Omaha daily bee., 1919-08-14
@AeeZMm
&A5r811N
New Redistricting Law.

New Redistricting Law.
Holdrege. Neb., Aug. 1O.-To the
Editor of The Bee: No law on the
statute book reads more plainly and
none has been written with more
| care and with clearer construction
than the new redistricting law But
! for some reason, perhaps because IT
does not conform exactly to their
| notions, certain interests have tried
to confuse the general public: GER
tain agents of publishing houses
have put fear into the minds of
some county superintendent and
some officials and teachers of estab-
lished high schools have insisted
that it will surrender to them all
Of the unorganized territory, which
may be forced into consolidation
with such organized districts against
their will. We have consulted the
offices of both the state superinten-
dent and the attorney general, and
they both most emphatically declare
that they have never SO construed
the law. Their Interpretation is
that it will in every case take 81
per cent petition of the legal school
voters of the unorganized territory
to make the consolidation possible.
unless the voters of the morgan
lied territory decide to attach them
selves to the already established old
high school district, the lines remain
only as a proposed boundary and
no change in rural school district
lines or conditions takes place.
There is no part of this law that
permits the forcing of any territory
into a consolidation, except by 81
per cent petition of the rural school
territory so concerned. There is
neither any part of it that forces
village, city or rural high school
district to accept the rural territory
unless district so votes.
1t has been reported that some
county attorneys, many high school
authorities and a few county super
intendents have msinterpreted this
law either ignorantly, or for some
Interior motive.
Every word Of that law is plain
English; every clause was written by
farmers with long rural school eX-
perience. and all of them well versed
in the intricacies Of bill writing.
And now that we have a decided
ruling, by both the superintendent
office and the office of the attorney
general. there should be no further
confusion. J. Q. SHROYER.
Competition is Needed.
Carroll, Neb., Aug. 10.-To the
Editor of The Bee: I notice that
II cars of fruit and vegetables We're
allowed to rot in face of the high
cost of living in Omaha. Now, is
not that fault directly due to the
INV that was enacted some three
or four years ago forbidding any
one from shipping fruit or vegeta-
bles into our rural towns and re-
failing, thereby giving the whole
sale houses and country merchants
an opportunity to monopolize? If
they were compelled to lose that
$4,000 instead of the producer,
perhaps they would not try it
again. Another remedy would be
to repeal that law in the state of
Nebraska and let us have some
competition. You know the old slo-
gan, competition is the life of
trade" U. S. G. YOUNG.
Cream on the Creameries.
Omaha. Aug. Ito the Editor
of The Bee: Recently a CORE
spondent asked me why the cost of
living had increased while he and
every other producer had multi
piled their output many times. |
have before me the statement of
one Of the big creameries. In 1914
this company had clear profits of
something over 100000 and paid
a little over $1,000 federal taxes.
In 1918 this company extorted gross
profits of almost $1,O00,0OO They
leaving net profits of over $780,
900. or double the net profits of
1914.
This company collected from the
producer and the consumer over
four times as much as in 1914, paid
back to the government more than
100000; but put down in it's jeans
more than double the net profit of
1914 This was all done in the name
of patriotism and sacrifice. These
men betrayed A sacred trust for
their own profit and enrichment.
They are in exactly the same class
as the trustee who makes way with
the funds left in his care. 1t is
a fine example of loaded dice, mark
ed cards, scientific stealing, every
thing that is dishonest, unfair and
unsportsmanlike.
This is of interest only because
the condition is general. The chief
executive was given ample power to
correct all these evils. They are
possible only because he condOned
them or possibly encouraged them.
The head of the creamery trust was
appointed on the advisory board
and fixed things so the Creameries
doubled their net profits, so it was
all along the line. AS long as diff
no justice, only the survival of the
strongest. The remedy is for every
citizen to demand that each and
every law, civil and religious, be
strictly enforced, without fear or
favor. S. j. WOODRUFF.
Guaranteed High Prices.
Bread is cheap in England. The
reason is that barrel of flour costs
the English baker not more than
1872. The British government
guaranteed this price and stands
such loss as is incurred in making
good the guaranty.
Bread is not cheap in the United
States. The government of the
United States also makes guaran-
ties but its interest is not in the
people who eat bread. The gov
eminent guaranty merely protects
the men who raise wheat. The gov
eminent says the farmers shall have
at least 1925 per bushel for wheat
and the government regulations so
work that in fact the wheat sells for
more than that. Is it any wonder