The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1919-04-24

ed the work of committees and were
absentee statesmen"
This season he m out with a
statement In the ~Searchlight on Con-
gress, showing that There is ranked
out Of the house Office building daily
from 20 to 80 tons Of mail matter, and
about election time this quantity IL
increased to 80 or 40 tons. One con
gresham sent out 100000 parcels Of
literature and one political party at
one election sent out 55,O00,0 900
speeches.
"The organization of the house has
become almost wholly q question Of
spoils and perquisites. Pork and pat
ronage often outweigh all other ele-
ments in shaping legislation. The
committees-probably at least half OF
them-are a needless burden upon the
people, maintained only because they
provide chairmanships and perquisites
for the little oligarchy of members in
control of them.
I'm short, we have become a kind of
political stock exchange, gambling in
pork and patronage, and this at q time
when there should be and must be the
very maximum. Of efficiency and econ.
omy if we r to deal adequately
with the crucial issues of reconstruc-
ton" 4
STEERING COMMITTEE GROWS,
The five millionaire members OF the
Republican steering committee, in the
house-Moore of P ,nnsylvania, Long
worth of Ohio, Mondell of Wyoming,
Dunn of New York and Winslow of
Massachusetts, are about ready to
agree that Anderson of Minnesota,
Nolan of California, Towner of Iowa
and Reavis Of Nebraska should be add
the only trade union man on the Re-
publican side. He comes from San
Francisco, and Is conservative from
the standpoint Of anybody west of
Pennsylvania. Anderson, Reavis and
Towner are considered necessary to
give the farmers a showing.
LAND TAX REFORM.
Carl Brannin, manager of the re-
cent single tax campaign in Missouri,
has become executive secretary Of the
| Farmers National Single Tax league,
with Offices here. Brannin's organiza.
ton holds that the farmers of this
country are going to have a decisive
voice in the settlement Of the problem
of the vast amounts of land held out
of use by SPECTATORS.
How land in southern California is
held out of use is indicated in a dis
cussion of the land situation in the
annual report of the California Com.
mission of immigration and Housing,
just issued. An inquiry in the eight
counties in the southern end of the
state showed that there are 256 hold
ings of 1000 or more acres each, com.
prising altogether some 4,893,915
acres. In five of these counties the
land grants and lieu lands Of the
Southern Pacific company amount to
1888, IT'S acres. OF the land in farms
in these southern counties, totaling
4,587,0OO acres, over half is held in
about ESQ tracts.
The commission reports further
"That a considerable part Of the till
able land lies idle; that another con-
| siderable part of it is not devoted to
it's most beneficial use; that though
| there are many thousands Of persons
! eager to get access to this land, much
of it is not for sale under any circum-
stances, and that such portions as are
for sale are held under prices usually
/ beyond the productive value and on
terms Of payment which mean great
hazard or ruin to the purchaser"
The commission recommends a grad
uated land value tax, al q means OF
making large land holdings unprofit-
able.
FARMERS ASK BUSINESS cosTs.
George P. Hampton, managing d.
rector Of the Farmers National Head
quarters here, has written a letter to
Acting Chairman Fort Of the federal
trade commission, asking him to make
public the cost and production figures
which the commission obtained from
upwards Of 10000 companies in
scores OF important Industries" and
minor industries also since the com
mission began its cost studies. The
statement has been made by Chairman
Colver that the commissions cost
studies cover industries whose prod.
net amounts to at least $50. O0,0O0,0O0
q year.
we feel" says Hampton In hil
letter, that this information Is 81
very great importance to the Amer
ican people, and while It was secured
for the immediate purpose Of facilf
Eating and rendering more practical
the price-hxing policy Of the federal
government during the war, that thu
information should be made public
now. @ s
director General Of Railroad
Hines II reported to- d~isapprSye ofs ths
price for steel rails agreed to ~ TIL
industrial board On i grouitd thu
the price Is q too high Sirnilal
II NhEh% A4NE|A.s 80