The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1919-03-10
North Dakota Experiment in Transferring Business to the
Control and Management of State May be Watched With Interest

AfoRTH DAKOTA. according 10 DISPATCHES. has
~ finally embarked 10 q sweeping experiment
- state ownership and management Of busi
mesa tneer the guidance Of that curious organiza-
tion, the Non partisan league. the Legislature has
passed aud The governor Of the state has approved
biis which provide for a state hank. and. Ia e.
tcrf, cpnfiscutory control 81 private banks licensed
Under The state laws; buildipKs and operation Of
ncnt mil's and elevators. end other lines Of sew
rrel business The program, embodied IN ten con
ntifnfiouni amendments. entrusfs 90 . so-called IN
dustfiei commission. consisting Of the governor.
commissioner Of agriculture and attorney general
practically unlimited power in the handling Of the
states enterprises. No such SWEEPING powers have
ever before hcen entrusted 20 any individusls in
this nation. except TO the president Of the United
States In fime Of war.
The Home Building association, q feature Of
he North Dakota program. provides that any citi-
ven ran have The state build a home or improve
= farm Tor hin. A twenty per cent payment down
viii secure the money from the state. for complet.
ing the improvements planned, the balance 20 be
payable Ia twenty years 81 annual installncnis.
The legislature has power 70 authorize operation
al state Owned coal mines and packing plants. but j.
not expected 90 put these into operation hmmed.
lately.
Thus W. arr 10 have IN one Of the greatest states
VI our union a sweeping experiment Ia state social.
IAN and partcFnalism combined. How will IL work
The plans being formulated IN North Dakota are
nFunk unct tuaI nave been advocated ut various
kinds Of socialist propaganda for years. No state
"a pet cared 20 undertake amy part Of such a pro-
rrnnl. But under the pressure " a powerful poliii.
cal organization. masked under the name non
partisan, North Dakota has been both led and
driven into an experiment. in state ownership that
even Germany IN the paliny days Of imperial rule
did not care 10 undertake
The Nun-partissn league has been securing the
widest publicity for is operations aud plans in
North Dakota and other parts Of the west. II
should be given even more ppblic attention now.
Not a single detail u the operation Of this sweep
ing undertaking In state ownership should be per
initted TO pass unuoticcd By the nation. The thing
"A Of utmost interest and the greatest Importance.
.; II not necessary now 20 undertake criticism Of
this industrial program or 10 attempt to point oai
It's economic weaknesses. Its promoters assert that
Il will work for the welfare OF the people. Maybe
Il will. Certainly !; will be worth the while of
other states 10 observe with the most careful inter.
est every detail Of the development Of the plans for
II appears that we are 10 have an exhaustive dem.
onsiration Of just what state socialism will Do. In
view Of the gliffering promises that have been
made for this kind Of thing IN government IL should
prove a demonstration Of the utmost value. Let
us make no predictions aud no forecasts as % the
outcome Of the North Dakota Non.pariisan league
plan. Let us watch very closely and with deep To-
tcrcsi 20 see exactly how IL works. II II works
well. a. It's proponents claim Il will, other states
may benefit by the example. II il works IN then
other states may be saved from the invasion Of q
peculiarly persistent and dangerous campaign To-.