Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1920-01-01

MS ONCE ana successfully IOugnt
Miss NELSON'S case thru three courts.
Describes Attempted Tax Legislation.
Proving that the leaders of the
league do not have the interest of
the farmer at heart, but are using
him as tool to further their schemes
Of Industrial socialism and that no
farmer, not even State Senator Tom
Pendray could tell him anything
about the league caucus system, Mr..
LANCER gave vivid description of
how the will of the majority was
thwarted by the system which re-
quired that every league senator and
representative. was required to sign
a statement that he would abide by
the results of the vote Of the eau
Gus. The steering committee y
which must pass on all legislation be-
fore it is even brot before the league
caucus, was held up as the most dan
gerous thing about the caucus sys-
tenn and the instrument thru which
Townley completely controlled the
legislation Of state.
Senate bills Nos. 49,, "A and a.,
which contain provisions, which If
carried out would eventually cause
| all of the property of the state to re-
vert to the state and thus cause the
realization of the dream Of Townley
and his socialistic friends of complete
industrial socialism, were read by
! Mr.. LANCER. Senate bill 43 provides
that all land in excess of $40 acres
owned by any one person shall be val
,ued at 100 per cent for taxation pur-
poses and all under that at 60 per
cent.
Senate bill No. A. provides that all
city property of less than $4,000 in
value should not be taxed at all, that
! all valued at between $2,500 and $3,-
500 should be taxed only on the
amount in excess of $2,500 and that
property of more than $500 in val
ue on full valuation. These two laws
would have worked out in practically
the same way, the larger properties
would have reverted to the state, the
next class would then have paid tho
taxes until they in turn were taken
up by the state and would have re-
suited in few years in complete So
cialization of all the property in the
state. Senate Bill "a, a companion
measure, provided that no property
should be sold for taxes, but at end OF
three years should become the prop
erty Of the state.
The attempt to pass these bills.
Mr.. LANCER declared, showed that the
league leaders did not have the inter-
est of the farmers at heart and that
the league movement at present was
not in any sense a farmers move
ment.
Farmers Looted of Thousands
In Valley City Bank Deal
The attorney general reviewed the
Valley City bank deal. showing that
the Valley City bank was only one CT
the scores of Town1ey banks organ
lied all over the state He showed
how Hastings and Box charged the
farmers of Barnes county $4,000 for
less than weeks work and then
grated $15,026.91 more from them
by buying the bank at something
over $4,000 and selling it back to
the farmers for 100000. "You
would figure that $4,000 was
enough to make in a few days." Mr..
LANCER continued, "but Hastings and
Box were not satisfied, and within a
few days more than $4,000 in
worthless notes or nearly worthless
notes were found in the bank" One
OF these notes for several thousand
dollars was signed by Allen Box. and
tho audience was told that II they
thot Box's notes were all ritht they
could Ego down to Casselton and buy
all kinds Of them"
The speaker challenged anyone to
show how the forcing of these men
to pay some of the money back to
the farmers of Barnes county "hurt
the farmers program" He also re-
peated that one of the witnesses said
under oath that Box declared, 1--WE
aren't making as much as you think
We are. as we have to split four
ways" " asserting that after Box and
Hastings "got theirs Lemke and
Townley came in for their share. AS
further evidence that some one high
or up was receiving rakeoit, Mr..
LANCER declared that one Of the
checks for 900 found Ii the bank
Was made out to the Scandinavian
American bank ana endorsed BY: 40
one. ~ '''.-
GN~~Al~~~f>.> VA.llO- II