The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-07-28
PARTY REFUSES TO
OFFER 13 MEASURES
FOR POPULAR Vote
Advocated by LANCER, Who As.
serts |. Y. A. Administration
Is Raiding Treasury
PAINTS GLOOMY PICTURE
Says Financial Cupboard Will
Be Bare When Newly Elect
ed Men Take Office

Members Of the Nonpar tisan
League, at special meeting called
here Wednesday night by William
LANCER, Republican candidate for
governor, referred to the party execu-
tive committee proposal by LANCER
that Is measures be initiated and
submitted to the electorate in Nov
ember.
Members Of the executive commit
tee indicated they would turn
thumbs down on the idea and this
had been made clear when a a. to 81
vote Of those present referred the
matter for action.
Reason for his desire to initiate the
measures, some of which were design
ed to redeem campaign pledges and
others to increase the revenues in
the state treasury, was given by
LANCER as the fact that the present
I. v. A. administration is fast depict
ing the treasury and that the states
financial cupboard will be bare when
the Nonpartisans assume control next
January If they are elected in Nov
ember
Chief among the measures were
those eliminating the board Of adj
ministration and placing its affairs
IN the hands of the present indus
trial commission; requiring all DO
litical subdivisions to deposit their
funds with the Bank of North Da-
kota; making sharp increases in the
income taxes Of individuals receiving
more than $4,000 year and Of cor
porations: and taxing every business
establishment in the state a license
fee with sharply increased tax on
chain stores.
The meeting was called by LANCER,
who sent out kilograms inviting va
rious leaders and members of the or
ganization to assemble here and con-
slider the proposals.
Warned by Lund
The gubernatorial candidate said
he had been told by o. B. Lund, audi
tor for the state board of auditors.
that there is prospect the Bank of
North Dakota will be unable to pay
the interest on its bonds and on state
real estate bonds, with the prospect
that 1t may have to register checks
for future payment, as it did at one
time in the past. He painted a
gloomy picture of the states financial
prospects and said the proposal to
bolster the Bank of North Dakota
deposits and to increase the states
finances by the chain store and in
come taxes were born Of the impend-
ing emergency.
Not one among the major party
leaders supported Langers proposals..
although the condemnation expressed
oy most OF them was in soft language.
It became apparent early in the meet
ing that the executive committee was
opposed to them and the fight ragged
around proposal to refer them to
that body.
Among those who spoke against
presentation Of the measures to ths
electorate in November were Sena-
tors Lynn j. Frazier and Gerald p.
Nye, Congress nominee William
Lemke, Ole Olson, New Rockford,
nominee for lieutenant governor;
John HUSKY. nominee for commits
sioner Of agriculture and labor and
H. F. SWEET. Steele, prospective
speaker Of the house Of representa-
tives.
Arguments advanced for and
against the proposals ranged from those
OF political expediency to those Of
public policy, with the emphasis on
the former. There was very little
discussion Of the merits Of the pro-
posalS themselves.
Prepared By Wallace
The measures were presented to the
group by G. E. Wallace. commits
sioner of Minnesota and former tax
commissioner of North Dakota. Lam
ger said he had invited Wallace.
recognized tax expert, to assist him
by drawing up the measures. Most
Of them were copied from statutes
already in force In other states, the
chain store measure having been tax
en- from the laws of Indiana, recently
approved by the Supreme Court Of
the United States, he said.
A part Of the discussion ranged
about the relative advisability Of ini-
tiating the measures or referring
them to the legislature for action,
emphasis being placed on the fact
that all but the proposal to change
the board Of administration could Be
enacted by a majority vote Of the leg
islature.
The latter would require q two
thirds legislative vote since It was re-
ferred to and approved by the people
following its enactment by q Nonpar-
tan legislature.
Although most Of the opposition
was soft-voiced and soft-worded. VIII
liam Lemke said he was strongly op-
posed to two Of the measures. men.
tioning that to change the board Of
administration in particular. As u
the others. he said, he was not %
sure but some Of them seemed TO
smack Of peanuts and pork barrel"
Among the measures proposed
were:
Raising income tax rates up % 30
per cent on incomes In excess q
$4,000.
Abolishing nepotism.
Tax on chain stores.
Change In the qualifications Of ID
jutant general and other ofliOess ot
the National Guard. ThSOo men aro
understood to BE- the only ones oualified
to be adjutant general, w1ailo ~