The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, May 16, 1921, Page 11

£ //, /////, r////; '19/; 07////%‘ 0/?/4 '/y /I///, / ? /// / / / 4 el A % Z 7 / 7 / / ;//, //m /////// /////// /////// 7% I// '7//// '// /”/4 w?/a % ////%7/4 w/// 'myfl rl/éllll,// 7Y r///x; 9////,,/5 /é///// ///:,v////, '///h /////// '//1 ////¢ /w/@ ”/////// / “H /////// /////// What They Did land Didn’t Do W A Brief Resume of the Sessions in Various League States, Written by Observers Who Were on the Ground MINNESOTA BY OLIVER S. MORRIS HE dominant Republican political ma- chine in Minnesota was forced, in the 1920 campaign, to make great prom- ises about what it would do for the farmers if its candidates were restor- ed to office. The political leaders had to promise a “farmers’ program” of legislation in order to meet the competition of Nonpartisan league candidates. The work of the session of the legislature just adjourned is heralded by the special interest press as the fulfillment of the Republican promises to farmers, and a ‘“demonstration that there is no need for Townleyism in Minnesota.” The Republican party “farmers’ program,” as proposed in bills when the legislature met, was far from adequate. Yet, inadequate as this program was it was not passed until amendments and “reser- vations” had so denatured its original form as to make it all but useless. A general co-operation incorporation law, similar to that in many states; was passed after provisions permitting farm- ers’ co-operative banks were carefully re- moved by amendment. A bill to prohibit gambling in futures on grain exchanges was introduced, but as passed, after clever amendments proposed by corporation lawyers were adopted, it bears so slight a resemblance to its orig- inal form that its own authors failed to recognize it. One clause declares trading in imaginary grain is gambling and sub- ject to the gambling laws, but this is im- mediately followed by a “provided, how- ever,” after which a clause says, in effect, that “nothing herein” shall interfere with “good faith” trading as it has been con- ducted on the exchanges. TEETH TAKEN FROM GRAIN FUTURES BILL The authors of the bill, realizing its use- lessness in the form passed, proposed an- other bill to bolster it up. This put “super- vision” of grain exchanges in the hands of the state railroad and warehouse commis- sion, required that body to investigate fu- ture trades and report gambling deals to the attorney general, who was specifically instructed to prosecute grain gamblers. But the same corporation lawyers framed amendments which took out everything ex- cept the first sentence, which said that the state commission was to have “super- vision” of grain markets. This, undefined by the provisions eliminated from the measure, means nothing. Thus was a bill to bolster up a bill which had had its teeth drawn, also subjected to a tooth- pulling operation. Both bills have been laws for six weeks, with no change in practices on the grain exchanges. The farmers’ demand for a law compelling banks, through a joint guaranty fund, to guarantee their deposits, was killed. A bill appropriating money for county farm agents and bureaus was amended in the house by Nonpartisan leaguers to prohibit appropriations to any local farm bureau not officer- ed by actual farmers. The senate neatly.eliminat- ed this amendment, at the request of oflicers of the state Farm Bureau federation. One constructive piece of farmer Ieglslatlon was the approval of a constitutional amendment per- mitting the state and counties to establish a sys- tem of rural credits, loaning the credit of the state or county to farmers. Another was the Nonparti- san league bill, which finally went through, requir- ing farmers to be paid for dockage in grain, or else that the dockage be returned to them after taken from the grain. The effect of bills passed purport- ing to open grain exchanges for membership by farmers’ co-operatives and requiring livestock ex- v ‘changes to abrogate rules and regulations which ' prohibit members from dealing with independent dealers are yet to be noted. thtle is expected of them by farmers. The session appropriated $5,000,000 more than its record-breaking predecessor. The Nonpartisan league had 84 members out of 131 in the house and 11 out of 67 in the senate. The Republican machine controlled practically all the rest of the members. MONTANA BY A. BUDDEN Under the control of the anti-League element the state of Montana now has a deficit of $2,500,000. The 1921 legislature, in an effort to make ends meet, de- - veloped almost every imaginable sort of new taxes, including a $3 poll tax on bachelors, special taxes on gasoline, crude oil, cement and coal mined within the state, increasing the assessment of money in banks and increasing automobile licenses 50 per cent.. This is the idea of Cartoonist Morris of the so-called “anti-grain gam- bling” bill passed by the Minnesota legislature. laws passed in other states will prove just as ineffective. Some of The increases have caused state-wide protests and in many cases are failing of their purpose. The tax on coal mined within the state has resulted in shutting down Montana mines and importing coal from Wyoming. A'side from increasing taxes the legxslature ac- complished little. Attempts made to amend the “primary law and to pass bills establishing a state constabulary and prohibiting picketing in labor disputes failed. Reactionary legislators remem- bered too well the tremendous vote cast by League and labor forces in the-last election and hesitated to take action that would be sure to add more votes to the League forces. League representatives, under the skillful guid- ance of Senator Anderson of Richland county, made a splendid fight but were too much in the minority to accomplish anything except to arouse enthusiasm and put the reactionaries on record against reforms they pretended to favor. Action taken by the supreme court invalidating the act providing for a terminal elevator at Great Falls has aroused the farmers to a realization of the need for better organization for the next cam- paign. PAGE TWELVE * WISCONSIN BY CHESTER C. PLATT CIPHER represents about all that the Wisconsin legislature has done for Wisconsin farmers. The legislature has been in session. for four months. - The League has learned that it takes more than a governor, a lieutenant governor, a secretary of state, 26 assemblymen and two senators to pass any \laws. Governor Blaine’s primary platform called for: Increase in income and inheritance taxes. Publicity of income tax returns. Exemptions of improvements from taxation. The repeal of the personal property offset. Larger exemption for those with small incomes under the income tax law. The eight-hour day. The development of co-operative marketmg. These things constituted the leading de- mands of the Nonpartisan league plat- form. Bills embodying all these reforms were introduced in the legislature. Some are still pending, but a majority of them have been defeated. Many of the Nonpartisan league mem- bers of the legislature believed it would be possible to enact into law a large part of the League’s program of reform, be- cause a number of the assemblymen and _ senators who were elected from districts where the League was not orgamzed gave their indorsement to the Blaine primary platform. Experience has shown us that only by a more complete organization cov- ering the entire state can we hope to over- come the well-organized forces of plutoc- racy and privilege. LEAGUE WINS AGAIN BEFORE THE PEOPLE Experience has also shown us the wis- dom of-the Nonpartisan league method, un- der which candidates indorsed by the League are required to pledge themselves ° to vote and work for the measures advo- cated in the League platform. The Wis- consin legislature is composed of 33 sena- tors, 16 of whom were elected last fall (17 holding over from two years ago), and 100 assemblymen. On only two or three occasions have any of the League-indors- ed members of the legislature failed to support League measures. h The virility and potency of the League in Wisconsin was demonstrated in a strik- .ing way in the election last month when a state superintendent of education was chosen. There were two candidates in the field, C. P. Cary, who has held the office for many years, and John Callahan, director of vocational education. The League addressed a letter to both candidates calling their attention to the fact that we had a clear-cut educational program calling, among other things, for better enforcement of the compulsory education law and representation of the organized workers, industrial and agricultural, on every edu- cational board: Our program also demanded a law compelling att children to attend school full time up to the age of 16 years. We asked Mr. Cary and Mr. Callahan to state their position with regard to education planks of our platform. Mr. Callahan said he was in sympathy with them and pledged himself at all times to use his influence toward car-. rying them out. Mr. Cary explained that he could not indorse the League’s position, with regard to farmer-labor . representation on all educational boards. While conceding that such representation was desirable his letter indicated that he did not believe that this nonrepresentation should be cor- rected by law. The League consequently gave its indorsement to the candidacy of Mr. Callahan, and to the surprise of nearly all the old-time politicians Mr. Callahan was elected by nearly 30, 000 ma;onty. the