The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1920-12-09

grain products, cotton, who at the
time of sale would be owners of the
actual physical property" and trad
ers regularly engaged in growing,
dealing in or manufacturing and reg
istered with the internal revenue bu-
reau would be exempt from the 10 per
cent tax. Such traders, however,
would be limited in their dealings to
three times their actual transactions
during the preceding year, and would
be required to report all dealings to
the internal revenue bureau.
The administrative expense of the
workmen's compensation bureau for
the fiscal year ending June 80 is
shown to be $49,085.32 in the report
of the bureau which was filed with
Governor Frazier yesterday. Claim
payments during that time amounted
to $69, 1882, it was shown. There
were 723 accidents during the year on
which claims were allowed. Total COM
pensation Of $159,941.56 was awarded,
some of the awards to be paid over a
period of years. During the year the
receipts of the bureau were shown to
be $3.50 1876 and the disbursements,
$121 10000, leaving an excess of
$417,595.07. The total estimated liza
bilities on July l, 1920 were $4,000.
The statutory surplus is given as $751;
1868. The disbursements are listed
as follows: Salaries, $3l,674.O9
which, with other expenses, makes
total of $49,O85.32; claim payments,
S69, 1882; refunds, $2,439.87; re-
turned checks $691.89. The report
shows that there is an excess of nearly
half million dollars in that fund
which is not necessary. The law in
itself is unjust and needs amending to
suit conditions and to bring it down
where it will not be burden to the
few. The rates are altogether too
high and mostly unfair. Take the bus
mess man for instance. He is taxed
to insure his bookkeeper whose only
danger from accident might be due to
his falling asleep some drowsy after
noon while porting over his books.
He is in absolutely no other danger.
The typewriter girl and the telephone
operator, both harmless jobs, are
taxed to the limit, while the farmer
who sits on a mower, runs threshing
machine or binder, jobs that are haz-
ardous, are immune from this COM
pensation law. It is time things were
amended to suit the various conditions
and businesses and risks, on a just
and equitable basis. As it is now the
law was passed to throw the harpoon
into the business man and a SOP to the
farmer. In other words it Is a po-
lltlcal bill aimed to get farmer votes.
The short session of congress and
the last session under the democratic
administration which the people un-
seated at the recent election opens to-
day. President Wilson's last message
to- congress is expected to be ready
Tuesday. That very little will be ac-
complished by congress during the ses-
sion is the opinion expressed by many
political observers. A rigid policy Of
retrenchment is promised by the house
appropriations committee. Enact
ment of but very little general legis-
lation is looked for. The big problem
that stares congress in the face is the
demands being made by representa-
tives of agricultural states for legis-
lation to protect the producers. Chief
among these are the cotton and wheat
growers. In the south in the large
cotton producing areas, a system of
which might be termed boycott has
been instituted by the growers, in an
attempt to push the price up above
production costs. Practically the
same conditions exist in the middle
western states where the bulk Of the
nations wheat is produced. Organi-
cations have been perfected with large
memberships Of farmers who have
pledged themselves to hold their pro-
duct until the price rises again.
Whether or not this will prove sue
cessful awaits to be seen. The farm
er who is running small farm, say
so or 100 acres for instance, and who
has outstanding obligations that he
has promised to pay at certain date,
perhaps Immediately after he had
planned on marketing his crop, will be
me Of the first to be forced to dispose
y his product. even though it repre-