The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1921-02-03
EDITORIAL


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Did YOU ever see bank that had
'S2, 100000 more in assets than liza
bilities," refuse to cash checks drawn
on it by depositors.
The W. C. T. U. society in the state
is making strenuous attempt to get
a bill through the state Legislature,
pertaining to smoking in dining rooms
of.hotels. cafes and in street cars ana
on railways, except in compartments.
The women argue that they 40 not
wish to prevent anyone from smoking:
hut wish to prevent women from be-
ing subjected to obnoxious fumes IN
nrblic places. When the representa-
tives of the organization came before
the committee appointed to consider
The matter, several members OF the
committee were placidly putting away
at cigars or cigarettes. This leaves
The Question whether they really fav-
ored the bill or not.
North Dakota ranks sixth among
the states in the United States IN the
number Of automobile cars proportlon|
ate to population. These figures were
received by the Times RECORD from
the first compilation OF automoplle
statistics, made by automobile INDUS
tries. based on the reg istration Tor
1920, completed in the country.
" North Dakota ranks 29th among the
AZ states in the total number OF cars
and 35th among the states IN gam III
cars during 1920. Minnesota, Mon
tana. Florida, and Rhode Island are
among the states below her IN the per-
centage of increase in 1920. South
Dakota leads the nation in the number
of cars in proportion to her population,
that state having one car Tor every
5,24 persons. Iowa is second. Nebras-
ka third California fourth, Kansas
fifth and North Dakota sixth with one
car for every TIA persons IN the state.
Such states as New York and Illinois
are below North Dakota. There are
1897, 572 cars and trucks registered
in the country in 1920. North Dakota
registered 9O,840 automobiles ana
motorcycles.
The reports being brought back by
Valley CITY merchants who have been
on buying trips, regarding the prices
of various kinds of merchandise are
indeed gratifying. While they are all
unanimous in declaring that the prices
have not yet reached pre-war price,
thew are also as definite in stating that
thew have reached the point where
they will not decline to any great ex-
tent for some time to come. The de-
cline from now on will be so gradual
that it will not be noticed by either
merchants or customers. Absolute
proof of this is shown in the amount
of merchandise which the merchants
have purchased for the seasons
trade. If prices were to take another
sudden drop you would not find the
merchants buying large stocks OF
goods, and suffer another loss such as
they did during the last year, when
they were forced to dispose of goods
bought at the high war prices, at
prices prevailing at the time, causing
bic losses to many of the merchants,
who were caught with big stocks on
hand. All the merchants are more
than pleased with the outlook for the
coming season.
President Wilson has kept the good
will of the people by refusing to COM
mute the sentence Of Eugene V. Debs,
socialist, who at the present time IS
serving ten year sentence IN a
Georgia penitentiary for violation OF
the espionage law during the war, be-
ing sentenced during 1919. Attorney
General Palmer had asked the presl-
dent to commute the sentence. so that
it would expire on next February II,
for what reason we do not know. The
action of President Wilson will meet
with unanimous approval by ma
jority of the people. who have no time
for Debs, or his colleagues. He has
several times been candidate Tor
president on the socialist ticket, and
during the last presidential campaign
directed his campaign from prison
cell, where he rightly belongs. There
is somewhat Of tendency, after the
spirit of our patriotism has died down,
to allow such violators of the laws to
go free. If the war was still in prog
ress, such thing as freeing Debs
would not have been thought OF. AS
it is, the war is over. and Debs is now
receiving a recommendation of par
don from the man who prosecuted
the case against him when he was
tried for violation of the espionage
law. Let him stay where he is, and
put few more. like Kate O'Hare back
in and let them serve their sentences:
The cost of living has been reduced
enough for the U. S: to feed them
without much expense.
DR.. Edwin F. Ladd, senator-elect
from North Dakota gets two columns
in the New York Sunday World on
the nonpartisan league and the griev-
ances of the farmer in the northwest.
He represents the nonpartisan league
as an aggressive, prosperous growing
institution, notwithstanding the loss
of control of the legislature of North
Dakota in the last election, the loss OF
a congressman in that state, greatly