The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1919-03-05
REFERENDUM ON w.
'' ... CERTAIN LEAGUE
'rar-A MEASURES SURE
CONTINUED from Page One)

(COnt1nued from rage One)
the bank will at once become reserve
agent for at least eighty per cent OF
the 700 state banks, whose legal re-
serve is now approximately $4,000
600, being considerably in excess Of
the margin required. ,sso,,. ,v, ,...
With these resources. under the
acts creating the Bank of North Da-
kOta and providing for the various
bond issues, the bank may immediate.
ly take over the bond issues authoriz.
ed for the financing OF the mill and
elevator association and the rural
credits operations OF the bank itself
One board composed OF the governor,
the commissioner or agriculture and
the attorney general, dominates all
of these institutions, utilities and en-
terprises, and should any one member
Of this board object to hasty proceed
ure, the other two constitute, under
tho industrial commission act, :, QUOT
UNI which may proceed without him.
Therefore, it is entirely possible
that before any of these questions
could be submitted at special cleo
ton, which the governor need not call
until the expiration of four months,
the state may be bonded for $l7,0O0,-
900, and that much of the proceeds Of
these bonds may be invested in sites,
rights-of-way, buildings, equipments
or farm loans.
League is Fighting.
The league has already begun its
fight against the referendum. Adver-
tisements and notices in Nonpartisan
organs warn voters against signing
any petitions. The league plans to
bring into North Dakota every avail
aole organizer, speaker, league work
er and friend OF the movement. A
league representative is authority for
the statement that for the next ninety
days the organization will have in
each county in the state at least ten
trained men. dining constantly into
the ears of the farmers that any in
reference of any kind with the league
program will prove dangerous: that
their ancient enemy, Big Business, is
making an attempt to defeat their
whole scheme of industrial Democ-
racy."
In the cities a similar campaign is
now under way. 1t has assumed the
nature of an appeal to the cupidity of
the various municipalities. Every city
in the state has some selfish interest
in getting one or more of the leagues
proposed enterprises, mill, or an ell
evator, or bank. or one of the sew
eral wholesale houses which the
league plans 10 establish to serve its
chain store system.
League newspapers are cunningly
insinuating in news articles, in editor
ials and in cartoons that any city
which participates in the referendum
or encourages it will be forever SHUT
off from any of these industrial
plums.. This propaganda is unques-
tionably having it's effect
Newspapers eesuiIed.
Country newspapers, many of which
have become unfriendly to the league
following the Brinton newspaper trust
episode, Are being told that if they
will be god way will be found to
make them one of the unlimited num-
her of state papers which the printing
cOpmissfon has authority to name;
or, III Il. 10 IN one of the few counties
where thaIe is no paper owned out
right by the league. that they may
be made the official county paper. en-
titled to IN assured patronage OF at
least e 900 per annum.
OF course none of this preferment
IS going to any newspaper which. sup
poffS the referendum, and country
WEAKLY publishes to whom the Brin-
ton 1hanop0ly may spell financial ruin,
~ q tenfef-h hooks. They rather all
rcaaiso that they may be damned II