The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1935-03-11


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entitled to the use for republication
Of Ill news dispatches credited to It
or not otherwise credited In this
newspaper and also the local news Of
spontaneous origin published herein.
All rights Of republication Of Ill other
matter herein are also reserved.
Four Major Items
In any review Of the legislative
session just ended four major items
will stand out. They are the enact
ment legalizing the sale Of liquor.
that providing for Z sales tax, one
transferring . million dollars from
the hail insurance to the school equal
isation fund and the laws venturing
into the field Of social security.
OF all these, only the third will
receive universal favor. There was
disagreement g to some details but
the major policy involved was not
seriously challenged in the legisla-
ture and will not be opposed by the
people. In view ct the condition con-
fronting our schools it was the proper
thing to do. Supplementary laws
placing the school system on . better
financial footing also will win popu-
lar acclaim.
The liquor law comes in . different
classification. for It marks . depar.
tllre from . traditional state policy
which has held for the Is years since
we were admitted to the Union In
1859. Under its terms the sale Of In
toxicating beverages will be legal In
North Dakota for the first time in
our history. Regardless of the condi.
lions which have prevailed ct various
times during our long technical adj
herence to prohibition, the legislative
action marked our first departure
from the policy first established by
the separate vote on the prohibition
issue when our constitution was
adopted.
How it will work out. In the event
1t Is permitted to become effective.
remains to be seen and is no cause
for immediate concern for It seems
improbable that It win become effec-
tive on the date fixed in the law It.
self. A referendum seems inevitable.
As one commentator remarked,
enough signatures to hold up It's ap-
plication and refer the matter to the
people for another vote can Be OBJ
tanned in one Sunday by those who
may Be expected to oppose It.
When that referendum comes, the
people should take the trouble 70
study this proposal carefully. esti-
mate 1t in the light Of conditions and
vote accordingly. It Is different In
its terms from any Of the numerous
other wet" proposals which have
been considered by the legislature or
voted upon by the people In these last
few years. When and II it Is pre-
scented for final determination by the
people it viii lack support from the
sources which have promoted other
liquor proposals. They may oppose It
with fully as much enthusiasm 8 the
forces which are opposed to It in
principle. purely because it contains
no opportunity for private participa.
ton in the profits Of the liquor bust
ness.
II enforced 1t would put the boot
logger out Of business-or ct least
place him under . handicap-without
giving him anything In return. Many
illegal sellers Of liquor viii prefer the
present situation In which they pay
no license and apparently have no
fear Of official interference.
The sales tax also marks Q major
departure from past policy. Like the
liquor issue it has been presented to
the people and emphatically rejected.
It comes now under the guiss Of .
substitute for present levies but thers
is no Disgusting the fact that It u In
tended to wrest more from the tax
payer for governmental purposes than
he now Is paying. The one excuse
made for It Is that It Is enacted only
for . limited time and that the
maintenance Of the states credit de-
nanded tor something like It.
Unless the temper Of The people has
changed between the fall Of 1888.
when . sales tax was enthusiastically
beaten. and The present those Who
voted for + may have SONS explain.
ing to do. The demand q the psople
has been Tor les taxes rather thar
more and The aaleG tax Wtl1 bit uaogl
voters than any " have svsr had
with whstsvsf misgiyineDs ~ politl-
cal factions Wsse induced 70 suppoet
It and th9e = les likslihoo6 that Il
win - seSesred than = tzue q III
liquor I'm
Ths social security leGi1lation = q
experimental - - nAtuEe = dn1lAi
enactmeuts w11ieh are being tested q
: nationwide seale. n ~ -
North 0akoee hrs eon1ine6 - ~
m0aynasy sfSogts . ~ saso 9 ~
tndigsnt and III physically q nnsn'
tally incompetent Now It jolns n g