The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-03-07
OPINIONS OF
LEGISLATIVE
WORK DIVIDE
Called ''DO Nothing" Legisla.
ture by Some, Construc-
/ tive by Others
200 MEASURES PASSED
Industries, Banking, High
ways, Appropriations
Big Subjects
200 MEASURES PASSED

The 18th general assembly Of North
Dakota, which ended its sixty days
deliberations last night, found some
of it's members ready to call it "the
do nothing legislature" others ehaIg-
ing that it failed to meet the demand
of the people to provide economy in
state government, and still Others
satisfied that the legislature had
carefully scrutinized the 594 bills
presented to it and enacted much
constructive legislative in approx
. niately 200 measures which will find
their way to the statute books if cX-
ecutive veto does not prevent.
State industries, banking, appro-
priations, and education were among
the principal subjects considered
during the session, with comparative
ly little new legislation in regard tc
the state industries, banks and edu-
cation being enacted. The Highway
Commission, state hospital for the
insane and penitentiary prisoner
treatment in one instance, were
among the matters dealt with in in
vestigations.
The state industries program was
confined chiefly to carrying out the
"Sorlie program" with regard to the
state owned, state-operated mill and
elevator at Grand Forks. Radical
changes are provided in the state
hail insurance law, zoning system
being created for tho purpose OF fix
ing rates.
Mill Program
The mill and elevator program con-
sisted of the compromise measure,
under which authority over the 3d.
100000 Grand Forks mill was trans
ferred from the board of managers
and Industrial Commission to Cover
nor Sorlie, direction given the In
dustrial Commission to provide ad-
Gitional loans up to $500,OO0 to fin
ance the mill; a warehouse receipts
measure designed by Governor Sor
lie to make the state elevators ware
hosse receipt equal to that of gov
erp'hent-licensed elevator, and u
geasure directing the beard of rail
road commissioners to fix freight
rates with the state mill and elevator
considered a terminal grain market
and entitled to such preferences as
are given to such terminals in rate
making.
The policy of the legislature, as
evidenced in the enactments, is that
the state shall continue to operate
the flour mill and elevator, on which
it has lost money, with Governor Sor-
lie it's sole boss.
Radical banking legislation which
waa proposed aplenty in the session
failed to find realization in enact
ment. Senator Ralph Ingerson, Non
partisan, proposed many measures,
some of which were passed In r1odi-
fled form.
Among the banking measures !.
which failed were the Bakken resoiu-
tion for a constitutional amendment
for a $10,O0O,OO0 bond issue to reim-
burse depositors Of closed banks;
measures making deposit Of public.
funds in the Bank Of North Dakota
compulsory, provision of the pre-
sent law removed by an initiated act,
and measures to extend the Bank of
North Dakota's operations through
establishment of branch banks in the
various counties of the state.
Banking Measures
Banking measures which were en-
acted included a measure increasing
the reserves required of state banks,
some Of the provisions existing be-
fore 1919, when the .eserve require
ments were lowered. being enacted.
measure designed to re-
strict borrowings. limits the amounts
banks may be- lrow of other banks,
forbids them from placing collateral
for loans at ratio greater than one
and one-talf to one, and requires
such collateral to be sold in the coun-
ties where the loans were made.
This latter provision was designed
to meet a situation said to have
Crown out of bank failures in the
last three years, when collateral
pledged was sold by out-of-statei
ranks outside the state. Another
measure makes nine per-
,ent the maximum legal contract
ate OF interest. An effort to limit
he amount banks may pay as inter-
'st on. deposits failed, and the auth
'rity of the Depositors Guaranty
'und Commi ssion rules.
Before the legislature met many /
proposed laws affecting education
we're discussed, but virtually no ]
hange was made in the present sys-
EN-. School transportation cost, {
which had been attacked, will remain 6
he same. An increase in teachers /
equirements was made, but no laws
nacted designed to abolish consoli-
lated schools. or decrease the cost Of b
lContinned on psss 81 ip