The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent., 1920-08-20
some STATE LAWS AS
THEY FAVOR FARMERS

last six years Republican and Demo-
cratic legislatures In the state of Men
tana have passed more constructive
Legislation of direct and far-reaching
benefit to the farmers of the state than
has probably the legislature Of any
other state in the uion within the same
period.
For the henefit CT the people who
have not had this record Of legislation
brought home to them in such a way
as to impress them with the fact that
essary to turn the state over to- a
group OF radicals whose interest in the
state and in the farmers is fundamen-
tally selfish, aud whose theories. If
carried out, cannot fail in the end to
work grievOusly to the disadvantage
Cf the farmers as well as to the whole
citizenship.
The Legislation referred to, summar-
izeG, is as follows:
"!. The Law for the Creation Of New
Counties: statute giving the people the
power to create new counties by popular
vote. through the operation Of which the
agricultural counties Of Montana now
have two-thirds Of the membership Of the
state senate and large majority in the
house Of representatives.
"2. Unfair Discrimination Laws: Stat
utes whereby cooperative creameries and
cooperative elevators. owned by the
farmers. have greatly increased in NUM-
and more than one hundred Of the latter
now being in operation in Montana. These
two laws have effectively restrained un.
fair competition by larger companies and
made It possible for the farmers to estab-
lish these cooperative organizations on a
SOUND and profitable basis.
-. The state Farm Loan Law. A
statute which has placed at the disposal
Of the farmers Of Montana money at the
low int crest pf 81 NJ wit
pans running ten years. under whick
,hey have already borrowed more than
four million dollars. At the time this.law
was enacted the prevailing interest rate
on farm mortgages was ten per cent, and
In some cases more Than that, and the
saving It has effected to the farmers on
state loans aiona has already amounted
to $1,G0a,090 20. and probably as much. il
not more. has been saved through the
consequent reduction in rates on private
loans.
~. The so-caed Toll 3ii: This stat
ute. passed by thA last legislature ret,uir-
ing flour mills 10 grind on a toll basis at
rates to be fixed By the State Public Util-
tiles Commission does fpG the farmers
everything that state owned flour mills
could do This law permits the farmer to
take any quantity of milling wheat to tine
mill and receive in return .aI Of the flour
-. . :, !
s.o' - ~ s'iit. pe.s .','I''eu =" y tlh
sn", : 70 'us1'ni ioi ... ~ Ne,
~, s., - ..
fixed price.
re - o... , --,+
.s ,z,'' -. '..,'
t'N ~ S''s - ~ 80 -
go .' -. ~, t'','' -
:; 49, +'.'t ~ ~.
,,t' i'5 80, III q N''''
-. t - t - -. r.i';e,
- ,,,, =, ,:,,i, ,''
-, ~, -
so absolutely protects ths. farmer agains,
unfair grading. The commission has
no,yer tn enfnrca th,. ns, of a,,rr,.t scalas
and To eon,nel elevators and mills 70
clean the 1ockano from wh,,qt and return
the entire ar,pprt l., the farmer less q
charge for the crnarf,s. fixed hy the conn
mission lis onfora8r,l,nt is II, the h,ras
Of the farmers themselves for the 1,yy
proyiass that AZ least two Of the three
members of The commission ,,sf;sr BE-
grain .rrewine farmers who actually live
nm ri, fa,pr1s and ,l9nsr ha chosen bv
,hs s;oyar,n,. from, lts.s submitted NV nr
rsriza+io11s of farmers .,.n, ara. engaged
In raising grain. s'a,age and All other