The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1930-08-08
Democratic Platform As
Drawn by State Committee

the income received from the land
and to non-productive labor. Under
the present system, farm lands bear
the heavy tax burden, irrespective OF
its ability to pay and disregardfu.
of the monetary value Of it's produc-
ton. We believe that a fairer meth.
cd would be to tax income, not burd.
ensomely, but to such as extent that
the non-landholder and his business
should bear his fair share of govern
mental costs and civic improvements.
Fourth, we believe there is a need
for a readjustment of the credit ia
%cilities available to our farmers
with the placement Of machinery
and equipment loans on a seven year
amortization basis at a low rate OF
interest. in the stead of the present
two payment. nine per cent method
We believe in the fundamental in
tegrity of our farmers. We ack-
nowledge that with a fair chance
the individual farmer can work out
to a prosperous living condition, but
we know that at present he is woe
fully handicapped in the efficient
handling of his business through
credit conditions. He needs not
more credit. but a better adjusted
credit. He is forced to compete
urder a handicap of inadequate
| equipment and uneconomic practices
Of finance. all of which could be ma
terially corrected through the use
Of a credit system such as suggested
herein.
We assert and know that there
has grown up, state and nationally,
an undue cost in the administration
Of public affairs. We oppose the
manner in which public officials ad-
minister appointments, farming out
jobs to political ~favorites at the ex-
pense of the public, the, creation of
~unwarranted commissions to admin
lister public business, and the in
creased general expense of public
business.
We call attention to the fact that
under former Democratic admins
tration in the state of North Dakota
the total appropriation for the state
budget was below three million five
hundred thousand dollars, while I'M
der the present Shafer republican
administration the total expense of
state government has reached the
appalling figure of ten million five
hundred thousand dollars. W. pledge
our party to a return to sanity and
economy, in the expenditure of
states money, and we promise if
given charge of state affairs that
the state expenditures will be stead
lily reduced.
We stand for the consolidation of
administrative expense for the strict
est economy in state business, for
an investigation into certain fragrant
abuses within the state. Specifical-
~, we demand an investigation into
the unwarranted expense and ex-
travagance Of our state highway
commission. We know that the ex-
cessive nigh costs of the construction
and maintenance of our state high
ways cannot be explained in any
manner except that of unwarranted
extravaganza.
Condemn Political Meddling'
We also unqualifiedly condemn the
policy of wilful political meddling
IN the administrative policies of our
normal schools, agricultural college,
and state university, and we demand
that such a policy of interference
and meddlesomeness be eliminated.
We congratulate the people of
this state in voting down the four
cent gasoline tax at the primary.
That tax if carried would have sim
ply increased taxation and highway
extravaganza without any compen-
satory decrease of taxation from any
other source.
Fifth. as a party we are opposed
to the return of the open saloon and
Just as firmly opposed to the present
reign OF intemperance and crime
and corruption. The attempt on the
part of the present party in power
to enforce this section of Of our con-
stltutlon known as the Eighteenth
Amendment has resulted in many
abuses Of the rights of our citizens.
We feel that the entire matter is
a problem of states rights; and we
appeal to the common-sense of the
people OF this commonwealth, regard
less of usual political utilization. to
end the reign of downright dishon-
esty now prevalent and to restore
to the states their sovereignty in
this matter.
We heartily sympathize with the
present condition of labor, realizing
to the full that the present condition
OF unemployment is the direct result
OF the policy of initiation and conse-
quent collapse Of industry under the
present political regime. We realize
That labor is the greatest potential
market for the products of the
Northwest, and we pledge ourselves,
through q sane and steady program
OF reconstruction to re-establish in
dustry to a normal program of
achievement.
|, We realize that. as a state. we
have devoted entirely too much of
our attention to the over-deyelop-
ment of u agricultural
and too little to the other potential
sources OF wealth within our state.
From the standpoint of undeveloped
natural resources, North Dakota is
one of the leading states; and we
pledge ourselves to a program of the
development of our resources such
as clay, coal, scoria, gas, WATERPROOF
er, so-called waste products Of our
agricultural endeavors, and all
sources of wealth inherent to our
peculiar geographic and climatic