The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1921-01-06

sueur makes some very fair argu-
ments for this recall. He says, with
considerable force, "The recall is not
easy to invoke. The natural spirit Of
fair play makes it hard to recall
man who is doing fair job. The re-
call would merely be safeguard
against serious abuses. The robber
up the tree says, Don't shoot, mister,
III come down. when he sees the
gum"
The trouble with this argument, it
seems to us, is that the recall, by it's
nature, is not applicable to experts,
to officials of specialized duties-ard
it is this type that we must, and that
Mr.. LeSueur proposes we should, have
to manage our industries. We are
believer in the recall for elective Of
ficials of general duties, such as in
particular the governor and legislat-
ors, whose acts are closely watched by
the people and are done in connection
with matters with which the people
are familiar. In such case the argu-
ments made by Mr.. LeSueur fairly APP
ply. But the nature of an expert is
that he deals largely with details, and
knows far more about those details
than you or |. Whether or not he is
doing fair job is difficult for any
one but another expert to say. He
may, and not infrequently does, have
to do unpopular things that can be
explained only by an intimate knowl
edge of the business he is managing.
In our judgment it is better to put Up
with grave abuses than to risk inject
ing politics into these highly specialize
ed matters. We also believe that the
possibility of a recall would defeat
the security of tenure Mr.. LeSueur is
properly so anxious to secure, and
would make it much more difficult to
secure competent men for these posi-
| tions.
Of course when Mr.. LeSueur speaks
of his suggestion as keeping the state
industries out of politics, he does not
mean literally what he says. You can.
not by any conceivable method have a
state industry and keep it entirely out
of politics. That is penalty you
have to pay for state industry. But
we think Mr.. LeSueur's suggestions
come as near to accomplishing this as
can well be done.
Just how to compel the state indus
tries to stand on their own feet ana
prove their worth, each for itself, is
not easy to solve. But that is no rea-
son for not tackling the problem. If
this is to be accomplished, it is certain
that the state must not loan it's gen.
eral credit to any industry except as
temporary expedient, to get it start
ed And it will probably be necessary,
in order to secure fair field and no
| favor, to taxAit just as private bust
ness is taxed
A difficult question, which does not
affect the merits of the schemes above
discussed, but is bound to arise at an
early date in attempting to apply
them, is the personal question. Just
who is going to run our industries?
In the last analysis, this will have
great deal to do with their success or
failure. Mr.. LeSueur proposes that
the managers shall be appointed by
the governor. This is the normal and
proper way, as the governor is the
appointive power of the state, and we
are loath to raise any objection to it.
BY the law of averages, we will some
times have good governors and soma-
times bad land when a few years have
elapsed, fair average of different
opinions, will be represented on any
such board. But with the partisan
feeling in the state running as high
as it now does, there is more than the
usual share Of difficulty. Without ad-
vocating any different method Of APP
pointment, we would suggest that
fairness, policy, and a regard for the
success Of the experiment require two
things of the governors appointees:
first, that they shall be broadminded
men whose views are not extreme in
either direction, and second, that they
shall represent in some part both fac
tons into which our state is so unfor-
tunately divided. 1t would seem fair
and wise that the governor should APP
point to each board a majority Of
Nonpartisans, but a reasonable minor
| ity of opponents of the League, and
that, without allowing his own judy
ment to be overcome, he should con-
suit about these appointments both
his followers and his opponents.
We hope that proposals along the
Line Of those suggested by Mr.. Lee
Sueur will be adopted by the legisla-
ture now in session, and approved by
the governor. We hope also that Mr..
LeSueur, than whom there are few
men more capable, will continue the
good work he has begun.
Time was when parks were built to
look at without much of scheme for
using them as health giving agencies