The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1919-02-21
SENATE LOVE
FEAST MARKS
HAIL ACTION.
Minority Vies With Majority in
Saying Nice Things About
Bill and Its Aims
NOT FULLY COMPULSORY
Farmers Who Do Not Wish to
Be Assessed for Benefits
May Withdraw in June

Minority member of the senate We'd
with the majority Thursday afternoon
In endorsing the league hail insur
ance bill, amended and remanded In
the committee on insurance and in
league caucus until everyone who has
studied it appears satisfied. The bill
passed the senate without a single dis
senting vote, there being 4S ayes and
one absentee. The emergency clause
passed with AZ votes in its favor, two
members being absent.
% AS compared with other state hail
insurance bills, the North Dakota
measure is considered conservative,
workable and liberal. 1t is only quasi
compulsory, in that it permits any
afrmer who does not wish to be pro-
tected under this fund and subject to
assessment for. such protection to
withdraw, by filinga written notice
with his county auditor in June, be-
fore the season of hail risk begins.
The only compulsory feature is with
regard to q flat assessment of three
cents per acre on all tilable lands
which is designed to provide for op-
Grating expenses and for certain
basis for each years insurance fund.
This assessment will apply to every
tilalble acre In the state. whether the
owner elects to withdraw from the as.
sessment feature of the fund or not,
and it is estimated that it will yield
from 100000 to $750,O00 per annum,
taking as basis from 20,0O0,000 to
25OO0,O00 acres of land affected. In
1913, when the states cultivated acre
age reached its peak, 100000 acres
were under cultivation. Prior to that
year not more than 16,OOO,O00 ever had
been in crop. The wording of the
act would tend to indicate an inten.
ton to cover all lands which may be
cropped, unless such land is specifical-
" exempted by the owner prior to the
beginning Of the crop season.
'St Good for Cities. ,4f
This bill is as much to the inter-
est Of the cities as Tor farming com
munities,' = said Senator Ployhar Of
Barnes. "We went through bad hail
loss in Barnes last summer, and I
know how it demoralizes business in
town. I own piece Of land down in
Barnes that has been crOppe for
forty years and, has never been touch:
cd by hail, but fisa0uid tBe glad to pay
q tax OF so cehtbo yer Aefea on that
land II I knew 1t would stabilize coadi.
tions and present q agensrAl loss suc1
as we have had In some years I
could we'll afford to do 1t, and so could
every other man in the state who
owns an acre Of land. -fiSs@
so Gents Maximum. :s 4.
Under the bill as finally passed the
hail losses. after being adjusted. are
assessed prorata against the lands
benefited, with q provision, however,
that in no one year shall the assess
ment exceed so cents per acre. Some
senators were inclined to believe 80
cents not high enough; others thought
It to high. and still others believed
there should be no limit The reason
for this restriction as explained by
the committee was that some feared
that II no limit were placed on the as.
sesslng powers of the commissioner
of insurance, who will administer the
nail fund, the act might be held uncon-
stitutional 10 i7ptzts'9s eni lls4
Senator King feared that in sease of
excessive hail losses an assessment
Of 50 cents the acre might not be suf-
ficient. Senator Ingerson answered
this objection BY stating that IN the
event this assessment proved insuffi-
cient to cover the losses Of any one
year, interest-bearing, negotiable state
warrants could be issued for the dif.
ference, which could be added to the
assessment of the following year or
CONTINUED on Page TwO.)