The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1919-12-06
LEAGUE CREATES
MILITARY CZAR,
ASSERTS S0L0N
Rep. ]. F. T. O'COnnOr Warns of
Dangers Behind COnfisca-
ton Measure
COAL STRIKE GIVEN AIR
Burkhardt Describes Terrible
Conditi0ns-Defends Sixty
Per Cent GOuge
COAL STRIKE GIVEN AIR

SOuulOlOlsS5 11SASNuo H'AAty
Per Cent GOuge
Warnings from Rep. J. r. T. OConnol
that in comforting upon Governor
Frazier absolute military powers the
league might be creating a new AL
exander, or a Napoleon or q Yelling
ton and laying the foundation for a
military autocracy, had little effect on
the solid league majority in the house
Friday afternoon when Senate Bill
81, empowering the governor to take
over any enterprise, industry, utility
er property by military force in the
event of an emergency or the appar.
ent imminence Of one, was passed by
a vote of 81 to AZ, with four absent
O'Connor declared the bill militar.
istic in the extreme and branded II
as a return to the dark ages pre-
ceding- free government 'The vita.
point of this bill,'' said O'Connor," Is
this: You now have before you IN
your actions here today the falllDll
ity of your own judgment, in men
How do you know that Lynn J. Fra
z:er will not change? How do you
know that next year you will not ne
passing laws repeating his powers!
How can you II the governor avails
himself of the autocratic powers con,
ferred upon him in this bill force him
to call an election or TO assemble tht
legislature, if we fnl it necessary tt
amend this law"
Maddox OF iMountrail was very Ger
tain that Frazier could, be- trusted
The speaker said he was against mil
itarism generally but was for it witt
Lynn j. Frazier at the head OF it. "be
cause Lynn J. Frazier was big enough
to protect life instead of property
Burkhardt of Ward drew a pathetic
picture of the recent coal strike in
his district and Of the suffering which
it might have entailed.
Twichell asked Burkhardt if he ap
proved of the plan which the govern
or attempted to force upon the op
orators of increasing wages sixty pei
cent, compelling the public to pay this
premium u1on comfort and safety
and then turning this fund over to
Henry brennan of Billings to assist
him in prolonging the strike. Burk,
hardt said he did, because the money
which North Dakota consumers paid
into the brennan pot would be "pro
rated" between Montana and North
Dakota, and some Of it would filter
back into the treasures Of the min
ers' locals in this state. Burkhardt
said he had not seen the agreement
which Frazier asked the operators to
sign, and that he never believed any.
thing he read in the newspapers.
Senate Bill 81 empowers the gov
ernor in the event of an emergency or
the threat of an emergency, in the
case of a strike or lockout or threat
of the same, to take over the coal
mines, railways and such other util.
tiles or enterprises as he may deem
necessary to- preserve the public's
safety and comfort. This power is
invested in him as commander in
chief of the military forces of the
state, in which he is empowered to
draft every able-bodied' male between
the ages of is and As in North Da-
kOta.
AS one member Of the minority de-
scribed it in debating the bill yester-
day. the governor has authority In
the event of q strike to hold gun
over the laboring men of the state,
to station soldiers over them to- com
pei them to work, and, it,. they re.
fuse to work, to take them out and
line them up plbefore al firing squad.
BRIDGE BILL TO PASS
Senate Bill SO was reported out OF
the senate state affairs committee
yesterday with a recommendation
that it do pass. This bill makes ef-
fective the provisions of Chapter 73
Of the session laws of 1919, which pro
vided for state assistance in the
building of a wagon bridge across the
Missouri, but which failed to make a
specific appropriation therefor. Sen
ate Bill 33. as amended, merely pro
vides for this appropriation of $225,-
900, to be paid out of the earnings OF
the motor vehicle registration depart.
ment over period of years which
Will NV 6lcdtiy Uuluou Lue highway
commissions revenues.
Believing that the assembly in its
regular session acted in good faith
and that this appropriation would be
made available, the city of Bismarck
and Morton county jointly appropriate
ed $4,5O0 for preliminary surveys and
soundings; Burleigh and Morton
county have each pledged themselves
to bond Issue Of $4,000 to provide
their share of the cost of the bridge,
and the highway commission has
made applications to the federal de-
partment Of post roads for an an
preparation of 100000, which would
he the governments contribution to
the project.