The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, February 15, 1917, Page 6

L | | A e A A AN Hfi,} Frazier for the Initiative Plan —— S In Address to Conference of League Senators and Representatives san League senators and repre- sentatives at Bismarck the evening of February 6, where it was decided to put through the League's constitutional amendments under the initiative law, Governor Frazier gave a short address indorsing the plan. A stenographic report of the governor's talk is given herewith: Mr. Chairman and gentlemen: 1 just wanted to add a word to what has been said. I believe this method of the referen- dum is the best scheme under the cir- cumstances. I do not believe that we should compromise in any way on this proposition. (Applause). This House Bill 44 has been put up fair and square, and has been Kkilled by the senate; and I believe now it is the duty of the members of both the house and the senate that have the welfare of the ! T THE conference of Nonparti- people at heart to stand by their guns, and not compromise on this question. It reminds me of a little story. Up at Winnipeg they have quite a time getting soldiers to enlist. The recruit- ing officers will meet a man on the streets there and ask him to join the army. Any able-bodied man has half a dozen of them after him all the time, urging him to “do his bit” for the serv- ice of the country. And one day quite an able-bodied man was met by a recruiting officer. The officer says, ‘“Friend, don’t you want to enlist in the army and go across the sea and fight for the king?” The stranger said he did not think he would like to. The-officer kept urging and insisting. Finally the man said: ¢“I will tell you, the truth is I am physically disabled.” On the officer ex- pressing his great surprise that a man who looked so healthy and able-bodied should claim to be ‘*physically dis- abled,” the man replied: “Well, boys, I will tell you; I haven’t got the guts!” PROUD OF NERVE SHOWN BY FARMERS Well, T am proud that the League representatives in the house and in the senate, had the nerve and backbone, to stand up for what they thought was right——for what the people de- manded. And when you go home after this What the Reader of Editor Nonpartisan Leader: For a state to insure its farmers against loss of their honest efforts at raising a crop is no new thing. Some states insure sheep against sheep-kill- ing dogs, a hazard far nearer under the control of man than hail. All dogs, irrespective of worth, breed or use the owner makes of them, are taxed alike to create a sheep insurance fund. Dog taxes are collected the same as other taxes. Likewise let us have a hail law taxing all agricultural land equal, irrespective of worth, location or use the owner makes of them. This creates a hail fund. ‘When a sheep raiser finds his sheep damaged by dogs he either notifies the proper township or county officials asking them to send appraisers to esti- mate the loss, or he gets two or three of his neighbors to witness the circum- stance and estimate the loss. Let us do the same with hail Dogs usually attack lambs. Hail gets growing crops. Sheep appraisers re- port under oath something like the fol- lowing: SAMPLE REPORT OF SHEEP LOSS We find farmer A’s sheep damaged, evidently by dogs, as follows: 2 big lambs dead, loss....... .$6.00 3 big lambs maimed, loss .... 3.00 b small lambs dead, loss ..... 5.00 1 small lamb maimed, loss ... .50 1 old sheep dead, loss ....... 7.00 Total 10SS eevervennns ...$21.50 Farmer A also states in writing the fact of his loss and asks the state through its proper officials to reim- burse him the loss as found by the appraisers. The affidavits are consid- ered sufficient evidence of the facts stated therein, and it is mandatory that the loss be paid out of the dog tax fund. . Similar to this let us have a law so He Approves of Stand Taken by Them session is over with, I do not believe there will be a single man of you that will be a bit embarrassed to meet his constituents and tell them of the fight he put up down here at Bismarck. And if you can go home with a clear conscience, then you can rest assured that the people at home are going to stay by you—are going to support your actions here. This referendum 1 believe will be a great means of education for all the people of the state. We will have al- most two years, or a year and a half, to get the people educated on this matter; to tell them what we want, and to get them studying the question. And they are studying it now. Many of the farmers already have perused and studied and know House Bill 44 better than a lot of the senators who voted against it the other day. (Ap- plause). DEBT ARGUMENT HAS LITTLE FORCE The people of North Dakota are in- terested in the developments in their DIVEY FROM RICHLAND:— “ THEY ARE UNPATRIOTIC AND AMANRRRRG ..\\\\\\}\‘“ W\ IMMORAL ~THEY AS SHEPHERD » | campaign during this session. The great argument against the state- owned proposition was that it would be a tax upon the people—that it would mean higher taxes. On that ground they hoped to get people voting against the League ticket. Now they want to carry out that same proposition, to make it a tax, so as to get the people against it. That is the reason they don’t want to bond. They know that is the proper way that it should be done, but they don’t like to go back on that argument that the League pro- gram would raise the taxes. I understand this city of Bismarck is bonded for about $300,000 to improve this city. If one little city like this can bond for $300,000, I don't see why the state can not bond for that many millions, or more, to benefit the state. There is no reason why it can’t—or why it shan’t. I believe the people are going to demand it, and keep on de- manding it till they get it. (Applause). Even if our state-owned institutions of any kind prove a failure, the people want them, and they have a right to try them out and see whether they will fail or not. ALL THE COUNTRY WATCHING RESULT I will not take any more of your time. I want to thank you again for the support that you have given; and I know every League representative and -those that have voted for the wishes of the people will have nothing to be ashamed of when they go home; and I believe that in the campaign in the next two years, you can educate the people—not only the farmers, but the great majority of the town people as well—to see the benefits of this ac- tion. And I believe that they will' be willing fo carry it out, and help this thing along. I have received letters every day from all over the country inquiring about the method that was used in this state in getting the people’s ticket elected. I have referred these to the League headquarters to give them the information they wanted. So you see that the people all over the country are waking up and they are going to have something to say in the government. I thank you. State Should Do About Hail the Leader Explains Method of Insuring Growing Crops, Fund to be Raised by Taxation that when a county auditor has infor- mation that farmer A has a loss by hail, he or the county commissioners should send appraisers to estimate the amount of the loss or.f this be too in- convenient let the farmer get two or three of his neighbors to estimate the loss. The appraisers report should be something like the following: “We find that Farmer A in his earn- est effort to raise a crop of wheat on certain land described as 40 acres, etc., incurred expenses as follows: Rental value of land for the season, 40 acres ..........$80.00 Plowing ......... ...-60.00 Packing .... eesees 10.00 Dragging ... o s ol s pie i 8400, Seed wheat ... teessnsss 60.00 Sowing seed ...eeeeseeessses 20.00 Total expenditures ....$238.00 Republican Senators’ Betrayal of the People (Editorial in Devils Lake (N. D.) Journal) “We favor the submission to the people of constitutional amendments for approval or rejection, the question of state owned flour mills in connec- tion with our terminal elevators, and SUCH OTHER ENTERPRISES for PUBLIC PURPOSES as the PEOPLE may from time to time deem neces- sary FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NATURAL RESOURCES OF THE STATE AND WELFARE OF THE PEOPLE.” The above is a paragraph from the Republicah state platform adopted at Bismarck last September.’ Can there be any question in the mind of any fair man as to the meaning of that paragraph? And yet those who are shuffling their feet around trying to find something upen which to stand to justify their betrayal of the trust reposed in them by the voters, hypocritically whine that “the question of changing the constitution was never mentioned in the campaign, and the people have never been given an opportunity to say what they wanted, etc, ete.” All that the Farmers’ League is attempting to do is to carry out the pledge MADE TO THE PEOPLE BY THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. They are working for the “SUBMISSION TO THE PEOPLE OF CONSTITU- TIONAL AMENDMENTS FOR APPROVAL OR REJECTION, THE QUESTION OF STATE OWNED FLOUR MILLS, ETC.” They are at- tempting no more and no less. They are trying to get these constitutional amendments submitted to the people “for approval or rejection” before the babes born this year grow to be gray haired old men dand women. The Nonpartisans would like to have it submitted before they themselves die of old age. Indeed, they would like to see it submitted during the lives of their children. More than that, they would like to see it submitted so that the people living today may have opportunity to vote upon it, and if it should be approved, give the people who conceived the idea an oppor- tunity to help build our state under the new conditions and enjoy what- ever good that may result. “Now we find 50 per cent of A’s wheat destroyed by hail. Therefore the state of N. D. through our county commissioners should reimburse him in the sum of $119.” Farmer A also makes a statement of his loss and asks to be reimbursed in the amount recommended by the ap- praisers. These affidavits are filed with the county auditor and acted on by the county commissioners in the regular course of business. LAW WOULD BE CREDIT TO STATE Farmer B farms in a different region. His items of expenditure may be some- what different from A’s. Thus: Rental value of '40 acres wheat ground .....c000....340.00 Burning stubble .. .. 10.00 Discing ....osveeeosns .o 20.00 .. 60.00 Sowing seed .....ccvvv00000..25.00 Harrowing after seeding .... 10.00 Pulling weeds .........e0.0.. 5.00 Total expenditure .....$170.00 If the appraisers find his crop 60 per cent destroyed then he should be entitled to $85.00. A law whereby the state guarantees to each of its farmer citizens that he shall be paid a fair valuation for his efforts at raising a crop if he is hail-d out, and which avoids speculations as to the probable future worth of the crop if it were not hailed, would cer- tainly be a credit to any state. Carrying insurance in a greater amount than simply to cover the ex- pense of putting in and caring for a crop is speculation and should be avoided by both state and individuals, JOHN . KASSENS. Lonetree, Ward County, N. D.