The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1921-09-15

tracts, paying some contractors to let
the state off and selling the privilege
to others to be let off while the per-
mission to "buy, sell and lease build
ings, equipments and other property"
is all too plain in it's meaning"
Mr.. Smith declares that the indus
trial program offers the only practi-
cal solution Of the farmers market
ing problem and urges all who wish
to give it a thoro trial to be. sure to
vote "No" on all of these amendments
and laws.
"Many elevator managers in North
Dakota appear to be under the. i'm
preston that the state grain grading
department has been put out of bust
ness by the decision of the United
States circuit court Of appeals that
the law is unconstitutional" said
Chairman A. A. Liederbach Of the
League state executive committee on
return from a trip in the country.
"These managers think that they now
have a free hand and can charge as
large a margin as they please and
dock and weigh grain as much in
their w favor as possible.
I'm some towns that / have visited
lately / found that elevators were
paying the farmers as much as Is
cents less per bushel than the market
price. One elevator had locked the
farmers flax 40 percent and had not
paid him a cent for the dockage. When
the farmers protested they were told
the elevator manager had orders to do
it and that the farmer had no re-
course now as the grain grading law
had been Knocked out by the United
States court.
Robbers and Liars Both
these elevator managers are not
only knowingly robbing the farmers,
but they are lying to them as well.
Their Eases have now been reported to
the grain grading department and
they will be forced to pay the farmers
the difference between the market
price and the price they paid they
paid and also to make full settlement
for the dockage. One Cass county ele-
vator did not wait for the department
to act but sent it's patrons check for
additional 10 cents per bushel which it's
manager admitted in his letter of re-
mittance that he had u~nderpaid on
wheat.
"The grain grading department is
not dead and we hope to win in the
United States Supreme court and thus
keep it in permanent operation. Ever
since the law was passed have the
grain gamblers tried to put it out Of
business. More than half a dozen tri-
ais and hearings have been had in the
federal courts the past two years as
result of the suits started by the
grain combine to prevent this law
from operating. Sveinbjorn johnson
of Grand Forks, /. v. A. candidate for
Attorney General against William
Lemke in the recall election, is chief
attorney for the chamber of commerce
in these suits. Last week he appeared
in the United States district court in
Fargo and asked for an Injunction for
bidding the grain grading department
to function.
Why They Oppose Law
"Here are a few reasons why john
son and the grain gamblers who have
hired him want this law put out Of
commission:
II. 1t compels the elevators to pay
the farmers the market value of all
dockage in the grain.
"2. It gives the grain grading de-
partment authority to regulate the
margin Of profit elevators may charge
on every bushel Of grain handled, thus
insuring that the farmers get the full
market price.
"3 Under this law every elevator
must have a state license to do busi-
ness in North Dakota. This license
pays all the expenses of the depart
ment and does not add to the taxpay-
ers' burden.
-. Any elevator that refuses to
comply with the law and the rules and
regulations of the department cannot
hold a license and therefore cannot
do business.
rs. If any elevator refuses to do
business because it does not want to
comply with the law and the commun-
ity in which it is located needs this
elevator in the handling of the crops,
the state, under this law can seize
such elevator and operate. it as long
as necessary, provided the state pays
a reasonable rental for it.
IS. During the two years this law
has been in operation it has saved
the farmers and business men Of the
state between $12,O0O,00 and $4,000
600 that otherwise would have gone
into the pockets Of the grain gamblers.
Frazier, Lemke and Hagan are
unfolding this law: Nestos, johnson
and Kitchen are trying to put it out
Of commission. The officials whom the
/. v. A. would recall are fighting to
protect the farmers. The three candi-
dates are fighting the battle Of the
grain gamblers and the big bankers
who make. millions out Of the gamb-
lers' operation. 1t is between these