The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1922-03-30

| Foreign ADVERTISING Representative
} THE AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION
The nonpartisan league convention
now being held at Fargo is probably
one of the most crucial gatherings
ever held by the league forces. The
membership is now split between two
factions and from reports received
from Fargo there is likely to be a
third party within that party and
the Townley crowd and the Lieder-
bach crowd thrown into the discard.
That would not be a bad move on the
part Of the rank and file. Then they
could 20 before the electorate OF the
state and put up fight without hav-
ing these two barnacles attached to
the keel of the nonpartisan craft.
Both these men have been a bugbear
to the nonpartisan crowd and the
sooner they throw over this unnec-
essary ballast the better it will be for
them. However, we are not very
much concerned about what they will
do because the bunch is working IN a
forlorn hope. The people Of the state
know what has been done to them IN
the past. They have been weighed
in the balances and found wanting.
Senator McCumber is indeed a
lucky man. He was SO down and out
land too dead to skin" a few days
ago that all that was needed was the
undertaken to come along and take
care of the remains. Then along
came A. j. Gronna and attempted to
get into the league camp and get
the endorsement Of that bunch for
senator. This drove thousands of
voters away from him that were for
him and back they will go to Mel
Cunber Then on top of it all the
league convention endorsed Frazier
and that has sent a lot more luke
warm supporters back to McCumber.
Verify the senior senator must be
carrying rabbits foot in his vest
pocket and has a horseshoe or two
nailed over his woodshed door.
The senate yesterday ratified the
four power Pacific treaty by major
ity of four above the necessary two
thirds. The treaty was ratified prac-
tically as originally made and as rec
commended by the administration.
This puts the final touches to the
biggest achievement ever made by
any United States administration. 1t
insures peace in the Pacific without
any entangling alliances to the U. 5.
and will usher in a condition which
has been looked for for many years.
Secretary Of State Hughes has shown
himself to be one of the greatest
statesmen of the present time by his
work in formulating this treaty and
obtaining the signatures to 1t. Presl-
dent Harding let it be known that the
treaty covered his desires in this con-
nection and insisted that it be ratl-
fled as originally drawn. Only his
firm stand on the matter prevented
the killing of the treaty by lnnumer-
able amendments and reservations by
the senate. If the administration had
done nothing but put through TINS
treaty they would earn the undylng
gratitude Of the people of this nation.
The senate has passed the Land
Multiple Bill Under the Transport
tation Act, which became effective
March /, 1920, carriers are entitled
to receive as a net return certain
percentage upon the value of their
properties. In determining this value
the carriers maintain that they can
use certain multiples to increase the
value of their land over that of ad-
jacent land. When a railroad IN
we'll settled country condemns land
for railroad purposes, it must pay
Severance damages" on the land not
touched. This compels them to pay
two or three times the present value
of adjoining land. Railroads then
claim that if they had to reconstruct
all their systems today tbs multiple
would have to be paid on their en-
tire lines. Therefore, on this theory
they maintain the multiple must be
applied to the present value of all
their land regardless Of the fact that
millions of acres have been given to
them and millions Of acres have been
obtained at nominal price far be-
low existing prices. The carriers
were sustained in part by the Su-