The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, May 17, 1920, Page 6

| TH North Dakota’s Fight Struggle of Farmers Told Concisely by a Woman Following is a portion of an address delivered before the Minot Women’s Nonpartisan club on the North Da- kota terminal elevator movement. The Leader will be glad to print on this page reports of other Nonpartisan club meetings, BY MRS. WILLIAM KANE ORTH DAKOTA raises the world’s finest wheat. It is in great demand the world over, consequently it should pay to raise wheat in this state; the contrary, however, istrue. Thefarmers were raising wheat at a loss instead of a gain. In every business certain things en- ter into the selling price—the cost of producing, interest on the investment and a profit to continue the business. The farmer, however, has to sell his produce at somebody else’s price, supposed to be regulated by the law of supply and demand. In reality the grain gamblers have generally managed to have the price low in the fall, when the farmer sells, and once they have the wheat in their pos- session the price raises. For a number of years the farmers were organ- izing and operating local elevators to enable them to get a better price for their grain; their efforts were futile, however, be- cause they still had to sell to the grain gam- blers who had things their own way at the ter- minal. The Equity farmers figured that if they had a terminal elevator to hold and store their grain they could keep it off the market when every- body was selling and enable the miller, who could not make good flour without their wheat, to get his wheat direct from the terminal elevator in its purity. In 1912 they signed petitions asking for a ter- minal elevator to be run by the state. In general elections in 1912 and 1914 constitutional amend- ments carried by big majorities. In 1915 the farm- ers were determined to get their elevator. At this session an Equity convention was held at Bismarck while the legislature was in session and George Loftus read his famous “rolleall.” But the farm- ers were denied their elevator. The farmers, thoroughly aroused at this rebuke, took steps to organize politically and send farmers to represent them at the next term. This they did and organized the Nonpartisan league, which or- ganization controlled the lower house in the elec- tion of 1916. The lower house passed house bill 44 to free the people from the manipulations of the chamber of commerce, but the holdover senators killed this bill. But so thoroughly aroused were the people at home that one of the holdovers in- troduced an impractical bill as a makeshift. This bill was passed, but Governor Frazier, discovering its jokers, vetoed it. In 1918 the League elected a majority of both houses and a terminal elevator bill was passed, rat- ified"by the people in June, 1919, but so strongly entrenched were the grain gamblers that they car- . ried their fight to the United States supreme court, after being defeated in the state supreme court. FROM A FARM GIRL Editor Nonpartisan Leader: I am always read- ing the Woman’s page in the Nonpartisan Leader and am much interested in it, especially in the let- ters. I am especially interested to find that we have a lady candidate, Miss Lily Anderson. I would certainly like to. cast my vote for her, but my age will not allow it, as I am only 16. But.you older girls and ladies, don’t be slackers, and all be at the ballot box at the next election and help kick out This youngster is a rabbit raiser. How many other boys and girls in League households have pic- tures of themselves and their pets? along; we will try to find space for such pictures on this page. .sun parlor. the fat boys and the Minnesota Issues that calls our fathers I. W. W.s and Socialists. Be sure and put on a pointed shoe so they can feel it. Girls, also urge your mothers to join the Nonpartisan Women’s clubs. -And the young girls—join in and let us know your opinion of the Woman’s page and if your fathers and brothers are interested in the League. Let’s all hope for a Nonpartisan victory for our 1920 campaign. We'll stick; we'll win. MISS AGATHA LICHY. Avon, Minn. LIGHT PLANTS FOR SCHOOLS Every consolidated school should have its own electric light plant, says A. P. Hollis of the North Dakota Agricultural college. Not only does the school with electric light and power need it for its own uses, but with electric lighting the school can be made the community center. The agricultural college offers a moving picture and stereopticon service to-all schools that have electric current. The cur- rent also can be used to operate practical machin- ery and apparatus, elec- tric pumps -and other conveniences. BE AT THE POLLS Editor Nonpartisan Leader: I have been in- tending to write you how much we enjoy your pa- per. Although'I do not live on a farm I believe the farmers should or- ganize, for the progress of the world depends up- on those who sow and reap, upon the delvers in the mines and the work- ers in the shops, upon the inventors and discoverers and upon the brave thinkers. - I think the rights of men and women should be equal. And now, sisters, be at the polls this coming election and vote for the greatest cause ever known. Sparta, Wis. MRS. LOTTIE POWERS. Send them Plans for Farmhouse anesota Contributor’s Idea for Large - Family Editor Nonpartisan Leader: Here is the ground floor plan of my farmhouse. Upstairs are four bedrooms with closets, bathroom and hall and an open porch (over the downstairs porch). The house is square style and of good size. [ The bakement can be di- vided into sections so as to have furnace room, fuel room, laundry, veg- i DINING etable pit and storage. i RO The rear or side en- trance is into a built-in Iox18 porch. This needs a glass door to give light. Here is a sink to be used to wash hands, ete. The kitchen is made with a built-in cabinet and a sink with drainboard. Dining room and kitchen have a good-sized pantry between them, thus giv- ing the housewife no ex- tra steps. The “parlor has -four six-foot doors and windows on each side of the door from the The other three doors 'should be made to slide into the walls. Bedrooms should each have two large windows; which also will help light the parlor. MAHNOMEN COUNTY GIRL. Mahnomen, Minn. 10 X PAGE SIX e FRENCH -DOORS SUN PORCH Must Protect Mothers Nation Gives Them Less Attention Than Cattle, Miss Smith Shows DITOR Nonpartisan Leader: I think the Farm Woman’s page'is fine, just what we need. Every one of us read the Nonpartisan Leader, also the Min- nesota Leader, and are anxiously waiting for the Daily Star. As I sat here last night these thoughts came to me: Our government pays no attention to the lives of mothers and babies. Statistics show that last year we lost 250,000 babies and over 20,000 mothers died in childbirth, all seemingly unnoticed by the government. However, it spent $47,000,000 to pre- - vent losses of hogs and cattle. Can it be that the lives of hogs and cattle are of more value than - human lives? A bill now before' congress appropnates money to save mothers and babies. The' same bill was killed in the last congress. Can not we women use our power of voting to this end? I think men and women in every congressional district should pledge their candidates for congress to support this bill. A wee bit of advice in conclusion. Let not one of our farm women be-detained from going to the polls by any household duty, however important it may seem. Plan ahead to be free part of the day at least and let us do our utmost to help our men to triumph. We'll stick; we’ll win. Kimball, Minn. MISS BEATRICE SMITH. FROM COLORADO Editor Nonpartisan Leader: We have been pay- ing 4 cents per pound for corn and about 21 cents for bran to fatten some pigs and, figuring the cost, we would have to get 15 cents per pound live weight to come out whole on them, but as they are selling here on the markets for 14 to 17 cents dressed, we are left with the sack to hold again. We were completely hailed out in 1918, and suf- fered a complete failure from the drouth of 1919, hence have to buy all our grain, and as we have been paying $30 per ton for hay, too, you see it makes it pretty rough sledding for us. As it does not pay to grieve over spilt milk I will pass along my method of rendering lard. I always see that every particle of rind is cut off, then I have it cut into convenient pieces which is ground on the meat cutter, leaf fat and all. This makes it a little tedious, but I think it well pays for the extra trouble, as I get more lard and only have to drain the cracklmgs through a colander, or better still, a wire sieve. I then save all the cracklings to be used in cookies and corn bread, which does away with having to use lard in them and both eats are always pronounced good by those who partake of them. I see some of the corre- spondents of the Leader are advocates of the eight- hour law, but how are they going to help us poor farm women solve the problem who have to start the day at the break of dawn? The farm woman necessarily has to be thinking aheaa all the time that she may be able to get through with the routine of cook- ing and washing dishes three times a day, making beds, sweeping floors, rais- ing chickens, gathering eggs, churning and work- ing butter or washing the cream separator, cream cans and strainer cloths. Then comes the family wash and ironing once a week, besides the sewing, mending and bakmg bread. Many times at noon they are too tired to eat.” Then when the day is ended, usually not be- fore 8 p. m., they almost fall into bed, too tired to even think of the movies, " parks or other places of amusement. . Carr, Col. MRS. D. H. ELAM. 14-