North Dakota: A Guide to the Northern Prairie StateFederal Writers' Project of the Works Progress Administration for the State of North Dakota
History
North Dakota: A Guide to the Northern Prairie State
Federal Writers' Project of the Works Progress Administration for the State of North Dakota
North Dakota; North Dakota -- Guidebooks
Most of the league membership was Republican; it was therefore an
easy step to the use of the machinery of that party. In the primary
election of June 1916 and again in the fall the league was successful.
Lynn J. Frazier became the first league-elected Governor, and three
league-endorsed candidates, R. H. Grace, James E. Robinson, and L. E.
Birdzell, were placed on the supreme court bench.
Three hundred thousand dollars was appropriated by the legislature
to carry out the provisions of a Terminal Elevator Commission bill,
but Frazier vetoed the act, declaring the appropriation insufficient.
Among the progressive legislation enacted at this session were bills
providing for the creation of a State highway department, land title
registration (never enforced, however), increased funds for rural
schools, reduction of rate of assessments on farm improvements to 5
percent of the true value, and guarantee of deposits in State banks.
Entry of the United States into the World War brought new activities
to North Dakota in the spring of 1917. National Guard units were
sent, a Council of National Defense was created to aid in the work of
mobilization, Liberty Bonds were sold, and the State went $200,000 over
its quota in the United War Work campaign.
The World War interrupted, but did not deter, the progress of the
league program. Governor Frazier was reelected in 1918, and seven
initiated amendments were added to the State constitution, forming
the basis for the league program. The law for initiated petitions was
changed to require only 20,000 signers; the $200,000 debt limit of the
State was abolished and the State was allowed to issue or guarantee
bonds not to exceed $10,000,000.
The league's industrial program was established at the 1919 legislative
session. The industrial commission, composed of the Governor, the
attorney general, and the commissioner of agriculture and labor, was to
manage the industries and enterprises undertaken by the State. Under
authority of the new legislation, the North Dakota Mill and Elevator
Association was established. A small mill was purchased at Drake and
later a mill and elevator were built at Grand Forks with a capacity of
3,000 barrels per day and a storage capacity of 1,659,500 bushels (_see
Tour 1_).
In the March primary of 1920 an unusual initiated measure was the
center of interest. It was the "recall", which provided for the removal
of any elective officers, even judges. The measure became Article 33 of
the constitution.
The elections of 1920 again saw the league victorious. In the
Republican primaries Dr. E. F. Ladd, president of the State
agricultural college, defeated Senator Gronna for the nomination as
United States Senator. William Langer, who had been elected attorney
general in 1916 with the endorsement of the league, opposed Governor
Frazier in the primary and was defeated by a small margin. Frazier and
Ladd were elected in November.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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