The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1931-04-21
ON PUBLIC


Bismarck, N. D., April 20, 1881.
Editor. Tribune:
Thinking tho following article may
be of interest to your readers I ask
that you kindly give 1t space IN your
valuable paper.
In submitting this exceedingly in
teresting and instructive write-up for
your consideration, ! feel prompted to
offer the following commentary:
We r living In the machine age
with Its attendant problems Of mass
production: chains and mergers Of
huge corporations are the order Of
the day, Ill for the purpose Of gain
ing supremacy over competitors. The
public Is suspicious and coy Of mon
opoly. On the other hand. when the
people demand state ownership in
preference to private monopoly. some
one will cry Socialism, Communism"
This Is the burning question con-
fronting u people today. Shall it
tie private monopoly or shall certain
public utilities and all natural re-
sources be operated and owned by the
governments? MI. Mason'S article
gives the answer. as do the state own
ed enterprises In North Dakota. Truly
az President Hecht says, 1T Is all a
matter OF education"
The article follows:
Great state owned enterprises
operating successfully In New
Orleans. Some facts concerning
LouiMana,s activities closely
paralleling those Of North Dako-
ia.
BY NELSON A. MASON
Equal Opportunities to All; Special
Privileges to None," In a nutshell
summarizes the plans, purposes and
policies Of the Board Of Commission
! ers Of the Port Of New Orleans.
charged with the responsibility Of ad-
m~inistering the affairs Of public
property valued at 500, 000,000.00.
Historical Background
1t was away back In 1896, in the
days Of Gold Standard and Free Sill
yer" that the legislature Of the Com
monwealth Of Louisiana created a
commission of five to handle the
business Of the Port. The law read:
They shall be empowered to and 1t
shall be their duty to take care Of and
administer the public wharves Of the
Port of New Orleans, to construct
new wharves where necessary and to
erect sheds thereon, ETC." Numerous
acts. greatly increasing their powers,
were subsequently passed. In 1910 a
constitutional amendment was pro-
posed authorizing the Port 'Conunis-
sion to erect and operate warehouses
and other structures necessary to the
commerce Of the Port Of New Or
leans, and granting the authority as
continuing, so that the erecting OF
the first warehouses did not exhaust
their power. The amendment became
Il part Of the State Constitution in
1913. Upon the expiration Of then
existing leases the board commenced
active administration OF the Public
Wharf System in May, 1914. Con-
Struction Of the Public Cotton Ware
house commenced in January, 1915,
and the plant started operations
August l Of the same year.
Public Grain Elevator
Construction Of the great Public
Grain Elevator was undertaken Aug
ust l, 1915, and the plant was form
ally opened February l, 1917, exactly
40 days after the launching Of the
Nonpartisan League administration
On q similar program in North Dako-
ia. It is this enterprise with which
we are particularly concerned. Stu
ated at the apex Of the great bend OF
the nightly Mississippi forming the
contour Of the Crescent City" the
gigantic terminal occupies a CON-
manding position In what local boost
ers call Americas Most Interesting
CITY" This elevator has Q storage
capacity OF 2,622yOo0 bushels. and Is q
facility open to railroads and shippers
on equal terms to all. The plant Is
served by q wharf 200 feet long. Of
fering five berths for shippins-one
for the discharge Of barges or ocean
vessels at the marine leg. one Tor
loading at the mechanical sacktne
plant and three for loading under the
spouts. Unloading capacity OF ele-
vator Is 100000 bushels q day from,
railroad cars, and $4,000 q day from
barges or steamships. Loading into
ships or barges Is performed at the
tate OF 100000 bushels an hour. En-
tering the elevator, which Is Of re-
inforced concrete and absolutely fire.
proof and free from accumulations Of
dust, one Is impressed with the neat
ness and order everywhere. The very
basement is high, light and airy
Safety devices Of most modern type
prevail throughout the building. All
weighing is done by licensed weighers
and warehouse receipts, based on
these weights are issued. Grain Il
inspected both upon receipt and de-
livery.
Financial