The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, May 17, 1917, Page 9

Robert Byrne F. A. Hoare Sen. Morton Mortonson Fred Eckert E. E. Kurts C. F. .Dupuis Forty-First District Was Loyal Members Stood by Their Constituents and All Six Voted for House Bill 44 [ ILLIAMS and McKenzie coun- ties, comprising the forty-first district, have the distinction of having sent to the recent farmer legislature the largest League delegation sent by any district or any county in the state of North Dakota. Its one senator and its five representatives all stood staunchly by the ILeague throughout the session, voting solidly for House Bill 44 and for all League measures. Most of them were regular attendants at the cau- cuses, and they frequently took part in the lively arguments that made the caucuses anyvthing but a cut-and-dried affair. The forty-first district delegation comprises the following members: Senator Morton Mortenson of Hoff- lund, Williams county; Representative C. F. Dupius of Temple, Williams county; Representative Robert Byrne of Arnegard, McKenzie county; Repre- sentative “Fred Eckert of Williston, Williams county; Representative E. E. Kurtz of Schafer, McKenzie county, and Representative ¥. A. Hoare of Ray, Williams county. THEY FRAMED 2 SOME GOOD BILLS One of the biggest fights of the ses- sion was waged about House Bill 298 by Dupius, a bill proposing to regulate freight rates by putting into effect what are commonly known as the “Cashman rates” of the Minnesota rate law. The effect of passing this bill would have® been to reduce freight rates on an average of 28 per.cent for the entire state of North Dakota, and the railroad lobby that dominated the leading hold-over senators flew to arms the moment it reached the senate. The house passed it with little oppo- sition, for the railroad lobby knew it had no look-in with the Nonpartisan League house. So the lobby waited until the bill got to the senate. Several lively tilts were held in open committee meetings, at which repre- sentatives of jobbing houses pooled their interests with railroad attorneys and freight agents to argue the senate railroad committee into .killing the measure. = 'Upon this bill the Old Gang senate tried one of the most flagrant viola- tions of a constitution ever attempted by any legislative body. It tried to take legislative action while in execu- tive session. This was proposed by the same Old Gang that killed House Bill 44 and the labor bills, and they even went so far as to go into execu- tive session on other pretenses, and then introduce Xouse Bill 298 for argument and final slaughter. When League senators became incensed at this unprecedented and underhanded / attack, the executive session broke up” but the Old Gang made one more at- tempt to work the same plan on the succeeding day, by sending an emis- sary, supposed to be friendly with the League, to make some promises if the League would consent to discuss this Dupuis freight rate bhjll in executive session. As this is in direct violation of the constitution which provides that noth- ing but appointments can be consider- ed in executive session, the League senate’ caucus sent back a hot refusal, and the Old Gang retaliated by killing the bill. Representative Byrne of the forty- first district put through the legisla- ture an important measure, House Bill 175 providing for the creation, govern- ment and management of an irrigation system, which is as much needed in some parts of western North Dakota as drainage is needed in the eastern part. FOR DEVELOPING THE STATE’S RESOURCES Representative Tockert put through the legislature a bill, House Bill 304, for further developing the work of the school of mines in testing North Da- kota clays, with a view to showing the possibility of manufacturing various 'kinds of pottery. The North Dakota clays under the laboratory and prac- tical tests applied to them have shown that they can be manufactured into the finest kind of pottery of several classes, and Mr. Bryne's bhill provided for pushing this work vigorously. ‘While these were the principal meas- ures put through by the forty-first district all-League delegation, it was not in fathering bills that they did most for their constituents. They showed the League spirit in a way that no other section did, for while many districts were loyal to the last League man, no other one had so large a dele- gation in the legislature; while some of the otherwise banner League coun- ties or districts had hold-over Old Gangsters. This was the misfortune of Boftineau county, which elected two Democratic and two Republican League members in the house, but had Sena- tor Sandstrom to defeat DBottineau county hopes in the senate. It was the misfortune of Ward. county (second district) which still had Englund to fight against their welfare and ex- pressed wishes. Some other districts elected I.eague men who afterward turned traitor, such as Stenmo, sena- tor from the seneventh district in Grand Forks county, and Everson, represent- ative from the sixteenth district, Steel and Griggs. But the forty-first dis- trict, with the largest delegation from any district in- the state was League from start to finish, and stronger at the finish than at the start. Saving Money for All the People FEW bankers in North Dako- ta have been making a good think out of the investment of the state terminal elevator “fund at the expense of the tax- payers\, through the action of the old Hanna-Jorgenson-Linde regime, which was letting them have this money at three per cent, when it could ‘have been earning for the Dpeo- ple of the state, five, six, seven and perhaps more, if the former state ‘board of auditors had been as keen to safeguard the interests of the citizens as it was the interests of the bankers. This condition was brought to light ‘April 2 when the state board of audi- tors, comprising the attorney general, state auditor and secretary of state, met in regular session to 'audit the books of ‘the state treasurer according to law. The terminal elevator fund has accumulated about $100,000 and this is in the hands of various banks designated as state depositaries, where 4t has 'been drawing three per cent in direct violation of law, which provides that it shall draw not less than four per cent. BANKS EAGERLY COMPETE FOR STATE FUNDS “The eagerness of bankers to get money and pay twice what this fund has been drawing, was demonstrated the day the board met when two bank- ers offered five per Cent, and another offered six for the use of the state . terminal elevator fund. The present board of auditors, .comprising State Auditor’ Carl Kositzky, Attorney Gen- eral William Langer, and Secretary of State Thomas Hall, in conjunction with Governor Frazier, all elected on Nonpartisan League indorsement, ha§ called for bids for the wuse of this money. - This fund of $100,000 should have been re-deposited immediately after the close of the 1915 legislative session in accordance with the law passed at that time, (chapter 59 of the 1915 ses- sion laws) which provides that all funds for which there 'is no immediate use, and which have accumulated $5000 or more, shall be deposited at not less than four per cent as time deposits, with bankers who shall be awarded these funds under competitive bids. Up to that time the legislature, al- ways careful of the interests of the banks, had provided that mno state funds should draa more than three per cent. The terminal elevator fund was then drawing not to exceed three per cent—and the old Hanna board of au- ditors just let it go on drawing its old rate of interest regardless of the mew law which Governor Hanna signed March 9, 1915. But the banks were lending this and other money out to -~ For the Léague Now 3 Lakota, May 1, 1917. Editor Nonpartisan Leader: I take this means in calling your at® tention to the fact that the policy of the Nelson County Observer is now unqualifiedly in support of the Non- partisan League and its organization throughout. Believing the League to ‘be the only effective organization in the state and realizing the necessity the war has made for concentration and conservation of our efforts, and seeing that the hope of National suc- cess rests largely with the North Da- kota farmer, | make this change of policy, actuated by motives of the- highest patriotism. Your co-gperation will be appreciated. The larger this list the more effective the work the paper can do. Thanking you in ad- vance, I am Yours very truly, GEQO. C. REEDER, Prop. Nelson County Observer. State Officers Chosen by Farmers Correct Business Neglect of “Business Administration” farmers on mortgages, drawing often as high as 10 per cent or more. One of the provisions- of the statute just referred to is that “the interest re- ceived from such time deposit shall be- long to and become part of the fund thereunto entitled.” This provision ~had not been obeyed by the old board. The present board of auditors be- lieves that the demand for this money at rates in excess of what it has been drawing, together with the fact that it can be compounded annually under the new law, will be sufficient to in- crease the terminal elevator fund $25,- 000 within the nmext two years. In connection with this saving to the people of the state, it should be recall- ed also that the present administration, in office less than four months, has be- gun to collect the taxes due for the past five years on the private car lines in North Dakota, such as the oil cars, refrigerators, etc, which funds are now coming into the state treasur- er'’s office in a steady stream and will total somewhere around $25,000; while the state is collecting the long delin- quent taxes from many counties for insane patients, and several other items, and squaring itself with coun- ties with which it has not made an accounting since Auditer Carl Jorgen- son of the Hanna administration went into office. e { i i f