provides
greater safeguards for the handling of
the state funds than is provided in the
league bureau dill that the legislature
I'D