The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-08-13
AARHUS PLAN
NOT FEASIBLE
GOVERNOR SAYS
ANSWERS ''PrOgressive's" Plan
For Having Session of
State Legislature
WOULD AVAIL NOTHING
''Robbing Peter to Pay Paur'
Doesn't Help Farmers of
The State, He Says

Pointing out what he terms the
folly Of calling n special session of
the state legislature to fix the price
Of North Dakota's share Of the wheat
crop, as suggested by P. L. Aarhus
of Fargo, Governor r. A. Nestos has
addressed letter to Mr.. Aarhus in
which ne takes issue with other pro-
posals made recently by him in pub
lished letter.
The governor points out that II
the state should guarantee the price
of wheat the farmer would still have
his financial worries as he pays
nearly 70 per cent Of all taxes in the
state. Such plan would result in
the farmer taking money from one
pocket and putting it in another.
The governors letter to Mr.. Aar-
hus follows:
"Your letter of the 7th inst. already
published in the press Of the state.
just received. and am much sur
prised at sopae If the,statemsnts. and
proposals contained therein. -
"You say that. judging by the reso-
lutions adopted at the farmer confer
ences around the country, here ap-
pears to be strong sentiment for
price stabilization Of hard wheat and
for calling an extra session of con-
gress for the purpose of fixing q
price on hard wheat. You are surely
mistaken herein. have attended
several of these conferences and have
read the resolutions adopted at prac-
tically all of them, and in none Of
them has there been any demand to
fix the price on hard wheat alone,
but on all wheat.
"You also say that we ask forty
seven states to do that which we fear
or fail to do for ourselves. That is an
unfair statement. We ask the Unit
ed States to take action in q matter
which concerns not only North Da-
kota but at least ten other states,
and in truth and in fact the whole
nation, and it is therefore no only
fair but wise to ask national action.
Offers No Relief
ITO call q special session Of the
legislature of North Dakota, as you
suggest, to fix the price on our share
of the wheat crop, which is about
one-twelfth Of the total, would sure
ly be folly. Since the farmers, who
are presumed to profit by the state
guaranty you advocate, have for the
past six years paid nearly 70 per
cent of all taxes in the state and even
with the relief given by the present
administration, will be paying more
than half, it must be plain to you
that over half the loss inevitable un-
der such guaranty would be paid by
the very farmers we intend to help
and that it would be largely case
of the farmer taking the money out
of the tax payment pocket and putting
it into the wheat receipt pocket, and
that could hardly be considered a
helpful or profitable transaction.
"The only way in which any real
relief can come to the farmer is by
having the guaranteeing territory
large enough 50 that by fair con-
tribution from those who do not
raise wheat but indirectly benefit by
it larger relief may be brought to
the smaller number who actually do
raise the wheat.
Money Lacking
However, the chief difficulty and
objection lies in the lack of money
with which the state can purchase the
crop or Ty the guaranty. You say
We should issue bonds. II you read
our constitutional amendments, I am
confident that you will agree that