The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, August 25, 1919, Page 6

o .for the farmers. - than all other industrial classes in the United States combined, ' when they are given proper credit for both the material they pro- Nonpartisn Tader Official Magazine of the National Nonpartisan League—Every Week Entered as second-class matter Septemher 8, 1915, at the postoffice at St. Paul, anesota under the Act of March 8, 1879 LIVER S. MORRIS, Editor E. B. Fussell, A. B. Gilbert nnd C. W. Vonier, Associate Editors. B. 0. Foss, Art Editor. Subscription, one year, in advance, $2.50; six b lease do not malke checks, drafts nor money orders payable to indie Address all letters and make all remittances to The Nonpartisan Leader, P A S P s S LN o M P R S (RS TS PR SRS o e Y S Advertising rates on application. Box 575, St. Paul, Minn. MEMBER OF AUDIT BUREAU OF CIRCULATIONS HE S. C. BECKWITH SPECIAL AGENCY, Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit, Kansas City. Advertising - Representatives, New T York, B e — Q.unck fraudulent and irresponsible firms' are not knowingly advertised, and we will take it as a favor y readers will advise us promptly should they have occasion to doubt .or questmn the relmbxllty of any firm which patronizes our advertising columns. NORTH DAKOTA BUYS A MILL URCHASE of the first state-owned flour mill by the Mill and . P Elevator association of North Dakota has been announced. The mill is small—it has a capacity of only 125 barrels of flour a day—but it-is a new step by the farmers’ administration in carrying out the farmers’ program. It is also a move in the di- - rection of breaking away from the domination of the millers. The purchase of the little mill, located at Drake, N. D., in McHenry - county, is epochal. It stands beside the Bank of North Dakota - as an achievement of the people. e Drake mill is destined to make history. It is the first a’rtempt in the United States of the people to utilize its own product. There are many publicly owned projects, but in the main they are public utilities. Other states have publicly owned terminal ele- vators where the farmer may store his grain. The new project will mean much to North Dakota. Not only will the farmer get a fairer share of the product of his labor, not only will he be given a squarer deal in the grading and purchasing of his MY WHEART, DTY MILL grain, but he will be encouraged to grow more grain. It will en- courage others to come into the state for other prOJects It will increase dairying by making mill feeds cheaper and easier to get. The increase of dairying will mean new industries for the state. There will be creameries attracted to North Dakota, cheese fac- tories and condenseries. The dairy production in the state already has increased con- siderably. Manufacture of North Dakota dairy products within the state has grown in the last two years. A smaller proportion than ever before of the raw dairy products is leaving the. state for the outside, : : The consumer will benefit from the new mill. He will get a brand of flour that has the guarantee of a state behind it. That guarantee will be a warrant of quality and fairness. at the lowest possible price. There will be no excess profits, no juggling of figures to squeeze an extra profit out of the mill. The Drake mill is truly a democratic 1nd1.str1al venture, for it is an industry of the whole people. LABOR’S RAILROAD PLAN 4 I VHE National . Nonpartisan league has from its 1ncept10n‘ stood squarely for the principle of public ownership of rail- ways. There has been, however, so little prospect of imme- - diate accomplishment of this purpose that the League and its rep- resentatives in congress have thus far refrained from presenting a specific program and plan for government ownership. The - League still stands for the principle, believing that there is no other real solution of this tremendously important question. . It is a question that has peculiar importance and sngmficance The farmers create more tonnage in freights duce and that which they consume. Therefore the farmers have a deep and special interest in‘the subJect of transportatlon and ownershlp of railways. - He will get it The _rajlway brotherhoods and the Amerlcan Federatlon of'?_' é,/ % . / / % // ,%,,’é/ Labor have now reached practically the same conclusions as those adopted long ago by the Nonpartisan league and have prepared and submitted to congress a plan known as the ‘“Plumb plan” for the nationalization and public ownership of railways. has been indorsed by the four railway brotherhoods and also by the American Federation of Labor. In the main it is.a splendid plan and one that we can afford to indorse, and do indorse, in substance. Like all other plans covering legislation for new purposes it can not in the first instance be perfect. But an excellent beginning has been made and one of ‘the fine things about it is that neither the brotherhoods nor the § MOT PERFECT BUr A VERY l_ggoo START federation of labor, nor even Glenn E. Plumb, the author of the plan, look -upon it as a perfected instrument, but offer it as the basis on which to work out the problem. This is the right attitude to take towards progressive legislation of this kind and one in which the organized farmers can back them in every possible way. The plan suggested by Mr. Plumb and the brotherhoods em-- bodies the idea of a board of 15 directors, five to be elected by the employes below grade of appointed officials, five to be elected by the appointive officials and five to be appomted by the President of the United States. We suggest that five other members be added to this board of directors, these five additional directors to. be chosen by and from the five leadmg farmer organizations of the United States, to represent specifically the interests of the farmers . as the principal shippers of the country. With the interests of the farmers thus protected the plan is one which will provide for real justice in the management of transportation. In any event the plan initiated by Mr. Plumb and the brother- hoods and indorsed by the American Federation of Labor is the most constructive forward-looking plan for the solution of the railway problem, and they are entitled to and will receive the earnest support of the organized farmers in their efforts to solve the transportation problem. _ THE HIGH COST OF LIVING HE biggest, most immediate problem that is facing the I United States and the world today is the high cost of living. The position of the National Nonpartisan league on this ques- tion can not be given more accurately and concisely than in the fol- - lowing statement, prepared by the executive committee of the League in response to a request from the Associated Press: As a remedy for the high cost of living the National Nonpartlsan league favors and urges: Public. ownership and democratic operation and control, for service . and not for profit, of all public utilities such as railways, telegraphs, telephones, waterpower, packing” and cold storage plants, terminal - elevators, flour mills and public markets. The collective use of the credit of the community for the benefit: of the commumty by means of state banking institutions, likewise operated for service and not for profit. Shifting the burden of taxation from the producer to the spec- ulator and profiteer. A large part of this program is now actually bemg launched in North Dakota in accordance with the laws passed by the Nonpartisan league legislature and sustained by the direct vote of the people of North Dakota at the referendum -election held June 26, 1919. The Nonpartisan league was formed for the purpose of getting . the producer and consumer together through public ownership. The WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT THE PS HIGH C?_?‘ OF ZIVING § Bank of North Dakota is now in operation, which undoubtedly will lower the rate of interest on farm loans and make the interest rates uniform throughout the state. The state of North Dakota, through the State Mill and Elevator assocxatlon, has purchaaed a mxll and is now locating four large mills and terminal elevators in the state, con- struction of which will be pushed. These enterprises will be run for service and not for profit, thereby benefiting both producer and con- sumer. The North Dakota State Home Builders’ association will bulld cheaper ‘and better homes on easy terms of _payment, - S crimmatmn, in-local freight rates, This plan The League legis'ature passed a law doing away with unjust. dis- : o which: we hope the.federal govern- i