The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, January 11, 1917, Page 10

g e TR A, e T o S B R s Senate Committees are Packed Senators Elected by the Farmers Given Short Shift in Organisation of the Upper House Carrol D. King J. . Cahill Thos. Pendray C. E. Drown These are four of the farmers’ senators who were given committee chairmanships or places on import_ant commit- tees. The farmers’ men in the senate, however, were grossly discriminated against by the hnld-ove:r senators in the senate organization. Men who were elected on the farmers’ program last fall got only eight chairmanships and will control only six senate committees out of a total of 40 committees. the important assignments being gobbled up by the hold-overs. BISMARCK, N. D., Jan. 6.—Re- fusing to confer with farmers’ mem- bers in the senate for the organiza- tion of the upper house, hold-over sen- ators have put over an organization scheme that is hailed by opponents of the farmers’' cause as a big victory. The senate, practically ignoring the 18 Nonpartisan League senators, who constitute within 7 of a majority ! of that body, h a s named, its committees. Out of 40 committees, the farmers representa- tives elect- ed at the last elec- tion have a majority on only six, entirely out of propor- rortion to their own strength in the senate. Out of 40 ‘chairmanships of commit- tees the Leuguers are given only eight. As a whole the committees of which League membes have been made chair- men or given a majority are unim- portant, while all the big important committees have been packed with hold-over senators. Ole Ettestad The excuse for this practically complete ignoring of the senators elected on the farmers’ plattorm last fall, as given by hold-over senators, is that the farmers’ men lack “experience” ‘and “capacity” to handle properly the commit- tees. Several hold-over senators have stated that “the League sen- ators -have been given more rec- ognition than a minority of its size in the senate usually has been given”. The farmers’ senators, who have come to Bismarck with the single aim of executing the de- mands of the people at the last election, have been chagrined by this pushing aside of themselves and the cause they represent. They point out that control of only six committees out of 40 and only eight chairmanships out of 40, and those on mostly unimportant committees, can hardly be called and recogni- tion at all for the farmers of North Dakota. - STEAMROLLER WORKED FINE IN THE SENATE The opposition steamroller in the senate certainly did its work up in great shape. The farmers’ senators were given a majority on the commit- tees on enrolled and engrossed bills, which has no authority except to check up the bills as enrolled and engrossed; on the committee on “statistics,” which has no important duties what- ever; on charitable institutions, which is an unimportant committee with 1it- tle to do; on warehouse and grain grading, on irrigation and drainage and on corporations other than muni- cipal. These latter three are more imw- portant committees than the first three but are not numbered among the real big important committee assignments of the senate. On the other hand the hold-over senators have been packed on the agriculttiral committee, the appro- priations committee, the bank and banking committee, education com- mittee, elections committee, insur- ance, judiciary, livestock, public lands, public grinting, railroads, rules, state affairs, tax and tax laws, ways and means and a score of other important committees. SENATE TIED UP TIGHT BY ACTION As a matter of fact the senate or- ganization ‘has been tied up tight for the hold-overs and it is causing much joy in the camp of those who oppose the carrying out of the program of po- litical and economic reform so over- whelmingly demanded by the people at the primary and election. It is argued by some friends of the farmers’ cause that the hold-over sen- | ators, though they have sewed up the organiza- > lion against ° fhe farmer senators, will not. op- pose the armers pro- pram. These people point sut that to lo so would e to repu- diate the Republican platform, #hich de- :lares for the L ea gue program and Geo. F, H unt practically all hold-overs are Republi- cans. They also point that the districts of most of the holdovers showed at the last election that they are over- whelmingly in favor of the League pro- gram and that the hold-overs will not oppose their constituency, even if they would personally like to. Following is the list of the senate committees. Those which are marked with a star (*) are controlled by hold- over senators and newly elected sen- ators who did not have the farmers’ indorsement. The six committees NO'T marked with a star (*) are the only ones on which Nonpartisan league sen- ators were given a majority: MOST COMMITTEES GIVEN TO HOLD-OVERS *Agricultural — Kirkeide, chairman; Hamilton, Englund, Cahill, Carey, Beck, Hamerly, Hunt, Morkrid, Mar- tin, Hemmingsen. *Apportionment—Nelson, Nick N., chairman; Putnam, McLean, Murphy, Gibbons, Mostad, Sandstrom, Englund, Allen, Hunt, McBride, Lindstrom, Benson, Welford, Haggart, Carey, Thoreson, Sikes, King, Young, Pend- ray, Paulson, Zieman.. *Appropriations—Gibbons, chairman, Kretschmar, Putnam, Gronvold, Mec- Lean, Jacobson, Porter, McGrey, Hamerly, Ellingson, McCarten,, Ben- son, Kirkeide, Wenstrom, Morkrid, Sikes, Hunt. *Banks and Banking — Kretschmar, chairman; _Allen,. Wenstrom, Porter, Ellingson, Englund, McGrey, Beck, Lindstrom, Pendray, Levang, Kirkeide, Benson, Martin, Drown, *Cities and Municipal Corporations— Ployhar, chairman; Haggart, King, McBride, Nick N, Nelson, Mostad, Mor- tenson, Stenmo, Putnam, Young, Hy- land. Corporations Other Than Municipal —Drown, chairman; Zieman, Cahill, Heckle, Welford, Pendray, Jacobson, Sikes, Beck. *Counties—Pendray, chairman; Mor- tenson, Jacobson, Martin, Xirkeide, Carey, Sandstrom, Mostad, MecGrey, Levang, Putnam. = *Kducation—Stenmo, chairman; Gib- bons, Young, Mortenson, Hunt, Mur- Also the committees they were given were mostly unimportant, all phy, Zieman, Rowe, Sandstrom, Mc- EBride, Carey. . *Elections—Gronvold, chairman; Ca= rey, Heckle, Kirkeide, Mostad, Beck, Hamerly, Hemmingsen, Lindstrom. Enrolled and Engrossed Bills—King chairman; Senmo, Lindstrom, Kretsch- mar, Welford. FEW CHAIRMANSHIPS TO LEAGUE SENATORS *Federal Relations—Hamilton, chair« man; Young, King, Gronvold, Rowe, Stenmo, Jacobson. - *Game and Fish—Sandstrom, chair- man; McGrey, Cahill, Hyland, Zie- man, Heckle, Englund, Morkrid, Allen. *Highways, Bridges “and Ferries— - Ellingson, chairman;. ‘E. M., Nelson, Nick N, Nelson, McCarten, Hyland, Morkdid, McLean, Ettestad, King, Mc- Bride, Polyhar. 3 *Immigration McGrey, chairman; Porter, ' Paulson, Young, Haggart, Sandstrom, Cahill, Hyland, Murphy. *Indian Affairs—Porter, 'chairman; Benson, Kirkeide,- Martin, Morteson. *Insurancé — Paulson,.. chairman} Murphy, Levang, Ettestad, Gibbons, King, Allen, Porter, McBride, Hem- mingsen, McCarten. Irrigation and Drainage—MecCarten, chairman; Welford, Drown, E. M. Nel- son, Paulson, Nick N. Nelson, Levang, Hamilton, Mostad. 5 *Judiciary — McBride, chairman; Heckle, Jacobsor Hyland, Ployhar, St:nmo, Paulson, Ellingson, Haggart, Levang, Hamilton, McCarten, Porter, Putnam, Gronvold, Mortenson, Allen, ‘Wenstrom. . *Livestock—Englund, chairman; Mec. ° Lean, Benson, Hemmingsen, Nick N. Nelson, Hamilton, McCarten, Hyland, FARMS5RS SLIGHTED IN THE APPOINTMENTS *Military Affairs—Heckle, chairman; Rowe, Hamilton, Ployhar, Murphy King, Pendray, Mostad, Hyland. *Mines and Minerals—Mortenson, chairman; Lindstrom, Hunt, McGrey, Kretschmar, Jacobson, Sikes, Cahill, McBride. *Public Health — Rowe, chairman; Gronvold, Stenmo, Englund, Hem- mingsen, Ellingson, King, B. M. Nel- gon, Drown. *Public Lands — Young, chairman; Beck, McLean, E. M. Nelson, Ettestad, ‘Wenstrom, Thoreson, Martin, Drown, Hamerly, Sikes, *Public Printing—Murphy, chalr- man; Wenstrom, Haggart, Gronvold, Kretschmar, Young, Stenmo, Zieman, Ployhar, *Railroads — McLean, chairman; Englund, Rowe, Wenstrom, Zieman, Putnam, Mostad, McCarten, Levang, E. M. Nelson, Haggart, McGrey, Mur- phy, Thoreson, Ployhar, Beck, Morkrid. *Revision and Correction of Journal —Levang, chairman; McGrey, Rowe. *Rules—Carey, chairman; Hamerly, Heckle, Putnam, E. M. Nelson, Gib- bons, Rowe. *State Affairs—Hyland, chairman; Ployhar, Paulson, Thoreson, Allen, Nick N. Nelson, Morkrid, Gibbons, Mortenson, King, Stenmo, Sandstrom, Jacobson, Lindstrom, Kretschmar, Hamerly, Heckle. Statistics—Beck, cheirman; Pendray, Young, Cahill, Levang, Walford, Paul- son. *Taxes and Tax Laws—Allen, chair~ man; McBride, Gronvold, Porter, Hem~ mingsen, Ettestad, Wenstrom, Pendray, Zieman, Benson, B. M. Nelson. HOLD-OVERS HAVE IT THEIR OWN WAY *Temperance — Put;an&, chairman; Ellingson, H. M, Nelson, Mortenson, -TEN Hemmingsen, Thoreson, Heckle, Mur+< phy, Ettestad, Sikes, Drown, Warehouse and Grain Grading— Thoreson, chairman; Kirkeide, Wel= ford, Wenstrom, Gibbons, Levang, Mortenson, Hamerly, Hamilton, Pend~ ray, Gronvold. i 4 *Ways and Means—Jacobson, chair= man; Sandstrom, Martin, Gronvold, Kirkeide, - Mostad, = Beck, .Hamerly, Morkrid, Hunt, Cahijll. *Woman Suffrage—Lindstrom, chair- . man; Hemmingsen, Mortenson, Hunt, Ployhar, Ellingson,: Sikes, McLean, Stenmo, Kretschmar; Putnam. : Joint Committees ¢ Charitable Institutions — Cabhill, chairman; Drown, ‘Pendray, Benson, Murphy. : *Educational Institutions — E. M. Nelson, chairman; . Hunt, Porter, ' Heckle, Ettestad, Sandstrom, Welford. *Penal Institutions — Martin, chair- man; King, Gronvold, Murphy, Pend- ray, McGrey, Rowe. sPublic Buildings—Haggart, chair= man; Nick N. Nelson, McBride, Kir- keide, Ployhar. *Joint Rules—Sikes, chairman; Ale len, Heckle, Jacobson, McBride, Put= nam, Carey. *State Library—Morkrid, chairman; Gibbons, Hamerly, Sandstrom, Elling+ son. SURE, LET'S HAVE IT! (Editorial in Carrington (N. D.) Rec- ord.) 3 The leaders of the Nonpartisan League movement have at last an- ncunced that they are going to work for the calling of a constitutional con- " vention.” The people of North Dakota feel that the time has come when the state needs a constitution in keeping with the times. * tution is largely one of restriction, making it impossible almost to put into active operation any radical or pro- gressive legislation. To amend the constitution is a slow and uncertain process. The calling of 1 constitutional convention is at this time the logical step to take.. Already experts are at work on a new consti- tution that will be submitted to the convention, to be accepted, rejected, or “ mwade over, but at least it will be some- thing to start from. The first thought in the minds of the farmers of the new decument will be to so write the con- stitution that it will be easy and not hard to let the people put into laws their wishes. One reason why a constitution is de- L sirable at this time’is because the pro- gram of the farmers is such a revolu- tionary one that it is next to impossi~ ble to accomplish their will without running up against a wall in the pres- ent constitutions All state constitu- tions should be written in this day not for the purnose of making changes hard, but with the end in view of mak- ing it simple and easy for the majority to speedily put their desires into laws, and into laws that will not be over- turned and set aside by the courts. North Dakota needs a new constitu- ticn, the agricultural interests are paramount in this state, and it is right ‘that the new constitution should be written by and voice the will of the agriculturalists. LIKE LEADER’S STAND (Editorial in North Dakota Eagle) The William Lindeke Roller mills of 8t. Paul has gotten in bad with the Nonpartisan Leader and Dr. Ladd and is just now furnishing material for a page article every week. This mill undertakes to defend the mills in their bold attempt (which has so far suc- ceeded) to buy ‘the present wheat crop at a shamefully low price and at a grade made on the spur of the moment for that purpose, and in the face of the facts proven by Professor Ladd this low grade wheat makes as good flour as any. Go to it, fellows, we poor, ignorant lumps of mother earth up hers who have not the oppertunity, means nor knoweldge of learning such things are absorbing knowledge of things we never dreamed of before. X Galesburg, N. I Editor Nonpartisan Leader: I inclose clipping that may interest . you. Our legislature is in session now and there are some things they want to look out for. I know we are going to have one of the hardest fights that any legislature ever had. I wish the Nonpartisan Leader a happy New-Year. WILLIAM BALDOCK. The present consti- L IO iy <t e T N 2 st ittt -