Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-06-09

The purpose. ana the only purpose, In the passage
OF the newspaper bill which Is to be voted,d at the refer
endum elections is to create In North Dakota an iron-clad
Newspaper monopoly to be conducted under the direction
OF Mr.. Townley in the interest Of Socialism. This applies
especially to the weekly press Of the state. and to some
of the smaller dailies. The Socialist managers probably
do not expect to put any of the larger daiyes out of
business through the operation Of this bill, but In 30 far
as the bill will tend to diminish the receipts Of such indie
pendent dailtes as can be legtslated out Of the "o1hcial"
class. dt will be satisfactory to the bosses, for every little
helps. 81 &&
This bill Is being described by Townley and his
echoes a. a bill to save money to the taxpayers by pro-
vtding for one official paper in a county instead Of three.
and to be a purely democratic measure in that the people
themselves are to be permitted to designate their official
paper by their own votes.
Take the case Of Pembina county, for Instance. The
county has no large towns. and no daily paper. 1t has
a number of weekly papers, each circulating in its own
section of the county, and each Supplying each week, as
no paper published at a distance could do. the local news
of particular interest to its own community. With the
official reports and notices Pertaining to county business
published in three papers. every taxpayer in the county
has access to that Information in the columns of a paper
published near his own home. He need not subscribe
for a paper published at a distance merely to obtain such
information.
Let the newspaper bill go into operation and all this
= ~@A
in order to avail himself of the information which he now
obtains without cost and without effort the taxpayer must
buy that paper. MO matter where that paper is published
it will be distant from a majority of the people of the
county. Possibly the county board will spend a few dol
lars a year less for newspaper notices but the people them
selves will be more extensively anu less efficiently served.
Then take a look at the democratic" feature, con-
corning which 80 much sand is being thrown in the eyes
OF the people. The people are to choose their own paper.
Very well. But before they get a chance at it soAe
choosing will be done by others. The first selection OF
Official papers will be made by the state printing COM
mission. Somebody at Bismarck. acting under orders
from st. Paul. will name the official paper for each county
in the state, and by that act he will decree that not only
shall every paper but that one be deprived of the revenue
accruing from the publication OF official notices relating
which are required by law to be published. To the pub
Usher Of many a little paper that will mean just the diff
ference between doing business at a little profit and doing
business at a loss. Many Of these small papers will be
forced out of business. and when the time comes for the
people to maxi. their choice of papers there will, in
many a case, be but one to choose, and that the Socialist
organ. The taxpayer will be in the position of the guest
at a wayside restaurant whose order was taken BIZ a
frowsy waiter. Tea or coffee" asked the waiter.
the reply. Yell get tea or nawthin."