Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-04-08
GRAND FORKS HERALD. TUESDAY. ApRIL 8. 1918.

GRAND FOR
cost Of changing the wheat into the
finished product. In this connection
he criticised the industrial. commits
sion bill, declaring that it was dang
erous inasmuch as it gave the gov
tors and flour mills and the other in
dustries that are to be conducted by
the commission. It is not q a 3 OF
majority rule he said, for the Law
declares that no contracts, bills,
agreements or any proposition 10 valid
or operative unless approved and
signed by the governor. The bill be-
ing initiated provides for commits
sion Of wen Of which the governor ID
right Of appointing the other SIX mem
bers and majority rule obtains.
Appropriation Cut
provided for in n OF the leagues
bond issues, the bill provided for q
two million bond issue. Mr.. Burt
ness declared that members Of the
minority believed that hve million
was too much to experiment with,
Tho Independent Voters. association,
he said, had placed the amount at two
million dollars. It was left, he de-
c1ared, that the state had no bust
ness to risk ifve million dollars in such
an experiment. , To prove that two
the fact that the Equity society's ter
minal elevator in Minneapolis cost
but $25O.0oe. With a million dollars,
three substantial elevators can be
built, he declared. He declared that
President E. F.. Ladd Of the Agr1cul-
tural college vas authority for the
statement. that a flour mill with capa-
city OF 1000 barrels a day: could be
constructed for from $25o,o0o to
$275,oo0. With q million dollars,
three mills, with a total capacity OF
1000 barrels a day nj be erected and
the -four produced by these mills
would be more than twice as much
as can be consumed by all the men,
women and children Of the state.
Nonpartisan Ballot Favored
Despite the fact that two years ago
the Nonpartisan league advocated the
nonpartisan ballot for all county and
state officials, he said the league
forces in the legislature this year
killed such a measure. To appease
public opinion. however, a league
senator introduced q bill providing for
the nonpartisan ballot for county Of
f1cials and this was passed. The In
dependent Voters association Is in
itiating a bill extending the nonparti-
san ballot to all state and county
officials, and this was passed. The In
dependent Voters Association is init
ating a bill extending the nonpartisan
ballot to all state and county officials,
leaving only the congressman, senat-
ors, presidential electors and delegates
to national conventions on the strictly
party basis.
The Independent Voters associa-
ing bill. In explaining the reason for
attempting to change the bill enacted
by the sixteenth assembly, Mr.. Burt
ness said that the leagues " is
wrong in principle, for it gives the
state h right of eminent domain
the right to take any piece of property
in the state, whether the farm or city
lot, and the right to turn it over to
an individual for his pricate- use. He
proposed by Senator Gibbons OF
Towner county. This amendment
provides that the right Of eminent
domain should not extend to a home
stead occupied by a resident of the
state who is a citizen of the United
Gtates, but it was voted down by the
league forces. This amendment would
make it impossible for the state to
exercise. its right of eminent domain
upon the homes Of its residents who
were citizens Of the United States, but
h majority Of the legislature insist
ed on the power Of the state to take
homes of individuals from them, not
for public purposes but for private
uses. MI. Burtness did not believe
that there were people in the state
crazy enough to carry u such a pro-
gram, but in view Of certain things,
that were happening in the world, he
did not think it wise to let the bars
down.
In the petition for a rural credits
bill. the provisions are not changed In
substance, Mr.. Burtness explained
The only change is that taking the
power to issue the ten millions in
bonds away from the industrial COM
mission and placing it in the hands
Fof the university and school lands
board. The bill still gives the state
the right to- issue its bonds. =
Immigration Bill Attacked.
The immigration bill was attacked
because it simply Is an attempt to use
North Dakota money to build up a
strong N~onpartisan league political
machine IN other states. Mr.. Burt
ness declares that members of the
league in discussing the bill on the
floor Of the house made no secret of
the fact that the 100000 was being
appropriated for the purpose of coun-
teracting attacks upon the league in
papers outside of the state.
The banking bill was discussed
next. Mr.. Burtness read portions OF
the bill, showing that all deposits are
to be guaranteed by the state and
that all deposits. NJ matter IL what
amount, are exempt from taxation
This gives the tax-dodger an oppor.
tunity to escape the moneys and cred.
its tax, and he declared this provi-
sion was unfair to the other banks in
the state. If the state bank is unable
to compete with the other banks, II
should no be established, he said
n provision does away with the
fundamental principles that the ma,
who Is best able to pay should beal
h chief burden of the taxes, he said
He ais called attention to the fac
that all state. municipal, village anG
chool funds are to be deposited IL
the state bank. The league leader.
argue that local banks will cooper
ate with the state bank and hat thu
funds will be loaned back to thes,
local banks at a low rate of interest
but in the political working out O
the law, he said. there is little doub
that the institutions cooperating will
the commonwealth bank will be linn
tied to one bank in each community
Re-disrfcting Unnecessary.
h judicial re-districting bill wa
unnecessary, he said. It reduces tn,
number of districts from IL to si1