The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, December 28, 1916, Page 2

SR S TN SRS s oy ngna PRARSERGRRE LS R e 3 S Is Organization Worth the Price P FARMER has been eloquently told, in patriotic speech and political appeal, I that farming is the real life; that it’s great to live on the farm where you get up early in the morning and see the golden sunrise creep up the eastern sky'and hear the little birds sing in the tree tops; that it’s glorious to listen Yo the music of the lowing herds and inhale the sweet breath of the meadow; that f¢ is healthful to live close to nature and experience the freedom and exercise that goes with farm life. J And yet, after experiences and observation covering a period of nearly half a eentury, one-half of which was spent on a farm as a farmer boy and the rest spent i close association with actual farmers, we have never yet had the pleasure of meet- fag that person who farmed in order that he might get up early in the morning to see the sun ¥ise, hear the birdies sing and the cows bawl, the pigs squeal and to Sake healthful exercise. b An unidealistic and unesthetic as it may seem, and as unpoetic as it may sound, most all of the farmers we have met were farming solely for the purpose of obtain- fng that sordid thing called filthy lucre. ,They were arising with the early birds, mot to hear them sing, but to get an early start. They were mingling with the pigs, not to hear them squeal, but to make them fat. They were harvesting grain, Rot to hear the music of the binder in the land, but to get more No. 1 Northern and “D feed,” all to the one end that they might make money, even though they- are fold that it is the root of all evil. They do not farm for their health, but that they may get the wherewithal to live long in the land without going over the hill to the poor house. . i THE BIG QUESTION BEFORE FARMERS IS, “HAS THE LEAGUE PAID?” This being the chief object, aim and purpose of farming, the big question that confronts the farmers of North Dakota at this time is: “Is the Nonpartisan League 8 paying investment?” It has cost the farmers of this state some money to build this League. Is it worth the price? In other words, we must figure this thing on 8 business basis—from the standpoint of dollars and cents. There are other elements that enter, of course, such as the moral value of having the state’s politics cleaned up. But that is an incident. Business men. often make large investments from which they do not expect returns for two or three years. If they can break even for awhile and if the pros- pects are good that handsome returns will be realized later they are content to wait and hope. : The Nonpartisan League started out less than two years ago, largely a vision. It bhad a definite purpose. That purpose was to seize the powers of government. Its aim in seizing the powers of government was to put into law a certain, definite program. * Its members believed that such a program would be of financial benefit to the people of the state. It has now realized its primary object. It has captured the powers of the state government. ) There will be no hesitating or delaying in writing that program into law and placitg it on the statute books. The mreliminary work of drawing the bills has been in progress since the general election and will be completed by the opening of the gession on January 2, 1917. Within two months longer the Iaws will all have been passed and signed by the governor. - : : : LAWS TO BE PASSED HAVE ; e MONEY VALUE TO FARMERS PR b It is therefore of interest at this time to inquire whether or not these laws will be of any money value to the farmers of ‘state, - If: ey then we may feel satisfied with our iz s ‘A Deal in Potatoes Minnesota Farmer Congratulates Leader and Gives Some Facts Jetter to Judge Charles J. Fisk and I am -positive that neither Robinson or any of Some of the high points in the League program are as followss Exemption of farm improvements from taxation. Compulsory state hail insurance. State terminal elevators, State flour mills. State packing plants. There will be other laws, including also some political reform laws, the valug of which can not be estimated in dollars and cents. But these few will give us a good idea. g According to Frank E. Packard, chairman of the state tax commission, the assessed valuation of farm improvements in the state amounts to about 13 million dollars. The rate is about 40 mills, or 4 per cent. When this improvement tax is eliminated it will save to the 50,000 farmers of the state $10.40 each, every year. Protectiori from hail, at the present time, costs the farmers not less than $60 per thousand. When the Saskatchewan law is adopted the same protection can be had for about $8 per thousand. Assuming that it may be as high as $10, this would save to each farmer an average of $50 per thousand, and if each farmer carried protection to the amount of $2000, the saving would be $100 for each farmer per year. : F. O. Hellstrom of Bismarck proved to the readers of the Nonpartisan Leader last winter that the farmers of the state lost in one year a total of $7,500,000 because of the unjust system of docking and grading grain. With the state terminal elevator system established, the state of North Dakota would regulate by laws passed: by the farmers the important matter of docking and grading, thus saving to the farmers of the state that seven and a half million dollars. This one item would amount to $150 each, per year. ; ! LEAGUE FARMERS WILL SAVE : ENOUGH TO PAY DUES 213 YEARS According to_bulletin No. 119, issued by the Agricultural college, the farmers of the state this year will lose on an average $1 per bushel on the one grade of “D feed” alone. Assuming that each farmer will have on an average one car of 60;000 pounds of “D feed,” the total loss to the 50,000 farmers of the state will be $72,701,000, or for each farmer a loss of $1,454.02 this year alone. That is, that would be each farmer’s loss if he sold his “D feed” at an average of 76 cents per bushel and bought back the finished product, flour, feed, shorts and bran at- the prices prevailing when Dr. Ladd wrote bulletin 119. In order to get the answer to the question, “Is the Nonpartisan League a paying investment?” it is only necessary to recapitulate and compare these figures. With the Nonpartisan League program enacted into law the losses cited above would not ° occur. The result will be as follows: Saving on improvement taxation ... Saving on hail insurance ................. 3 Saving on docking and grading .......... s _ Saving on “D. feed” .......... $ 10.00 per year e 100.00 per year 150.00 per year T _ Total..... : Cost of membership in ‘the League.....5 ‘ Saving:to each member.. : ccurances taking place there,: at once how their representati and how many~dodged the issues the other new judges have.called’ their good working principles in our state, predecessors scoundrels, rogues 'or any leaving: the room on some ignoble Lake Avenue Farm Perham, Minn. if Nonpartisan Leader: 5 gu are dealing body blows dgainst the: pfesent milling system and it counts. ~at last have to sit up and take You have the grafters guessing next?” g Your editorial in the last issue, “State Mills! Eventually, Why Not Now?” is like the Yankee, “in it with both"feet.” You are not like the Irish- man who shot at nothing. You shoot at a mark and hit where you aimed at. Keep up the good work! The Nonpartisan Leader is ‘the best paper today in the United States to open the eyes of the sleeping farmer. You handle each subject without gloves, regardless of who gets hit. ‘You have scientific facts to back your assertions. All farmers are rich—sure, Mike! In the fall of ’13, ’14 and 15 1 sold my potatoes at 22 cents—the haul was eight miles. Any fool can detect that I went behind. In 1915 I sold 1100 bushels of choice, hand-picked Burbanks and got the magnificent sum of $220 for them. One - month afterwards they were selling in St. Paul at from 90 cents to $1.. Who got the difference? Don’t ‘all speak at once. Both “ producer and consumer suffered. # LT, i When the farmer tseés his own brains - and gets his thinker in action there will be something doing. Yours for justice SAM G. WALLACE. The Country Press and the Judges - The country press hostile to the farm- ers of North Dakota has seized another opportunity to sneer. This time it is the suprems court situation that has caused their gibes. They choose to ignore the facts-o the case, and use the fact that the fudges elected by the farmers are standihg by the constitutional provisions ™ as toitheir terms of office as an excuse- for efther making fun of or eriticizing y the new judges. Thoefse papers refusg: blish the terms of the con- sti ..:. the terms of the election fedtes of the new judges, both of sustain the new judges’ position. iey see no menace to the state’s instit@tions in the fact that an unconsti- tutional and interested kangaroo : court was called by the retiring judges to decide the matter under color of law and order against the new conrt. Howeyer, many of the counfry news- papers have printed the facts, which alone are enough to justify. the positions of Judges Birdzell, Robinson and Grace. ' Others have commended the new judges' for their fearless stand on the econ~ One of the papers thitt has been hostile i It could mot be expected to overlook this new opportunity to sneer and make fun. But readers of this paper have been quick to resent the Herald’s - unwarranted attack. Among other let- ters received by the Leader, inclosing a clipping of the Herald’s editorial, is the following: : ; : Epping, N. D., Dec. 151916 comment of the Williston Herald. The editor is trying to “show up” onr new jud : ‘Birdzell and Grace for wanting to follow the state iges, Messrs. Robinson, partisan.’ League is the Williston other bad name, as this paper says, but have acted with -dignity. If you can use the elipping for any comment you are weleome. OLE A. HOUG. FROM A MISSIONARY . Mercer, N. D., Dec. 12, 1616 Editor Nonpartisan Leader: Permit me to congratulate the Nonpar- tisan League on the victory at the election, just as I did at the primaries. Now, since you have gained this noble vietory without resorting to evil methods, it behooves you to be very vigilant, as the enemies of good government are per- niciously active to regain their lucrative field of action again. , What the wrifer in his humble voca- tion deems highly necessary to thwart their selfish, evil desires is this: The now truly freemen of North Dakota should unhesitatingly- continue. to support this grand move by sul for the daily Leader, for that paper will publish /the true fgets and the League will stick - fast > ‘ The future success of the Nonpartisan League will be a great sing for gll people who only desire a square deal-—in - grinds other words, who love: When the legislative body 'is dsseribled " tence, By the way, there ought to be a ruling adopted that every man should obliged to register his vote before leav- ing the building while the legislative body: is in session. I'm sure the good people would then discover if their representa- tives are honest men toward their constituents. - I am in deadly earnest to see your move for equality and justice continue. W. L. KELLER, Evangelist-Lutheran Missionary of the ~Joint Synod of Ohio and other states. TO GRIND FOR FARMERS A North Dakota farmer, J. A. Seifert, - has quit farming and gone into the mill- ing business at Towner, N. D., under the business name of “The Towner Flour Mills.” Mr, Seifert has erected & modern §0-barrel mill, equipped with the latest machinery and expects to have it in at the capital at Bismarck, the freemen Minm, which can read in their own daily paper otflw : Iwa . The Fargo Courier-News has passed ?‘?,t"m"m“&emf of the Non- ~a daily and .wéekly-%.. The Eagle i . GOOD WISHES the new owmers @ll success— NORTH DAKOTA EAGLE. : 2