Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-11-03

the sinai beginnings OF 1OIty years ago IS q Clcul
to its founder, a service to the great community
through which it's influence extends, and something
of which all its %neighbors have a right to feel proud.
UNLIMITED POWERS.
One may we'll wonder just what comfort the
league forces are getting out of the defeat Of the
proposed Constitutional amendment and statutes
submitted by petition at the late election. The de-
feat of these measures is due to the fact that prac-
tically all of the administration supporters voted
against them, while several thousand of those who
voted for the Independent candidates did not take
the trouble to vote on the laws at all. If a similar
proportion of the ~leaguers had been negligent in
their voting the laws would have been passed by
n1ajorities only slightly less than those given the
three Independent candidates.
Mr.. Townley has through all these years sought
TO inspire his followers with the determination to
Stick" Not all of them have stuck, but those who
did stick did SO pretty thoroughly. Here we see the
effect Of discipline and habit. The Independent
forces have not been so we'll trained. And because of
this reaction to discipline the leaguers' are now con-
Ifronted with the situation that the Independent
candidates whose election they sought to prevent
will have charge of the administration, while the
measures by which it was sought to limit the pow
ers of the state officials went by the board and the
powers of the incoming administration will be as
nearly unlimited as are those of the men who are
to retire.
Inasmuch as Messrs. Nestos, Johnson and
Kitchen are elected, wouldn't some Of those who
voted mo" on the proposed laws like to reconsider
their votes on that ballot?
The constitutional amendment proposed had
as one of its main purposes the limitation of the
authority of the state administration to issue bonds.
That measure fixed the total limit of Indebtedness,
prescribed the purposes for which bonds might be
issued, and prohibited the issuance Of further bonds
without further permission direct from the people.
That measure is d defeated, and the coming admins
tration will have the same powers to issue bonds at
will, and for any purpose, that have been held by
the present administration.
One of the initiated laws made provision for
the deposit of public funds by taxing bodies. So far
as municipalities are concerned the defeat of this
measure will not affect the administration at all.
Under the law as it stands, municipalities are not
required to deposit with the Bank of North Dakota.
The people attended to that matter last fall. But
it is held that the municipalities are left without
specific instructions as to what they arc to do with
their money, and those who have defeated the law
will find their county, school and other treasurers
doing some guessing on that subject. -.
!, The initiated law providing for the liquidation
of the Bank of North Dakota failed. Consequently
. the bank will continue to exist on such terms as
the new, administration may think most advantage
S Gus for the state. But so far as authority goes, the
new officials will have the right to sell bonds right
e and left for the purposes of this bank, and to spread
themselves all over creation, as the present officials
t have tried to do. They may transfer funds from
; one account to another, and may exercise powers
l as nearly unlimited as can be imagined.
. Another law sought to provide specifically for
r the creation of a rural credits bank. The voters
would not have it so, and what may be done in this
S direction will be entirely at the discretion Of the
r new, people. =.
0 the government of the state, so far as it's industrial
h and financial relations are concerned. Its powers
S / are vested in three men, and are almost without
S limit. These three men arc empowered to buy OF
ibuild and operate elevators, mills, packing plants
creameries, and anything else that may appeal te
their fancy. They may establish. markets ane
branches here or in any other state or country. L
they choose to put a line of steamers on the. Allan
0 tic and to maintain offices and distributing organ
l. izations in all the European capitals, there is moth
d ing in the law to prevent them. The governor i
d the head of the commission, and under the term,
) of the law, he is practically the dictator in its &C
: Invites. A good many people thought that the pow
ers of the commission were too great, that the gov
+ ernor's position was too autocratic, and that i
e would be better to have a commission restricted t.
a single enterprise, with its personnel separated en-
&c tirely from the political administration of the state
d A bill Incorporating these features was prop.ose'
by initiative, and the well-driled supporters OF tn
administration voted against it and a lot of'the othe
n people forgot to vote for it. Hence it was defeated
d The coming industrial commission will be con
stituted as at present, Of the governor, the attorne.
Is general and the commissioner of agriculture and la
Dor. The governor will have the same powers tina
the governor has now. The commission will be au
thorized to do anything that the present commission
a. is authorized to do. 1t will have authority over tn
ID Bank of North Dakota, the Homo Builders assc
SIdlOi, Tic iHH1 dhu CiCNdIOl, dHu CVSIylHHS CHS
lie that the state undertakes in an industrial or finar
i cial way.
The negative votes of the people who have S
persistently "stuck," coupled with the ~negligenc
of others, has created this situation. and has brough
g Eabout conditions under which Messrs. Nestos, Johr
son and Kitchen will be, in some respects, the mos
It, powerful men in the United States. How do til
u tpeople who cast those votes enjoy that prospect
cr OF course, the new administration is not X
quired to do all the things that it will have autho,
er ity to do. The position of the incoming officials j
relation to to the economic policies Of the state ha
been often and publicly declared. The accident b
O which the proposed laws were defeated will ne