The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-04-02
FARMERS union IS
SPONSORING THREE
INITIATED MEASURES
Others Would Prohibit Crop
Mortgages and Abolish
Corporate Farming
WILL GO ON JUNE BALLOT
New Entries Brings to Eight
Proposals For Decision
by Electorate

Petitions to initiate three measures
providing for a five-year partial
moratorium on debts, abolishin9
mortgages on growing crops and pro-
hibiting corporations from engaging
in farming were accepted Saturday
by Secretary of State Robert Byrne.
The proposals were sponsored by the
North Dakota Farmers Union.
The three measures will be placed
on the June 20 primary ballot, along
with five others recently filed by
the North Dakota Taxpayers associa-
ton.
One Of the three measures filed
Saturday provides that the people
of this state hereby declare that
mortgages on growing and unrarvest-
ed crops have become and are a pub
lie nuisance and are menace to the
public health, welfare and well being
Of the people of this state and there
fore against the public policy of this
state; that all mortgages on grow
ing crops are abolished and that any
and all mortgages on growing and
unharveSted crops hereafter taken
shall be held null and void and OF
no effect"
The measure dealing with corpora-
ton farming states that all domestic
and foreign corporations are pro-
hlbited from engaging in the business
OF farming or agriculture and are
prohibited from acquiring or holding
real estate IN excess of that necessary
for the conduct Of their business, un-
less the same is acquired in the
course OF their business by judicial
process or operation of law
Must Sell Real Estate
The proposal provides further that:
All corporations who now own or
hold real estate. except such as is
reasonably necessary in the conduct
of their business, shall dispose of the
same within 10 years from the date
that this act takes effect. provided
that during said 10-year period said
corporation may farm and use said
real estate for agricultural purposes.
Nothing in this act shall be con-
strued to prohibit cooperative cor
poratlons, IS per cent of whose men,
berS or stockholders are actual farm
erS residing on farms or depending
principally on farming for their live
lihood, from acquiring real estate and
engaging in cooperative farming or
agriculture
The proposed law provides that
where violations occur the real estate
affected escheat to the county in
which 1t is situated, and be disposed
Iof by public auction. The proceeds
would be paid to the corporation that
formerly owned the real estate.
The third proposal states that "a
public emergency and crisis exists
throughout this state, endangering
the public health, welfare and NOR
ais in that agricultural crops and
products have been sold on an aver
age below the cost Of production since
1922, and all agricultural land values
have disappeared, due to the uncall-
ed for deflation and manipulation of
the currency through and by the in
ternational banks which caused UNI
der consumption and produced starv-
Ing millions throughout the nation"
1t states further:
Want Frazier Bill
Whereas, taxes have been steadily
increasing in spite of the deplorable
condition confronting agriculture and
the cost of living has been generally
maintained: and whereas agriculture
is the principal industry in this state.
and all other industries in this state
are solely dependent for their exis-
tence upon agriculture; and whereas
hundreds and thousands Of families
have already lost their homes
through mortgage foreclosures or
other judicial proceedings: and
whereas hundreds of thousands more
will lose their homes unless adequate
relief is given by law.
Therefore, In order to prevent q
complete financial collapse of agri-
culture, commerce and industry in
this state, and the collapse of civil
government and in order to maintain
the integrity OF families and their
homes and the public health and
welfare and morals of the people Of
this state, partial moratorium for
a period of five years, or until sucl,
time within the five-year period that
the congress OF the United States
shall have passed the farmers farm
relief bill, known as the Frazier bill,
IS hereby declared on an existing in
debtedness at the time that this act
takes effect, including taxes and
debts due by individuals to the state,
county or other political subdivisions,
except that the benefits Of this act
shall not extend to corporations nor
shall they extend to any person who,
upon an order to show cause before
any district court, is found upon
competent evidence to be financially
able to pay such Indebtedness with
out sacrificing his home. lands, goods
or chattels with which he creates
wealth for = living and which are
necessary to maintain his family"
E0IJR DE m ErpH