The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, February 16, 1920, Page 11

ro>oa % % S Sy 4 e Norway Has a Nonpartisan League A Brief Account of the Principles and History of the - “Norsk Landmandsforbund” 4 ORWAY has a farmers’ Nonpartisan league. It is known as the “Norsk Landmandsforbund” and fulfills the same place in > the Norwegian farmer’s life that the League does here. L. K. Morland of Pierce, N. D., sent the Leader the following translations from a Norwegian pamphlet: “The farmers’ organization men- tioned heretofore (similar to the Unions, Granges and Equity societies in the United States) all have certain aims., They try to improve farming methods by modern improvements, economically and technically. But just as. a farmer’s work has a social and national side, so has the farmer a position to fill as a’citizen. If he is to do this successfully for himself and his country he can not stand alone or in small isolated groupg without a cen- tral aim. Our time demands that the farmers form an organization cover- ing the whole country, to represent the farmer in all walks of life, through political campaigns, in the assembly and in the king’s council. : “Such an organization we finally have in Norsk Landmandsforbund (Norwegian Farmers’ league). “The idea of this organization came from J. T. Landmark, prominently connected with an agricultural col- lege. After several meetings during 1893 to 1896 the league was finally or- ganized at a larger meeting held at Christiania, February 6, 1896, with 2563 members joining directlys and the: nmembership of 81 small local farmers’ unions joining indirectly: k “Bylaws were adopted ®and M. Landmark made president. . According to the first paragraph of the bylaws the main aim of the league was to unite the Norwegian farmers to work ‘as one unit for their economical ‘and social interest.’ ELECTIONS LIKE THOSE OF NONPARTISAN LEAGUE . “This first paragraph still stands, ' but otherwise the bylaws have been changed several times; especially when the reorganization took place in 1910. Now' the league has 24 directors, serving two years and elected by elec- tors or delegates, 12 directors being elected annually. The directors elect the president.” Mr. Morland adds to the direct translation the following comments: . “In 1900 it was -this organization that prompted the establishment of the department of agriculture m Nor- way. During the years shortly before and after 1905 the league had its poor- est years. In 1912 there were 20,000 members, now there are over 60,000. “The league was supposed to be nonpolitical when it started. When reorganization took place in 1910 the first paragraph in the bylaws got this addition: ‘The league will not appear as a separate political party and will not affiliate with any of the existing parties, but will support any candidate who agrees with the league.’ “Their main political program was to make farming as profitable as other industries and to put agricultural in- terests on an equal footing with other interests regarding a protective tariff. “Before the election in 1918 several members again, wanted the league to assert itself as a separate political party but they finally decided to sup- port acceptable candidates as before, with this addition—before supporting any -political candidate that candidate is required to pledge himself to sup- port the league and if elected -is further pledged to join a mnonpolitical group at the storthing and with com- bined efforts work for the league pro- gram. - This group — storthingets bondelak—now has 60 members in the Norwegian parliament.” .FLOUR TO VIENNA Announcement is made that the al- lied purchasing agency, the Wheat Export company, Inc., has purchased from the United States Grain corpo- ration $1,000,000 worth of flour which will be shipped immediately from New York for the relief of Vienna. 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