REPUBLICAN STATE PLATFORM-1930

      The republican party of Nebraska, assembled in convention at Lincoln, Nebraska, on this fourth day of September, 1930, adopts the following resolutions:

      We reaffirm our allegiance to the principles of the republican party which has always stood for progress and advancement in the interest and the welfare of the entire nation.
      We commend the national administration for its full performance of the pledges made to the people in the republican platform of 1928. Its accomplishments are far reaching and of a permanent and constructive character.
      We commend President Hoover and the national administration for the effective and statesmanlike manner in which our national affairs both foreign and domestic have been administered. The administration's foreign policy is intended to develop American trade abroad and promote peace and good will throughout the world.
      The negotiation of the London naval treaty is a forward step in the furtherance of the cause of world peace. In the language of our president, "It will renew again the faith of the world in moral forces and good will and patient negotiation as against the blind forces of suspicion and competitive armament. It will secure the full defense of the United States. It will lay the foundation upon which further constructive reduction in world arms may be accomplished in the future." One of the beneficial effects of the treaty is the lessening of taxation for military purposes by approximately one billion dollars that. otherwise would have to be raised in taxes in the next six years.
      Friendship between the United States and the countries of the western hemisphere has been promoted by the visit of President Hoover to the Latin American countries and we commend the action of the administration in the appointment of a commission to study the whole question of future relations between the United States and the other nations of the western world.
      The tariff law enacted by the last congress established a substantial parity of rates between farm products and those of industry. Any inequalities that may exist in the new rates can be adjusted through the flexible provision of the new act which is more comprehensive and admits of more prompt results than the old law. Through this wise provision, inequalities and injustices of any rate schedule can be removed. Agriculture, industry and the consuming public alike can be protected as economic changes requiring tariff rate shifts come about.
      During the last national campaign the republican party promised a revision in the agricultural schedules of the tariff and legislation favorable to co-operative marketing as a means of placing agriculture upon basis of economic equality with other industries. Both of these pledges were faithfully kept. In all of these important matters the conscientious purpose of the administration of President Hoover and congress is to assist agriculture in placing itself on a most modern business basis thereby enabling the farmer to retain his independence and increase his purchasing power.
      Reduction in the income tax rates by the last congress and recommended by the president, relieved American taxpayers last year from

the payment of a total of $160,000,000 which is largely in the interest of those having small incomes.
      A continued reduction of the national debt by approximately one
billion dollars annually, notwithstanding a substantial reduction in federal taxes is the result of the wise policy of a republican president co-operating with a republican congress. This is one of our greatest national achievements and is so recognized by the financiers of the world.
      We favor strict enforcement of all laws. We are unalterably opposed to the enactment of any legislation tending to weaken or repeal the national or state prohibitory laws. We unequivocally approve the conscientious and courageous stand of the president for enforcement of the eighteenth amendment and the more effective and orderly means provided by the national administration for enforcement of all criminal laws including the appointment of a national law enforcement commission and the transfer of prohibitory law enforcement to the department of justice.
      We commend and approve the prompt and efficient action taken by President Hoover following the stock market crash, in his effort to prevent a national disaster by instantly mobilizing the industrial leadership of the country and setting in motion co-operative efforts towards a stabilization of all business and industry. We commend especially his successful effort to prevent a reduction of wages. By so doing he not only checked the threatened development of widespread panic but he insured the gradual return of all legitimate activities to normal conditions. The people of America are fortunate that at such a crisis we have as chief executive of our government a man of the experience, training, ability and vision of President Hoover.
      The republican party has always favored liberal pensions and compensation legislation for the veterans of our several wars and their dependents, and we especially commend the liberal legislation for pensions and compensation to the veterans of the several wars and their dependents enacted by the seventy-first congress. - One of the outstanding accomplishments of the national administration is the consolidation of all veteran activities into the new independent agency of veteran affairs, bringing under one responsible management the veterans' bureau, the pension bureau and the national home for disabled soldiers, thereby benefiting the veterans in simplifying and expediting the handling of their contacts with the government.
      We commend the legislation enacted by the last congress which provides $15,000,000 for construction of additional hospitals for the care of the disabled world war veterans and the new veterans act by which all disabled veterans whose earning power is decreased by theft disabilities will receive allowances from the government.
      The republican party is opposed to the exploitation of child labor in industry and has always favored child welfare legislation. We heartily approve the action of President Hoover in appointing a committee to make an exhaustive study of child health and protection so that the

conditions of the children of our nation may be more thoroughly understood and adequate protection provided.
      We commend the general policy of our national administration seeking the betterment of social conditions by scientific processes, and the widespread interest created by the activities in the field of social welfare. We approve the policy to achieve these worthy ends without seeking to destroy the basic principles underlying our social system by substituting communistic effort for individual initiative.
      The republican party has always been a friend of labor. Its record stands unchallenged. American labor enjoys a higher standard of living than is enjoyed by labor in any other nation. We favor the continuation of such policies as shall tend to maintain this high standard of living.
      We approve the policy of the national administration for the full conservation and utilization of the water resources, where practical, for such beneficial uses as prevention of soil erosion, prevention of floods, irrigation where needed, water power and as an aid to navigation.
      We approve the proposed amendment to the federal constitution shortening the time between national elections and the taking of office thereunder.
      We heartily commend the record made by the republican state administration, at the head of which stands our able governor, the Honorable Arthur J. Weaver, who has co-operated with the legislature in accomplishing much along the line of economics in the administration of the affairs of the state. Among these accomplishments are the blowing:
      (a) Reduction in valuation for taxation purposes of property as follows: Farm lands, $46,128,595; city real estate, $6,099,152;. all personal property, excepting intangibles, $13,210,982; a. total reduction of $65,438,729. Notwithstanding the great reduction in property valuation for taxation purposes, the state levy for 1930 has been reduced from 2.40 mills to 2.34 mills.
      (b) Under the laws recommended by the governor and enacted by the legislature, new revenue of $1,127,943 was secured for the state and its subdivisions in 1929 without increasing real estate taxes. These new sources were $150,000,000 of added intangible property heretofore untaxed; new income from inheritance taxes under a law which gives 80 per cent of federal estate tax to the state; new income from the assessment of approximately $5,000,000 of franchises of public utility companies taxed for the first time in the history of the state; new income from the assessment for the first time of bus lines engaged in interstate traffic.
      A substantial saving has been accomplished by the present state government through the elimination of two departmental heads, the abolition of bureaus and divisions and by the consolidation of others. A saving of 2 cents per mile by the reduction of mileage fees on cars

of state employees; a saving of $17,000 property taxes annually by the elimination of the fish and game bureau and the state park board and by substituting in lieu thereof bi-partisan game, forestation and park commission, supported entirely fish and game license fees.
      The vexing problem Involved In our banking laws has been courageously met. The special session of the legislature faced incontrovertible facts requiring legislative action and the measures enacted have been fully justified. Among these measures are the following:
     (a) the appointment of a banking commissioner for a term of six years, which his taken the banking department out of politics; the appointment of an adequate force of experienced bank examiners, the expense and the salaries of such examiners and commissioner are paid by the banks instead of by property tax as formerly.
     (b) All bank officials and bank employes are now required to be bonded.
     (c) The administration of failed banks has been consolidated under the secretary of the department of trade and commerce with greater savings in administration for the benefit of depositors. Failed banks are now promptly liquidated at the least possible expense. No bank assets can be sold without the approval of a local depositors' committee.
     We commend the state administration for the farm-to-market road program which provides that 1 cent of the gasoline tax shell go to the counties. This with 70 per cent of the automobile license monies gives to the counties approximately $5,000,000 annually for county road purposes.
     The present gasoline tax is justified as a means of raising revenue for farm-to-market roads, state and federal aid highways and we recommend the continuation of such tax. A conservative paving program has been undertaken. Nebraska is free of debt and we, favor the policy of paying as we go and oppose bond issues for highway purposes.
     We heartily approve and endorse our state officers for their energetic, efficient and impartial enforcement of our state laws, including the prohibition laws.
     We commend the state administration in its favorable attitude toward labor and especially for its enactment of the safety code law for the protection and safety of workers.
     At present much revenue is lost to the state by Nebraska capital incorporating under the laws of other states due to the restrictive conditions imposed by our state laws. We favor complete revision of our corporation laws to the end that capital may be encouraged rather than discouraged from incorporating in this state.
     We favor continued adequate appropriations for the maintenance of our state educational, charitable and penal institutions. These agencies and their support are not proper items of political debate. The state has now provided political and hi-partisan boards for their adminis-

trations. Any policy of temporary reduction in needed funds results in increased necessities in succeeding years and is calculated to deceive the public rather than to effect actual economies.
     We favor the revision of the corrupt practice act and we recommend that the legislature take such action as may be necessary to amend the law so that it will serve the purpose for which it was originally enacted.
     The primary law was enacted as a means of registering the will of the majority in the party. Every precaution should be taken to enable the members of the party to express their choice intelligently. The present law should be amended so as to prevent confusion of names or other means of promoting confusion intended to thwart the majority will of the party. We recommend that such other changes in the present law as will clarify the ballot, but not so as to prevent the nominating of candidates for county, state and national officers by direct vote. We recommend that the party county convention and the state convention be held prior to the primary.
     We commend the women of this state and of the nation for the intelligent and patriotic interest which they have taken in political affairs and for the fight they have made and are now making for clean politics, clean government and for law enforcement.
     We are gratified by the excellent achievements of both the state and national republican administrations and we commend to the voters of Nebraska our national and state tickets