The producers news. [volume], October 04, 1918, Page 4, Image 4

About The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937

Image provided by: Montana Historical Society; Helena, MT

                
THE PRODUCERS NEWS
A PAPER OP THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, POR a E PEOLE
Continuing the OUTLOOK PROMOTOR
PEOPLES PUBLISHING COMPANY, PUBLISHER
Enteredias Second CIvs Matter, October 18, 1912, at the Poetoffice
at Plentywood, Montana, Under the Act of March 3, 1879.
CHARLES E. TAYLOR, Editor and Manager.
Advertising rates on ap- Communications' should
plication. Subscription be addressed to-The Pro
one year, in advance, ducers News, Box 587,
$2.00; six months $1.25. Plentywood, Montana.
Quack, fraudulent and irresponsible firms are not knowingly advertised, and we will
take it as a favor if any reader will advise us promptly should they have occasion to
doubt or question the reliability of any firm which patronizes our advertising columns.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1918
Some Differences
Clair Stoner, farmer, of Outlook,
candidate for the office of State Sena
tor from Sheridan county on the
National ticket, in the recent pri
maries received 89 votes in his home
precinct, while his opponent, Mr.
Henry Lowe, vice-president of the
First National Bank of Bainville, re
ccived but four.
This was in Mr. Stoner's home pre
cinct where the farmers know him
best.
Let us now go to Mr. Lowe, the
banker's home precinct, where Mr.
Stoner, the farmer, is totally unac
quainted, where Banker Lowe is the
best known, and what he stands for
is familiar to all. Mr. Lowe, banker,
Patriots and Loyalty
The '`.ept press" of this county
has had a great deal to say during
the past summer in regard to loyalty
and patriotism.
People have been ~rrested and forc
ed to· stand trial. Been forced to
stand before the courts for alleged
.ffenses.
Many men have been called from
their work to appear before the coun
ty council of defense to have their
loyalty investigated.
All of the minor and trivial things
have been well attended to, but the
big things seem to have been neglect
ed.
Last spring, our great President
called for the people to plow and to
sow to the limit. Sheridan county
had suffered two crop failures. The
land was here but there was no
money for seed grain. The county,
was bonded to provide.. the farmers'
with seed grain. One would, have
thought that in a time like this that
there would have been no profiteer
ing in seed grain. But no, nothing
is too sacred with some people not
to be made a means of profit or graft.
We understand that 20,000 bushels
of the finest kind of seed grain was
offered to the county for $2.10 per
;:ýushe'. This offer was turned down.
The patriotism of the man offer
ing this seed grain was attacked
and he was shamefully calumied
and slandered by the "hireling
press" of the county. He was called
beXore the Council of Defense :to
have his loyalty investigated. "
t he county commissioners bought the
seed grain from the Montana & Da
kota Elevator Co. for $2.30 and 18
cents per bushel was added for the
c_:pens.. of administering, which in
the opinion of most people was very
high cost.
It is even alleged that the men
composing the board of county com
missioners went to Minneapolis and
h!:ad a private conference with Mr.
Dunn, the manager of Dakota & Mon
tana Elevator company, and met him
in the Great Northern depot in Min
neapolis where the grain deal is al
leged to have been made. It seems
that it took a trip to Minneapolis to
pay twenty cents more for dirty seed
wheat than clean wheat was offered
for right here. Also there are many
farmers' elevators in the county
which had hoped to handle some of
this wheat and were prepared to do it
at $2.10 per bushel. They did not
g.t a chance-and the voters can
draw their on conclusions.
Those who got seed from the coun
ty paid $2.48 for it and patriotically
nlanted to the limit. This was a mat
tor' of food to win the war. The
Producers News has called attention
to the alleged "seed grain" transac
tions, but no one has been called be
fore the Sheridan County Council o~f
Defense at the time of this' writing
to explain. It seems to us that thei
above body could well look into this
matter.
And again these same farmers wie
have done so much to meet the needs
of the nation, have bad their gras
eaten up by wandering herds* et eo t
tl' and it seems that no real eto
1as been made to brig efaders te
jistiee. And some dt theo woefski·
fenders have bees the ao*s bltaste
b~ their deaselatih~uscl t api.
whoe osly nId ds 7a w bees *.1n
I5
26 votes; Mr. Stoner, farmer, 23
votes.
Where Nr. Stoner is the best
known, he gets the most votes, where
Banker Lowe is the best known, he
gets the least, outside of his own
click of course.
The bankers are working for' Bank
er Lowe to a man.
The bankers have a League of
their own and they don't have any
trouble about "sticking."
They are so used to sticking to
gether-and the farmers, that it has
got to be a habit with them.
They like anything that will bene
fit the farmers with the same raven
ish appetite that your pussy cat has
for hot soap.
These are examples of conditions
that exist in many instances.
Then to make things still more ri
diculous, a number of has-been poli
ticians, whose. names are coupled at
every turn with questionable business
connections with the county, whose
*acts compromise their own patriotism
and loyalty, together with the sa
loon element and the blindpiggers
and other questionable characters
meet and organized themselves into a
so-called Loyalty League and have
the nerve to endorse a ticket.
And who was endorsed ?
Henry Lowe,- banker of Bainville,
for state senator.
Jac` Duggan, drayman of Plenty
wood for sheriff.
J. F. Redmond a played-out poll
tiFian from Glasgow, for county audi
t-r,i and others of the same ilk.
This "Lunacy League" hoped to get
heir :"gang" by, on the "loyalty and
patriotic" issue.
Henry Lowe says that he stands for
pure Americanism.
But he has not said or written one
word that we have ever heard of
about this seed grain proposition and
his opinion on the subject. His
"Americanism" here might be exem
plified.
He has never published his opinion
on the county printing contract; al
instance where the taxpayers are be
ing mulcted out of many thousand
dollars, during war times when the
people are going the limit in buying
bonds and saving stamps.
Here is an opportunity for a thesis
on "Americanism" and making
"Americanism" and a belief in fair
play, measure up in deeds to service
of the lips.
Henry Lowe might explain in what
manner J. F. Redmond who is con
nected in the way he is with court
house scandal is more patriotic than
Beatrice K. O'Grady, who has milked
the cows all summer out at the farm
and followed the binder during har
vest, raising wheat for our 'soldier
boys.
Henry Lowe, being such an authori
ty on "Americansim" and being such
a champion of it might explain in
what manner Jack Duggan is more
loyal than Jack Bennett, the present
sheriff, or tell us what is the matter
of H. B. Hill, JRex Movius, C. E. Cor
yell, or any of the candidates not
honored at the hands of this "Luna
cy League."
Henry Lowe might tell us why all
of the saloon element is supporting
him and the "Lunacy Ticket," as well
as the Sheridan County Bankers' As
sociation.
He might tell us in what manner
that Clair Stoper, whom the patriotic
farmers who are furnishing the
money to support the war and the
boys to fight it, are going to send to
.he state senate next winter, is not
just as much of an "American" as
he is.
ILAnry Lowe, the beakedr' 'Amer
can" eandkite fiQ s enste might
gp luto detpa ant sea us right now
hpt e c sosass %eceusary or Oh
wa~Yijl~ ~lb
Mob Leaders n Court
THE 1)BSTh'RS IN MINNESO
TA -WILL/BE BROUGHIt r'O:JUS
TICE AND- THE LAW AND' OR
-DR' WILL Bi;: VINDICATEz 1.
On big moral questions such as
this the people of America are souad.
Next November, Minnesota. will
ELECT A MAN to the oflke of at
torney general who knows what an
oath of office means.
Had the state had such I man as
Tom Davis at the state hou e the
first instigators of mob violence -to
aid the Burnquist nomination would
now be behind the bars. But even
though justice sometimes moves slow
ly in a democracy, because of the oc
casional necessity of getting the
wrong men out of office, still it does
move and it pays to wait for the
legal methods of righting wrongs.
Mr. Davis, when he gets into of
fice, will be able to start the criminal
ýroceedings at once because there is
abundaht evidence at hand as to who
participated in the mob activities,
and this evidence is now being addeix
to by the civil suits for damages
brought by the victims of the mobs.
In some cases the political gang
was shrewd enough to choose men
'with little property to do the dirty
work, but the courts may be able to
get at the men higher up.
THE LATEST CIVIL CASE IS
THAT BROUGHT IN THE UNITED
STATES DISTRICT COURf AT
DULUTH BY RUPERT KENNY, A
SOLDIER AT CAMP GRANT, IN
BEHALF OF HIMSELF AND HIS
WIFE FOR $130,000 DAMAGES.
On June 15, when he was an orga
nizer for the League, a mob of 18
Pine county men entered his farm
The ,Insatiable Profiteers
THE FIGHT NOW BEING WAG
ED IN CONGRESS AGAINST A
VERY MODERATE TAXATION OLf
WAR PROFITS IS PRACTICALLY
INCREDIBLE TO THE COMMON
PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY DO NOT
REALIZE FULLY HOW THE OD
OR OF WAR PROFITS IN HAND
CAN TRANSFORM HUMAN NAT
PURE INTO THE BEAST.
The administration and House
Leader Kitchin are fighting an up
hill fight for an 89 per cent tax on
war profits. WHY DO THEY HAVE
TO FIGHT?
l-'he mild plan of taxation which
has been proposed allows the com
pany to keep its average pre-war pro_
fits, or 8 to 10 per' cent--on invest
ment, whichever is the lower; aifd" td
Jeep AT 'LEAST 20 PER CENT OF
THE REMAINDER.
The 80 per cent tax on the remain
der that is talked of so much is only
the highest rat%, vhich most of the
companies will escape.
THE PLAIN AMERICAN CITI
ZEN WOULD THINK THAT IN
WAR TIMES, WHEN EVERYONE
IS SUPPOSED TO BE SACRIFIC
ING, A 10 PER CENT RETURN
WOULD SATISFY.
It means doubling the capital in 10
years.
BUT IN ADDITION TO THIS
THE ADMINISTRATION PLAN
ALLOWS AT LEAST 20 PER CENT
OF THE ADDITIONAL PROFITS,
Watch Russian Situation
WATCH RUSSIAN SITUATION,
THE MUCH HOPED FOR PLAN
OF GIVING ECONOMIC AND AD
VISORY AID TO RUSSIA HAS
BEEN ABANDONED.
The state department in Washing
ton announces that it has not been
able to overcome the difficulties in se
curing able men to undertake the
work.
The attitude of the farming and
working classes in Russia also prob
ably has a great deal to do with the
situation. It has evidently proved
impossible to help a people who do
not want our help.
Their reasons for not wanting it
may be foolish, but that does not al
ter the fact.
Again we see only our side of the
fence and news from Russia appear
ing in our big city dailies has been
of a very doubtful character. There
never yet was a pig who was willing
to .:, pulled out of the mire by the
VW.terte-r the reasons, the atvD
idonm.~ r of :he big re~as. n .v, -2.
sian intervention PLACES A SPE
CIAL RESPONSIBILITY ON THE
AMERICAN PUBLIC.
THEY MUST BACK UP, EFFEC
TIVELY OUR. NATIONAL WAR
AIMS AS ANNOUNCED BY PRUB
A GO VRNMENT OF AND "Y
iE EOPI3 CAN ACT QUºikL C
NiORt" DAR44 GAVR'f ITS
Fs
house at Willow River and,. after
brutally'. attacking Kenny and .his
wife, they covered him from head to
foot with tar and feathers.
Several of the defendants in this
case are wealthy men.
AJYTIER THE UNITED STATES
DISTRICT COURT IS THROUGH
WITH THOSE GUILTY OF THE
OUTRAGE, ATTOREY GENERAL
DAVIS WILL BE ABLE TO SEND
THEM' TO THOSE PLACES WE
HAVE ESPECIALLY DESIGNED
FOR PERSONS WHO WILL NOT
KEEP WITHIN THE LIMITS SET
BY AMERICAN DEMOCRACY.
AS IN NORTH DAKOTA NOW,
GUILTY MILLIONAIRES AS
WELL AS GUILTY MEN WITH
OUT A BANK ACCOUNT WILL GO
TO JAIL.
And we have men right amongst
us, here in Sheridan county, Montana,
who while proclaiming their loyalty
and patriotism from the high places,
have at the same time covertly, and
publicly, advocated 4 "lynch kultur,"
against those who have stood be
tween them and the' accomplishment
of their own low and mean political
purposes.
In these local instances, these
"lynch kultur parties" were promot
ed to - discredit the Nonpartisan
League in order that truly patriotic
people, who look askingly at the
profiteers and those who are piling
up huge profit out of business activi
ties incidental to the carrying on of
the war, while their own dear ones
are dying for the cause of humani
ty, might be persuaded not to join
the organization.
AND THE WAR HOGS ARE NOT
SATISFIED.
Tale, for instance, this example or
the Republic Iron & Steel company.
On an investment, including wat
ered stock, of $80,000,000, this 'com
pany is expected to have taxable
earnings of $26,000,000 in 1918. Eight
million dollars of this will be ex
empt. The war tax will not take
more than $14,400,000, leaving a bal
ance of $11,600,000 for the stock
holders. Preferred dividends will
take $1,750,000 of this and the bal-'
ance will give over 35 per cent on the
conipany's $27,600,000 of common
stock.
THIRTY-!IVE PER CENT, HOW
AtVER DOES NOT SATISFY THE
*AR HOG WhEN THERE -IS 50
PER CENT OR MORE IN THE
TROUGH.
In the three years 1916-1918 the
common stock of the Republic Iron
& Steel company, will clear, in spite
of all taxes, not less than $125 a
share.
A 100 PER CENT TAX OF THE
WAR PROFITS BEYOND THE 8
10 10 PER CENT SHOULD ,BE
OUR MINIMUM OF WAR TAXA
TION DECENCY, BUT IF THE
PROPAGANDA OF THE PROFI
TEERS HAS BEEN TOO STRONG
TO PUT THIS ACROSS, WHY NOT
FORCE THE PROFITEERS TO SET
ASIDE THE DIFFERENCE FOR
LIBERTY BONDS?
IDENT WILSON lest our promised
aid to Russia degenerate into an ex
pedition to force concessions for our
capitalists and for those of allied
countries and to force Russia to make
payments on her foreign debt which
she may not be in a position to make
at the present time.
Unfortunately there are powerful
private interests in our own and i:
allied countries anxious to do just
these things, AND OUR RIGHT
MINDED CITIZENS 1JUST BE
MORE THAN ALERT TO KEEP
THESE BARGAIN HUNTERS AND
CAMP FOLLOWERS OFF THE
iBACK OF THE PRESIDENT AND
FROM INTERFERING WITH THE
EFFICIENT PROSECUTION OF
THE WAR FOR OUR DEMOCRAT
IC IDEALS.
THESE IDEALS DO NOT PER
MIT OF THE USE OF FORCE FOR
INTERNATIONAL D E B T COL
LECTING AND DEMOCRACY IN
RUSSIA SHOULD BE FREE TO
INVITE IN AMERICAN CAPITAL
ON ITS OWN. TERMS. -
Unless we stick t6 these ideals we
may, instead of aiding the Russian
peole to eestablish the . asten
front against Germaay, force tthemr
into a protectie allisacs with our
'el e er's voee will' ever 'e
mil i n tihe legisl ature htil gets
titerq sad `Ir his - owa
Af -
(Cotntioed from Page' One,
rected sua of $230 in the second
place? Didn't the "efficient" county
auditor know that county funds can
not be legally paid out without a
"CLAIM TO SUPPORT THE WAR
RANT?" If there was,. who signed
the claim? And was it signed with a
pen or with a "rubber stamp ?"
If it was necessary to have * the
claim supported by a warrant in the
second instance, was it not also ne
cessary to have the warrant support
ed by a claim in the first place ?
It is evident that the holder of seed
grain warrant No. 631 .did not sign
the claim supporting the warrant be
fore the first warrant was issued or
the mistake in reference to the price
that Peter Westerlund was to receive
for the grain could not have been
made.
Now, right here, we will ask "Effi
ciency Jim" a question. When the
Seed Grain contract was made out
between the county and C. E. Lind
quist, was he charged at the rate of
$2.10 per bushel plus 18 cents for
handling or the net sum of $2.28 per
bushel, or was he charged the sum of
$2.48 per bushel for his wheat and
if he was charged with the latter
sum, which we understand he was,
who was to get the difference be
between 2.28 and $2.48.
Again, when the mistake was
made as to the price Westerlund was
to receive for his grain, was there a
corresponding mistake made as to
the price Lindquist was to pay the
county for the seed grain?
Now read the second paragraph of
the first letter.
"You state that we sent you a war
rant in the sum of $210.00, we un
doubtedly misunderstood the appli
cant as to the price you charged for
the grain, therefore if you will return
the warrant of $210.00 in payment
thereof, we will issue a warrant in
'the sum of $230.00."
It seems from the above that the
first warrant was supported by what
"Sunny Jim" heard from Lindquist
which was the cause of the blunder.
However, if Westerlund had made out
his own claim in support of the first
warrant, instead of having it sup=
ported by what J. F. Redmond under
stood Lindquist to say, there could
not have been such a blunder and
"Sunny Jim" would not have had to
write such an "efficient" letter.
Now go to the last paragraph of
the first letter.
.Read-the followinghr~utioat
to how to make out the claim for fear
a second mistake might be made.
"Have the claim subscribed and
snworn to either before a Notary Pub
lic or a Jubtice of the Peace, attach
seed grain order No. 631 to this claim
and kindly return it at your earliest
convenience, so that we may complete
our records in connection with this
matter.
Yes, the record must now be care
fully completed. If this mistal:e had
not been made probably the records
in this matter would never have been
completed.
"An ill wind that blows someone no
good."
How carefully Mr. Westerlund is
instructed, and what a marvelous de
monstration of "efficiency."
Now we can go to the second let
ter.
It was written on June 4th, the
first one on May 24th.
Eleven days elapsed between the
letters.
"Hand you herewith seed grain
warrant No. 49 in the sum of $230.00
in payme t of seed grain furnished."
You will note that this letter calls
attention to the warrant number
which is No. 49. The first warrant in
the first letter was not named by
number.
Now read the second paragraph
again.
"Kindly acknowledge receipt of
payment on the form enclosed, re
turning same to this office. When re
turning the Receipt, also enclose the
County Claim Blank, which I am
sending you, to be executed in sup
port of seed grain warrant No. 49
in the amount of $230.00."
Notice that the "efficient" county
auditor got in such a rush to pay
Westerlund that he. did not wait for
the CLAIM which he insisted that he
must have to SUPPORT THE WAR
RANT, and without which it is ille
gal to issue warrants, and which
claim he had so carefully instructed
Westerlund how to make out, and
sent Westerlund seed grain warrant
No. 49, together with a receipt to be
sined. and returned wich he seems
to have neglected to do when he sent
the first ant, along with whidc
he sut a claim blpdk to Westerlmd
bobe swra to, sad which swern
tatent should bave ,been led be
foe rdths or the warrats were is
.il aa&·
there were other seed grain
tions going' on in the Dagma "'
try. c
For instance, Jens Jensen ol 4
county a little seed grain. eld
paid off at $2.10 per bushel, e
tried to get $2.30 per bushel the
as the Montana & Dakotae Me
Company, but it seems that he atr
unable to "cut it." h as
. Then there was another interesti
little transaction that aroused 0t9
siderable interest in that same dlag
mar country.e Da
Andrew Larson sold some fine
wheat to the Montana & Dakot Ele.
vator Company. He got $2.00 . e
bushel for it. A neighbor
seed grain from the county and go~
an order on the Montana & Dakog
Elevator Company. Larson had not
yet delivered his wheat to the ele.
vator. Larson's neighbor was edi
rected by the Montana & Dakota Ee
vator to go to Larson's place and get
the grain and the elevator man gae
an order on Larson for the grs
Larson got $2 per bushel for the
wheat, the Montana & Dakota Eleva.
tor Company got $2.30 per bushel and
Larson's neighbor got stuck for $2.41
per bushel for his seed. The Montana
& Datota got 30 cents per bushel for
the handling of the grain which they
had never handled. This is where the
"efficiency" comes in.
Undoubtedly our "Efficient" Cou.
ty Auditor will want to explain the
above, and after he has done which
we have more examples of "efficien.
cy" in which the public i: interested
in which we will only be too glad to
publish for the benefit of the taxpay.
ers and that splendid "sometime.
will-be" citizen of Antelope, Mr. Bur.
iey Boyler.
The I loducers News would hav;
publihiled this line of testimonials be
fore, but ,ve wanted to present them
to a ;ran1d Jr. ry as clues for further
inve -eigation, and we were afraid
that the information might lead to
the co el ing of cracks.
HIOLDAL-MOREY NUPTIALS
AT PLENTYWOOD THURS,
Miss Ethel May Morey and Mr.
William Holdal, both of Plentywood,
were united in marriage by Rev,
Fridley at the parsonage here on
Thursday of this week. The young
couple are very well known in this
city, both having resided here for
several years, Mr. Holdal being em
ployed at the Zeidler hardware store.
Mr. and Mrs. Holdal will make their
home with the Holdal seniors during
the winter months at least. Thi
--lyweds have a host of friens
who join with The Producers News
in wishing them everything success
ful in life's long journey.
NO LAST MINUTE XMAS
SHOPPING GOES THIS YEAR
As a war measure all business es
tablishments have been asked to
commence selling holiday goods dur
ing October, November and Decem
ber. This is to prevent the usual
holiday rush during the last three
weeks before Christmas and the em
ployment of additional help. No holi
day goods, with the exception of
children's toys, will be sold just be
fore Christmas. Shoppers will be
able to help with this measure to a
great extent by doing their shopping
fJnytime now.
THRESHING IN COUNTY
ABOUT COMPLO
The season's threshing in Sheri
dan is about completed and the crops
over most of the county has been
above the average.
The threshing weather this fall ha'
been ideal and very little time has
been lost.
The recent contagion of la gripP
has interfered with opertions ore
than any other one thing. n
northern part of the county near.
every threshing rig is idle be t
such a large percentage of the
crews are sick.
However, in most cases, onlY a fe
days' threshing remain to be done.
PROGRESSIVE FARMERS' CLUB
INSTALLS LARGE MOTOR
The Progressive Farmers' heb,
which operates elevators here
Plentywood and at Midby and Ah
er, installed a seven and a half hoe
power electric motor at the plen
wood elevator the first of tie with
(This improvement is in keeping.1
the policy of the Progressiu e 1e
ers' Club whose motto is, .
_nothing to good for the farersn _
which club is always plan1iI
"better service for the produe .
This line of elevators is .
a very prosperous Patrone
year, in fact it seems that tdey
eceiving the bulk of the trd
hdicates that the farmers ..T
tug how to effectively cooper
The voters of Idaho hve ,
Ys the second Nofnpars~ .
SeMth Dhkta and Minre"n'
mad the ben d.