The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-02-22
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We Beg to Disagree
In line with its settled policy OF
giving every reader opportunity to
express his opinions through the COL
umns Of this newspaper, The Tribune
today prints letter from Nonparti-
san Club No. 1853 Of Parshall, which
assumes to review the administration
of Governor william LANCER.
Since it apparently Is based on the
unsupported assertions and unverifled
claims OF LANCER partisans. The
Tribune feels itself In duty bound to
present such facts as it has In its
possession to the end that the good
ladies OF Parshal and the people gen.
orally be not deceived.
The first item advanced in Cover
nor hangers favor u that he vetoed
a bill which would have suspended
highway construction In this state.
This is only half true. The bill to
which the good women evidently refer
was one which would have suspended
state financial aid to road building
for short period as . measure OF
relief to tho taxpayer.
So far as practical effect goes, 1t
might as well have been signed, for
the state has spent nothing in road
construction this year. The money
for bodybuilding which now Is being
spent in North Dakota comes almost
entirely from the federal government.
To credit the LANCER administration
with the bodybuilding program now
under way is to take credit from those
to whom it rightfully belongs and give
It to those who did nothing to deserve
it. 1t should be understood, too. that
the governor had nothing whatever
to do with obtaining expenditure Of
this money by the government. It Is
part of the national recovery pro-
gram and was allocated to all states
On the basis of need and population.
II they would study vetoes, the wo-
men of Parshall might consider that
of the bill to provide for honest live
stock grading and weighing ct major
markets in this state. It affects their
pocketbooks more directly.
The second cause for praise Is that
Governor LANCER has placed the mill
and elevator on paying basis.
Whether or not this Is true has
not been disclosed. The governor
claims q success at the mill and ele-
vator. but the records have not been
made public. The people might bet
ter withhold judgment on the meth
DDS of operation and results obtained
mt the mill until the audit report Of
that institution is made public. This
should be within the next few weeks.
The third item selected for praise
IS For his untiring efforts In secur-
ing federal aid for the very necessary
poor relief"
Here. again. We have ALLEGATION Of
credit on a wholly unjustified basis.
In obtaining poor relief and CWA
allotments for North Dakota, the gov
errors actions have been handicap
rather than help. Since his speech
last Nov. 10, in which he personally
promised everyone q job. he has been
wholly divorced from the relief adj
ministration In North Dakota. His
action at that time so embarrassed
the relief administration that Judge
A. M. Christensen found it neces-
eary to tell relief workers, assembled
in Bismarck to get the thing straight
ened out, that the governor had no
more to do with 1t than If he lived
in Canada. The judge seems to be .
better authority on this than the gov
ernor. He has retained the conf
eence Of the federal relief admins
tration, whereas the governor has lost
it and for all practical purposes has
been kicked out in the cold.
Fourth in the list Of alleged po-
litical assets Is the claim that the
governor has reduced the state budget
better than 5000 900 per biennium.'
Here, again. we have bold assertion
as substitute for fact. That the
budget was materially reduced is true
That the governor can honestly take
the credit Is untrue. The substantial
budget cuts were made by the legis-
lature. but only as technical matter
Actually they were made by the peo-
pie.
The same force which had caused
the average township budget to drop
10 per cent and which had Sharply
elashed school, county. city and vii
lage budgets. operated to force q re.
duction In the state budget. In ~
the ways open to them, the voters
had indicated their demand. The re-
suit was unacceptable. Any attempt
to apportion credit for this achieve.
ment should consider the facts in the
case, not partisan prejudice or po-
Ntica1 desire.
The fifth article IN the accclade