The Bismarck tribune., 1931-03-14
JONES RAPED BY
FOLKS BACK HOME
Western Senator Taken to Task
for Negative Vote on Grain
Storage Measure


do take an interest in the work of
the legislature is contained in an
open letter issued by Frank Regsth,
secretary Of the Dunn County Farm
ers Union, attacking the vote of E. w.
Jones. state senator from the Dunn
Mercer Oliver district, on grain
storage bill.
Regeth recalls promise by Jones,
alleged to have been made last De-
cember II. to support the bills spon-
sored by the Farmers Union. He in
Inmates that Jones violated that
promise by opposing the Farmers
Union grain storage bill.
The letter. as published by the
Killdeer Herald, follows:
Il have been watching the activities
of our State Legislature with special
interest. as our organization spon-
sored several bills and one Of the
rawest deals we got was the killing
by the senate Of II. B. l69. This
bill made it felony for all elevator
to sell grain that was given them for
storage. This bill was fair. all that
it asked for was that the elevators
fulfill their share Of the contract
when they took grain for storage.
They could. If they wished. ship it to
the terminals and store 1t there, but
not sell 1t.
At present good many elevators
ship the grain and buy hedge to
protect themselves. When they do
that they put the farmers wheat on
the market which only helps to de-
press the prices further, and which
is absolutely against the wishes of
the holder Of the storage ticket.
Someone is using the money the
farmers wheat brought, the farmer
still holding the contract tstorage
ticket and paying storage and ln-
surancc for something that is not
stored. Some arguments against this
bill were that the elevators would be-
come full and possibly could not get
any stora~e space at the terminals.
Let me ask would it not be better to
have had that congestion locally than
at the terminals.
Then maybe it was said that 1t
was not an administration btl-ROT
were thesc legislators sent down
there to vote for political parties or
administrations or were they sup
posed to try to benefit the people as
a whole. The Farmers Union had
given .he above bill a good deal OF
study and it was aimed TO correct
an evil. Our organization Is not IN
terested in political parties.
Now it is no use crying Ovei a
milk bucket that has been kicked over
and our senator, E. w. Jones. could
not change his vote now If he wanted
to, but want to ask Mr.. Jones the
following question to be answered III
the columns Of the Herald.
Have lou kept your promise to the
Farmers Union members OF Dunn
county, when, on December II. 1880,
at the Annual County Convention OF
the Dunn County Farmers Union.
Senator Jones got up and stated that
he would support any bills sponsored
by the Farmers Union that were con-
stitutional?
Was this bill unconstitutional? :"
us it constitutional for the ele-
vators to charge farmers for service
that the farmer does not know
whether it will be rendered or not?
I say, II you can not make us believe
that you kept that promise 90 you
suppose we are ready to accept any
more Of the Jones' promises?
"Yours very truly,
Frank Regeth, Jr., Secy,
"Drra County Farmers Union.
Up. s.-Might I also add, that Sen
ator Jones was urged during the ses-
sion to support this measu'e"