The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1919-04-25
State Adopts Industrial Program.

State Adopts Industrial Program.
The state of North Dakota mas
gone into the banking, home-puild-
ing, -four milling, mining, insurance,
and newspaper bust
ness-under the industrial program
adopted by its farmer legislature
1t is probably the worlds greatest
experiment in paternalism, il we can
call it that.
Under the parent bill state in
dustrial commission composed OF
the governor, commissioner Of agri-
culture, and attorney general, are
given blanket authority to carry out
these projects.
Now the thing is done, three state
officials, endorsed and elected by the
farmers of North Dakota, have their
doubts about two of these bills, and
ask the people in the forthcoming
referendum election to veto them.
The bills in question create
board of administration for control
of all state institutions and public
schools, and concentrate all official
printing into one newspaper in each
county, the paper to be selected by
the state printing commission. The
attorney general, state auditor and
state treasurer consider this legis-
lation dangerous to the state pro-
gram.
A notable enterprise is the home
building measure by which the state
will purchase or build homes, or buy
farms, for its citizens on receipt of
20 per cent payment, the remainder
to be paid within rs years. A bond
issue of million dollars is being
fioated for this enterprise, and addi-
tional funds will be supplied by the
State Bank of North Dakota
A 10-million-dollar bond issue
will supply funds which the state
owned bank will lend to farmers at
low rates. In case of crop failure,
the state refrains from collecting
interest that year.
The state-owned bank will handle
the school fund, act as depository
for all public funds and state utili-
ties, and will do q general banking
business, receiving deposits and
making loans to banks, firms, etc.
BY new tax code all land, rail-
road property, public utilities, bust
hoY NIB ofn no
assessed at 100 per cent; town resi-
dences and merchandise. stocks will
be assessed at SO per cent, while
farm implements, machinery and
improvements will be exempt from
taxation. The new tax code also
provides for a state income tax
which levies on incomes of all kinds.
The state now puts more burden
on idle land, whereas formerly the
law favored this class of property.
It distinguishes between earned and
unearned incomes, and puts the
heavier burden on the latter.
The new tax laws are expected to
help the common people in two ways
to discourage speculation in city
and country land, and thus increase
the use of land, while relieving the.
industry of the people of some of its
tax burdens and putting them on
privilege.
The North Dakota farmers dis
covered the casualty companies were
paying SIS to 20 cents out of every
dollar they collected for Expenses
in fighting claims of injured work
men. So hereafter workman's com
pensation will be managed By the
state. Fire insurance companies, it
was discovered, were using 40 cents
on every dollar they collected fol
expenses.
The state will also have it's own
hail insurance. A pro rata acreage
assessment on crop land, combined
with the fiat tax OF cents an acre
on tillable land, both to be collected
with taxes, it is expected will give
every farmer hail protection for
about 25 cents an acre, and unused
land, held for speculation, will bear
its share of the cost.
Under the workman's compen,
sation law industrial insurance is
expected to be about half the GUS
tomary rate.
For the next year or two North
Dakota is going to be the most in
teresting spot on the globe 1t is a
huge undertaking these Dakota
farmers are shouldcring. II they
can get away with it, all the more
credit to them.
*A*V***
Genuine patriotism is patriotism
of peace as we'll as patriotism of
war. A true patriot will do his best
during the Victory Liberty Loan
campaign.