Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-10-25

had. in their desire for pelf and gain,
overlooked the cause OF the farmer,
n wherever they had in any way at
tempted to carry out the program the
attempt had proven q miserable fail
ure. {
He showed that the election Of
Nestos. johnson and Kitchen would
give all industries desired by the peo-
pie a fair trial. Under these men the
state mill and elevator will be man
aged in a sane. economical and bust
ness-like way. The very tact that
some bonds may have been sold is an
added reason why the taxpayers Of
the state should conserve the money
and see that it is spent in a legitimate
way IN advancing the industry.
illustrate Incompetence.
The illustrated incompetence of the
state administration in various ways
emphasizes the less sustained in tho
Drake mill. the Homebuilders' Asso-
citation. and various other projects.
If the state mill and elevator at
Grand Forks is completed and oper-
ated in the same careless and ship
shod fashion As has been the Drake
mill by Frazier, Hagan and others for
a period Of four years. the state on
the same percentage Of loss will face
the staggering deficit Of approximate
ly ten million dollars. He asked:
do the grain growers of the state
and. other taxpayers, who will, in the
event of loss, have to foot the bills,
want the new mill and elevator oper-
ated as was the Homebuilders' Asso-
citation directly controlled by the in
Idustrial commission? Do they want
tha nvo 10 no}ort~e~A -o~>n<~-a
scale ten times as large?
do they want it controlled by such
men as the League leaders found to
run the United Consumers Stores, the
League newspaper plants. the League
banks. or the various other industries
started. by the League leaders with
the money OF honest and well mean
ing men who wore misled!" I
Takes Up the Laws
Mr. Burtness then went on to show
the necessity of the proposed consti-
tutional amendment and the propos-
ed initiative laws intending to place
the management Of these industries
on a sane. b~usiness-like basis.
He strongly commended the initial
Led law placing the nomination and
! election of tho legislative and tate
officials m a non-party basis. He
showed that such q plank had been
part Of the original program of the
League. He quoted from Governor
Frazier's message to the legislature
in 1917 as we'll As showed that Mr..
Wood. then speaker Of the house.
now lieutenant governor. had intro
duced such a law jointly with An.
thony Walton and that all of the
Leaguers in the legislature and many
Of the independents had supported it.
State Issues vs.. National Politics.
Among other things he said IL this
connection:
The duties OF the governor. the
secretary Of state. the attorney gen.
eral, or any other state officer has no
more to do with national politics than
the duties of the judge. the superin-
tendent Of public instruction. or the
county sheriff. So long as such ON.
GERS are elected or a party basis the
issues are apt to be clouded and mix
ed with party issues.
State issues r important enough
to be determined or their own merits
and not be regarded simply as \ SCI
ondary matter"
Mr.. Burtness denied that party
lines would be wiped out by the pass
ago Of the law and plainly showed
that the party organization would be
maintained in the presidential cleo
ton, delegates to national conven-
tons, United States senator's and rep.
resentatives.
Burtness On Rural Credits
No part Of Mr.. Burtnesg speech
vas more effective than that portion
which related to the plank in the
original platform demanding rura
credits at cost TT did not mean the
establishment Of q state bank with an
army Of employees including a di
rector general with 4 salary OF $780,.
600 a "a It did not mean q sys
tenn Of banking whereby the none Of
your school districts. townships. coun,