The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, November 22, 1917, Page 8

Handing Politicians a Lemon North Dakota Farmer Legislators, Though Hampered by a Hostile Majority in the Senate, Were Able To Accomplish Great Things For the State BY RALPH HARMON UCCESSFUL as the farmer administration of North Da- kota has been during the 11 months it has been in office, the administrative - depart=- . ments must share the credit with the legislature elected through the Non- partisan league. It was this legisla- ture, sincere, faithful and persistent, . that put on the statute books the laws that have made the farmer governor and other state officials effective. Without the good work of the legis- lature they wouldn’t have got very far. And in addition to laying the founda- tion for a sound, straight-forward ad- ministration, the legislature made a record for itself in economy and legis- lation that organized farmers every- where can be proud of. This was the first time in the his- tory of the state that farmers politic- ally organized were in power. ' They dominated the house of representatives completely, and it was here that most of the legislation in fulfillment of the League program originated. Much of this was defeated off-hand by the senate, where former political bosses had a majority of four members on full roll call; but on a number of measures there was enough dissension among the farmers’ opponents, or difference of opinion, to overcome the majority of four votes, and this accounts for the passing of some of the laws wanted by the farmers. In other cases there were individuals of the opposition who were sincerely favorable to certain measures put forward by the League members, and gave valuable assistance in getting them passed. . LEAGUE PLATFORM PLANKS ENACTED INTO LAW A brief summary of what this first farmer legislature did must include a glance at the constitutional amend- ments proposed; the laws passed for economic and political betterment; and its careful handling of the state’s finances, which had been left in a mess by the preceding administration and legislature. When they convened Janu- ary 2, 1917, the members elected by the Nonpartisan league had a pretty clear idea of what they wanted. They were elected on a program of compulsory state hail insurance; exemption of farm - improvements from taxation; state grading of grain and licensing of grain elevators; state managed rural credits at cost; state owned marketing facilities, such as elevators and ware- houses, state owned flour mills, cold storages and packing plants. They knew they couldn’t get all of this the first time they were in power, with their traditional enemies holding the whip hand in the senate, but they went as far as they could. And they did well. They put through the constitutional amendment for state hail insurance, the constitutional amendment for exemption of farm im- provements from taxation, and the state grain grading and elevator licens- ing bill, The hail insurance amend- ment already passed by one session of the legislature, was passed by the farmers and it now will go to the people at the next general election. This was one of the measures long de- manded by the people and held up by their legislatures until the pressure became too great to withstand. The state grain grading act has already proven of immense benefit to farmers, and its administration by North Da- kota officials has helped to offset some of the disadvantages and losses due to the federal grain grading act. CUT TAXES ON CITY AND FARM IMPROVEMENTS Immediate partial exemption of farm improvements from. taxation was also achieved by the 1917 legislature in addition to the amendment mentioned above. This is in the form of a law dividing all property into three classes for assessment. All property in the past was assessed at 25 per cent of its true value. Class 1 includes all land, town and city lots, railroads, bank stock and express and telegraph prop- erty and is assessed at 30 per cent of its value, instead of 25 per cent as here- tofore. Class 2 includes most other prop- erty, for instance livestock, machinery, automobiles, elevators and warehouses, and public utilities, such as gas, water, light and power plants, and this prop- erty is assessed at 20 per cent instead of 26 per cent. Class 8 includes all im- provements on farm lands, household This is the ninth and last article of the present series telling what the farmer administration of North Dakota has accomplished in its 11 months of power. This deals with the share the legislature had in the work. It shows how the election of officials to state office would be useless without laws giving them authority. It rounds out the answer to the question, ‘‘ What have they done?’’ which enemies began to ask several months ago, but have ceased to ask since the answer began to be published. goods, clothes and this property is as- sessed at 5 per cent instead of 25. This same right, to have improvements assessed at 5 per cent, is given to cities, whose city councils only have to pass a resolution establishing that rate in order to make it effective. A good key to the economic purposes of the North Dakota farmer legisla- ture is to be found in its amendment of the law governing farmers’ insti- tutes. Formerly these were under the direction of a board, in which the di- rector of the experiment station was the leading factor, The purposes of and the farmer legislators sat in their seats and chuckled. TAKE FAT MORSEL FROM LAND SPECULATORS Other legislation along the same line included the repeal of a 1915 statute creating an ‘“immigration commission” and appropriating $60,000 for the boosting of speculators’ land values; the passage of a bill creating irrigation districts and providing for their gov- ernment; the addition of a penalty clause to the dairy law, by which cream buyers can be fined and im- A MOUNTAIN OF FOOD DESTROYED BY MIDDLEMEN part of the asked-for loan in clearing up encumbrances, -and then to turn over the balance to the applicant. The legislature also enacted a law guaranteeing the deposits in state banks through levying a small assess- ment upon them for the building up of a safety fund. It enacted a law com- pelling all assessment insurance com- panies doing business in the state to keep on hand with the insurance de- partment a fund of at least $10,000 in state or other approved bonds to help settle any transactions that might have to be settled by the state. It passed a bill providing for the taxation of bonds, stocks and other moneys and credits at three mills per dollar adding a penalty of 50 per cent for attempted violation, and giving the tax officials full authority to investigate such property and make the levy. FARMERS LIBERAL WITH CITIES AND LABOR In addition to giving cities the op- portunity to assess their “class 3" property at only 5 per cent of its Here is an actual photograph of potatoes thrown overboard in Chicago by commission houses, to control the market. Many carloads of potatoes were kept on railroad sidings until they froze so as to give plausible excuse for dumping. City authorities found them and threatened prosecution. Here is a chance for the food administration to give an object lesson of its purpose and efficiency, for it is now criminal t> destroy food stuffs. The government has been notified. the institutes in the past included ad- vice on farming “and in general such instruction as will tend to promote the prosperity, home life and comfort of the farming population.” This law was changed to eliminate the entire board, and substitute the commissioner of agriculture, who now has complete charge of making up the program, en- gaging the lecturers for the 50 insti- tutes a year, and directing its trend. In most respects the purposes of the law remain the same but this signifi- cant quotation shows the fundamental difference: “— and especially such in-" struction as will tend to promote the best marketing conditions, home life and comfort of the farming popula- tion.” : 'The bill was passed by a big vote, these few changed words escaping the attention of the opposition, but-when the opposition senate leader discovered what had been done, there was panic in the anti-farmer ranks and a frantic effort was made to have the action rescinded, in which politician leaders stormed and . denounced the farmers, < : 'PAGE EIGHT - prisoned for discriminating ‘against local creameries through paying high prices in competitive territory and low prices where there is no competition; power to refuse licenses to cream buy- ers or to revoke them for violation of any of the dairy laws; and a law prescribing easier conditions under which farmers can borrow school land funds on mortgages. This law deserves special notice. Although it could not be greatly alter- ed short of a constitutional amend- ment, it was improved by extending the term of loans from 12 to 25 years, and by providing a way for the: at- torney general to pay off existing obligations upon land and thus make it available for a loan from the state school land fund.. Until this law was enacted last January no farmer who had any sort of encumbrance on land could get a loan upon it without going - to some money Ilender who would charge him a high rate to take up the first obligation, and clear it fer the state loan. The new law makes it the duty of the attorney general to apply valuation, this farmer legislature enacted a law to permit the construc- tion of municipal heating plants; to permit municipal power plants to sell electric current outside the city limits; and a law to permit cities in other states to own real estate in North Da- kota for “water supply and like pur- poses. It provided a semi-monthly pay day for railroad employes, doing away with long waits for the monthly pay check and the abuse of “time checks.” 1t passed a law giving any mechanic who has done repair work on personal prop- erty a prior lien on the property, even if it has been mortgaged before the work was done. The railroad commission was given authority to fix freight rates within the state upon a mileage basis, and it is soon to begin hearings upon a schedule already prepared under this authority. Railroads are forbidden under penalty to discriminate in favor of one shipper against another in allot- ing cars for hauling grain, and are (Continued on Page 14)