The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, March 21, 1921, Page 8

Leaguers Ready fOermn Campalgn il National Convention Gives-New Responsibilities and Powers to State Offlces—Delegates Full of Enthu31asm HE national committee of the Nonpar- tisan league, consisting of members of the various League state committees and, under the League articles of asso- ciation, the supreme governing power of the national organization, met in Minneapolis March 8 and 9. An entirely new plan | of division of the membership fees between the 1 - state and national organizations, and a new division i of authority and responsibility, giving states a § b o much larger measure of autonomy, was decided PiLh upon by the committee. The work of the commit- i tee, in brief, was as follows: i William Lemke of North Dakota, whose term ex- bid i pired as member of the national executive commit- } tee of three, of which A. C. Townley is chairman, was unanimously re-elected for another six-year the Nonpartisan Leader only through League mem- berships, but any one may now subscribe to the Nonpartisan Leader at the new price, and if he later joins the League he will be credited in his dues with the amount of subscription money he has paid the Leader. HOW MEMBERSHIP FEE WILL BE DIVIDED IN FUTURE Ay AT The membership fee\of $18 remains the same and covers a two-year period as before. It is to be di- vided as follows: The state organization retains $14 and sends $4 to the national office and paper. Of the money going to the national office $2 is for use of the national office and $2 for subscrlption for the member to the Nonpartisan Leader. The following table graphlcally shows the new division of the two-year fees as decided upon by the League national committee for the coming year: Collected Ke‘pt by state National Nonpagtisnn 2 by organizer organization office Leader Membership ...$12 $10 $2 State paper ... 3 3 o g e National paper 38 1: s “n $2 $18 $14 $2 $2 It will be seen from this that the state organiza- tion keeps 50 cents out of each annual Leader sub- seription, or $1 for two years, as commission for getting the subscriber. The dues in the state or- ganization, it is shown, are $5 a year, and in the national organization $1 a year, the balance of the fee collected from the farmer being for the state and national publications. Under the new division of authority between state and national organizations, the following will be TR ' books term. No other candidate was put in nomination. The work of keeping the and accounts of the League was transferred to the state offices, and the national of- i fice will in future rherely keep | a summary of the books kept in i the states and will periodically audit the state accounts. ) q A new division of the mem- i bership fee between the state and national organization was decided upon, under which the national office, for itself and the national magazine, the Nonpar- tisan Leader, will receive only $4 out of each two-year mem- bership fee of $18, in place of $7 which in the past has been the national -organization’s share. The states will in future pay for their own state official paper, instead of the national office paying the publication costs. Changes decided upon involve reducing the national staff to approximately a third of what it has been, making a consequent increase in the staff and impor- tance of state headquarters. The various state organiza- tions were instructed to hold delegate state conventions as soon as practicable for the elec- tion of new state committees of farmers, which will be in com- plete charge of the affairs of the League in the states. This or- der does not apply to Minnesota and North Dakota, which al- ready this year have held dele- gate conventions and elected new state committees. TO -BOOST THE WORK OF WOMEN’S CLUBS States were advised by the, } national committee to devote at least $1 from each membership : fee to promoting the work of the £ Women’s Nonpartisan c¢lub movement. i A sub-commjttee of the na- ¢ tional committee audited the na- tional books and accounts, as- sisted by a firm of chartered ac- ‘countants which they employed, found the books and accounts 0. K., and the report of the sub- committee was unanimously adopted by the committee. The Nonpartisan Leader was authorized to reduce its sub- scription price from $2.50 to i $1.50 a year and to put on a campaign for. subscribers throughout- the country inde- pendent of League memberships, as._a means of giving the pro- zram of the organized farmers a1 wider circulation. The farni- ers have been expected to get Resolutions Adopted by Convention Nonpartisan league, represent- E, THE delegates to the nation- al convention of the National ing 250,000 organized farmers ‘in 13 states, hereby resolve: Flrst—-We express our complete con- fidence in the integrity and ability of the three members of our national executive committee — A. €. Townley, William Lemke and F. B. Wood—and thank these men again for their noble efforts in the past year in forwarding the cause of our organization. Second—We point with pride to the record of Governor Lynn J. Frazier and all other state officials and legislators elected by thé organized farmers in North Dakota. In the face of the oppo- sition of the forces of - special privilege they have, without exception, remained steadfast to their trust and have done their utmost to bring about the comple- tion of the industrial program which has been ratified by the people at nine differ- ent elections. Third — We commend especially the achievements of the Bank of North Da- kota. In spite of a conspiracy to destroy its credit and bring about its ruin, that would have proved disastrous to any pri- vate banking institution, this bank of the people has stood like a rock of Gibraltar. Fourth—The attitude of the financial powers of the country, in placing a boy- cott upon the state of North Dakota and in refusing to buy its securities unless the state would give up its sovereignty, can only be answered by the action of the common people of the country. We invite honest men and women everywhere to examine the affairs of North Dakota . and to lend their support in preventing Wall street from becoming a political dictator. We urge our members to in- - vest their savings in North Dakota bonds. The validity of these bonds has been sus- tained by the supreme court of the Unit- ed States. They are secured by resources amounting to $9,000,000,000 and the tax- ing power of the state. These bonds are exempt from taxation by the national government and the states. An invest- ment in these bonds is absolutely safe and will insure the success of the most important industrial program in exist- ence in this country. Fifth—Through the co-operation of or- ganized farmers, organized city workers and progressives generally, Wisconsin now has in Governor John.J. Blaine and . his associates upon the ticket, state offi- - cials who truly represent’ the common people in their struggle for democracy and better conditions. We congratulate the people of Wisconsin for. their achieve- ment in the cause of honest and popular government. Sixth—We congratulate the people of North Dakota in sending to the United States senate Dr. E. F. Ladd. For the first time the organized farmers, not only of North Dakota, but of the entire nation, will be represented in the highest deliber- ‘. \ PAGE EIGHT ative body of our country and our pro- gram will become, not merely a state but a national issue. Seventh—We call attention to the na- tion-wide drive now being made by the forces of special privilege to have con- gress repeal excess profits taxes and Jower the taxes on large incomes, and shift the burden of taxes to the consumer by means of sales taxes or special com- modity taxes. We are unalterably op- posed to any attempt to thus transfer taxes nmow borne by the profiteers and idle rich to the common people. Eighth—Inasmuch as 93 per cent of our present national taxes go to" meet the expenses of past wars and prepara- tion.for future wars we believe the way ,to lower taxes is to reduce military and ‘naval expenditures. Our present race of armaments can only lead to war if it is continued. Great Britain and Japan are willing to enter into negotiations for a naval holiday and 95 per cent of the peo- ple of the United States demand that our government should take a clear-cut stand for peace. Ninth — The' Esch-Cummins railroad law has proved a failure. In spite.of un- precedented - increases in railroad rates the railroads have been looted of much of their revenues by graft and are now_ about to demand further rate increases. We urge the repeal of the Esch-Cummins law and the operation of the railroads by the government. f this can not be brought about immediately the interstate commerce commission should at least be deprived of its dual capacity of acting as fiscal agent of the railroads, on one hand, and as a court in the rate cases. Tenth—We condemn the policy of the federtl reserve board which has brought financial disaster upon our country, first by pursuing a policy of inflation for the benefit of war and post-war profiteers, and then by pursuing a policy of sudden deflation, which has forced the farmers of America to sell their products at prices far below the cost of production, thus causing financial depression throughout the nation and more than doubling the .burden of debt. Eleventh—We congratulate the women of America upon having won the ballot and call upon them to take their rightful place on the side of the common people seeking further industrial and political democracy. We especially commend the progressive work of the Women’s Non- partisan clubs in interesting the women of the farms in bettering their conditions. Twelfth — Organized workers of the cities and the organized farmers have a common cause and a common enemy. We thank organized labor for their co-opera- tion and assistance in our political strug- gles, express our hope that they may be successful in their fight against the inter- - -ests that would destroy their organiza- tions' and pledge our support to them ix their struggle with special pnvflege for industrial democracy. . state expenses; will their respective powers: ~The state, through the state committee —Will publish the state paper, fix all salaries and commissions of state office em- ployes and organizers, keep the detailed books and accounts, di- rect the state work and pay all appoint state manager with approval of national orgamzatlon The stdte, through the state delegate convention—Will have full power_to frame state political and economic programs, will elect state committee, will select and indorse candidates for office, will decide whether to run candidates in any party or .as independents. The 'national organization — Will periodically audit state books, will decide on national political or economic questions and candidates, if any, will supervise organization work in states and retain veto power on appointment of state managers; will decide policy of state papers as well as national paper on na- tional questions, leaving the state policy to the state organ— ization. DELEGATES READY FOR HARD CAMPAIGN The members of the commit- tee left for their homes satisfied that they have started the or- _ganization on another successful year’s work, They were enthu- siastic over organization pros- pects this year in all states. There will be no political cam- paigns and the energy of the or- ganization ean be devoted solely to building up a strong member- .ship. Leaguers were especially warm in commendation of North Dakota and volunteered any aid needed in case a recall election is held in the pioneer state. ‘There was warm discussion among committeemen on vari- ous questions regarding the or- ganization, but differences of opinion were a healthy sign-and were all ironed out, so that the work of the committee as an- nounced represents the unani- mous sentiment. The 13 states where the League has an organ- ization were all nearly 50 state committeemen being present, including several women delegates. / Instructions to all states are to commence the 1921 organiza- tion drive at once. Workers will get. into harness after the win- ter’s rest with renewed pep and enthusiasm., represented, . -