Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-10-31
THE BIG PLANT AND THE STATE

THE BIG PLANT AND THE STATE
The exercises attending the formal opening OF
the state mill and elevator plant passed OFT without
a hitch. The current was turned on by the governor
OF. the state; the great combinations of machinery
began to move; and the work Of handling grain and
manufacturing -four, actually begun some days ago,
was officially updcr way. The addresses delivered
spirit of sincerity and optimism. They expressed
full realization of the magnitude of the undertaking
on which the state has embarked; determination
that the work shall be handled in such a manner as
to insure its success; and confidence that success
be attained.
There ha. never been the slightest question that
the state Of North Dakota could receive, treat and
lreship wheat on a large scale, or that it could manu-
l~facture good -four from the excellent wheat which ls
raised on its farms. Neither has there been any
question that the handling OF wheat and the MANU-
~facture of -four can be carried on on a large scale
within the state on q profitable commercial basis.
Private elevators owned by private individuals,
great corporations or cooperative associations, have
conducted elevators probably to themselves, and
have given honest and satisfactory service to the
public. Not invariably has this beep the case, put
1t has been done in mukitudes of instancea, 40 that
the work Of operating an elevator in North Dakota
lis no longer an experiment. In a similar way the
manufacture of -four has been conducted on a pay
ing basis by private millers. Not all have succeed
ed, but success has been, frequent, hence this bust.
UCSS NAS lOnk SAlSE aP0ooSA ~ SAAO 10y
stage. +
Dakota can handle its own grain in its w elevator
and make it's -four in its own mill, or whether such
lines of business" can be conducted on the only
basis which can make them permanent and %satistac-
tory-that of making them self-sustaining and rea-
sonablY profitable. The question is whether the
state, operating its own plant or plants, can COM
bine mechanical success with commercial success.
Can the state, organizing its own agency for this
purpose, enter the great fields Not grain handing
manufacture and merchandising, and, meeting the
competition whichit must meet, at home and abroad
serve the producers d the state usefully and bene.
hcially, and make this vast and complex business
se1f-sustAining, meeting all the charges which can
lawfully be laid against it, SO that that which is in
tended as a benefit to the producer shall not be- an
intolerable buIden on the taxpayer?
The great plant has been brought so near com,
pletion that 1t is .now in actual operation. The
buildings are now in approximately their final form
and they are filled with machinery, much of i
in operation, and nearly all Of it ready to operate
But. unless in its operation it meets the conditions
above sat forth, no matter how much grain thu
elevator handles, and no matter how fine an article
Of -four the mill turns out, the enterprise will be
failure.
The state Industry can be made successful in thu
same sense that the private business is successful
only by the adoption Of the business methods b,
which alone the success Of the private business ]!
made possible. The ONE great rock on which Sc
many publicly owned enterprises are wrecked is tina
of giving weight to- political considerations in tn,
\ selection Of its personnel and the handling of it
business operations No political unit is free from
this element OF danger. It is found in the township
the school district the county, state and nation
The incompetent may offer himself to the privat,
t business enterprise, but lie has small hope Of re
) tanning his JOB If his incompetency is discovered
He knows that he must deliver the goedslbr maxi
room for some one who will. In the field Of public
business it is too often taken for granted that tn,
business exists for the purpose Of providing ! havei
for the weak and slquthful,, an opportunity to obtail
j good pay for doing little or no work. And too oftei
> men in positions of responsibility yield to the de
{ lmands Of those who have that conception, and TIL
public enterprise beeo1nes . ~mil'stefie tied e II +!
-fpublic. neck.
The present administration has shown ! clea
conception q the business principles which underli
such an, enterprise as this. II has sought to hav
all the work performed on the basis Of service 70
oil compensation received. fhus far ii has Bee
{ successful. There must be no Sretrogression fron
the advanced position taken. The work must 90 q
in i business-tike paaannsf and ii must be kept fre
I Rom every s~u.picioan q peltcal influence, n tni
1.-THE administsationsnssd Tie support 81 ne psopl
81 the state. That support must Be mere than iii
negative ons Of retaining from efforts to inject poi
xItics into the Management. Il must take tRe Affifma
A1tiye form 81 positiye assyrapce III support III ever
.lefott 81 - ne bisinssp frse ftom ttlst eiessen
as4ufsnss HIT ne people wilI approve the policy {
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