The producers news. [volume], April 12, 1929, Page PAGE TWO, Image 2

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

Image provided by: Montana Historical Society; Helena, MT

                
THE PRODUCERS NEWS
Paper of the people, by the people, for the people
By Peoples Publishing Company, Publishers
CONTINUING—The Outlook Promoter, The Out
look Optimist, The Dooley Sun, The Antelope In
dependent, The Sheridan County News, The Pio
neer Press and the Sheridan County Farmer.
CHARLES E. TAYLOR. Editor arid Manager
FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 1929
FARM PROSPERITY AHEAD
Thomas D. Campbell, the so-called wheat king, who
recently returned from Russia, where he had gone at
the behest of the Soviet government, to give expert
advice to the Russian Government, which is now under
taking a huge experiment in machinized farming, some
units containing as many as four hundred thousand
acres, predicted recently in an interview in the Mon
tana Free Press, and reproduced last week in the Pro
ducers News, that agriculture was just entering a
period of unprecedented prosperity—that the period of
depression was approaching the end of the cycle, and
that as a result the value of farms would again rise;
and that Montana lands especially were due for a re
markable rise in value.
In an outburst of optimism, Campbell declared,
Montana land is a better buy than any stock on the
market—agriculture offers the best financial opportu
nities in the world today, but few seem to realize it—
The next eight years will witness unprecedented pros
perity in America, especially in agriculture."
ii
We believe that Mr. Campbell is correct, and we pen
this after much research. It will be recalled that af
ter the Napoleonic wars, there was a great agricultural
depression both in Europe and America, which result
ed in the depreciation of land values—a reaction to
high prices and over development incidental thereto,
during the wars. It was a number of years before
farming become profitable again and farm lands com
menced to rise in price. During the administration of
Andrew Jackson, a period of comparative peace in the
world, and great emigration of people from Europe to
the United States, land values rose rapidly in the
United States: any land was easily sold and supported
large loan values. The sale of public lands in the
west during this time paid off the public debt. How
ever, the land bubble burst in 1837 during the first
few months of Van Buren's term, and land was for a
time a drug on the market, but continuous heavy Euro
pean immigration sustained the demand and prices
again rose steadily until the Civil war, when agriculture
boomed, and product prices and land continued to rise
until 1872, at the panic, when agriculture suffered a
serious setback, farm product values sinking and land
values breaking. The condition was made more acute
by the opening of the prairies of the great west.
After 1876 agriculture commenced to revive and con
ditions improved until the panic of 1892, Cleveland's
second administration. Agriculture remained in the
doldrums until after 1896, when farm land values sag
ged to very low levels, and farm mortgages went be
low par. In 1898 with the Spanish war, agricultural
product prices commenced to strengthen, and continued
to rise until the panic of 1907 when commodity prices
fell, for a while but rose again in 1908 and continued
to rise until 1912 when they again receded until
the outbreak of the World War in August, 1914. Farn:
land values had continued to rise from the upturn
starting in 1906,
First farm mortgages were at a
premium on the market and were considered the best
and safest form of investment. After the start of the
World War, farm products prices soared and land
values pyramided, until the debacle of 1920, when the
most devastating catastrope that ever befell agricul
ture in America occurred, from which it hag not yet
fully recovered, but is recovering.
It will be recalled that sheep and wool prices fell
low in 1920 and *21, but soon recovered. The bottom
went out of cattle in the fall of 1920 and the
spring
of 1921 from which it did not recover fully until last
autumn. The prices of hogs, sheep and beef cattle
satisfactory. The dairy business went through the
post war experience but has since recovered fully.
While the price of wheat has remained low, the price
of corn is satisfactory,
while oats are low because of the passing of the horse
both in the city and on the prairie farms.
rye follows wheat. The price of sugar is low and
there is not much prospects of a rise.
are
Flax prices are on the rise,
The price
The rapid changes in farm power from horse
tractor power, has created great disturbances in prices,
hut the machinized farm promises profitable future
grain production in competition with horse power and
old-fashioned farming as practiced in most of the
competing countries.
to
So it seems that agriculture experiences its cycle
of depression and prosperity, the same as the mining
and lumber and manufacturing industries. It would
pear that time is about ripe for the upswing in agri
culture, which Campbell predicts. If this occurs land
values will return, the demand will increase, and farm
mortgages will again go to a premium, and those pos
sessed of land will find themselves in the same happy
situation as those who
enterprises.
ap
now own stocks in
industrial
When the upswing in farm prices i
and Sheridan county lands will make great gains in
values. Because of distance from market and dry
years during the peak of war prices, farm land infla
tion did not occur in the dry land sections of Montana,
as they did in other sections which accounts for their
present extremely low prices—prices that are rock bot
tom and cannot
occur, Montana
go lower—and which will allow great
increases before they reach comparative
lands to the east.
value with
Tom Campbell goes on to say "Seventy-five per cent
of all farm relief problems can be solved with our
present laws: all that we need i s the courage to enforce
Mr. Campbell remarked further, "The farmers buy
"* po !' er is »11,000,000,000 less than it was nine years
ago. Restore that buying power and you are going to
baye some business." This is obvious. Restore this
taymg power and surplus labor will find employment,
d will commence to consume, which will be reflected
immediately in farm commodity price advance
"Just give us another good
our land values
crop this year, and watch
K° up, says Campbell.
Campbell calls attention to the fact that "Montana
000 00O a ~ 1OSmg 22 CentS PCr bushel on wheat or $H,
Says Campb^The* 16 improper grading."
ards lie™with P ° Wer °f these grading stand
ra. lies with the department of agriculture aoH ™
new legislation is needed." This $11,000.000 'saved to
and her busi- ;
Montana will mean a lot to her farmers
ness men.
In speaking of farming, Campbell says
adoption of the 2,000 acre farm unit will do much
solve the state's agricultural problems. It wou
that mechanized farming is only beginning, an
low grain prices are going to be overcome only Dy
decreased production costs, the result of cheaper farm
ing operations and increased acre production.
of Russian production, but th.s
much of her own
that the
There is some fear
is groundless. Russia will consume
future production, and the increased European .con
sumption because of cheapened prices, will absorb the
increased production and it should be remembered that
the awakening of China and resulting rise of living
standards there will not only absorb in the course of
a few years ail increase in grain production, but will
well. The improved
take care of our cotton crop as
economic conditions of the world will soon reflect it
self in commodity prices first and then in land values
and when that occurs, which we
Sheridan county farmers will come into their
believe will occur
soon,
own.
It is our advice, if we may presume to offer any ad
vice, to the young man, is to buy land now while it is
still cheap, for it is not going to remain
long.
that way
POLITICAL PEN PORTRAITS
"A writer in the American Mercury of April describes
the so-called progressives of the United States senate,
and includes among them Montana's two senators,
Thomas J. Walsh and Burton K. Wheeler, and in con
nection therewith pens interesting political portraits of
those gentlemen," says the Montana Free Press.
"Disagreeing with the great majority of the voters
of the United States, the author is highly prejudiced
against President Hoover, and hence can give his
whole-hearted approval to only one of the progressives,
Senator Norris of Nebraska, who seemingly was cleans
ed of all sin and made perfect because he espoused the
of A1 Smith. Though manifestly prejudiced, the
cause
pen portraits of the various senators are interesting.
Of Senator Walsh the author said:
" 'Walsh of Montana approaches closest to
him (Norris) in ability and intelligence, but
is not above suspicion of giving heed to politi
cal expediency and certainly not above the
charge of manipulating situations to suit his
own purposes. His conduct during the oil in
vestigation was often partisan and egotistical.
His examination of Mellon, Hays, Stewart and
Butler was weak and indifferent,
queries written out and sent to Nye by the
reporters covering the proceedings that really
dug into the vitals of these gentry and pro
duced a full account of their miserable con
duct. Walsh is above question in personal hon
esty, but he is strongly controlled by an arro
gant and tactless feeling of superiority. His
contact with other senators, and particularly
progressives, over a period of many years
doubtless has given him every reason to des
pise them but therein lies a difference between
him and Norris. The latter will suffer and
work them. Walsh holds himself aloof and
goes his own way.
"Following is the appraisement made of Senator
Wheeler:
It was
i ?>
Wheeler, Walsh's Montana colleague, is a
slick politcian, despite his far-flung and
largely unmerited reputation as a heroic and
persecuted investigator. Wheeler is as dema
gogic as any of them. In appearance he looks
like a board of trade boomer, or a smart, well
fed corporation lawyer. He is an old hand at
all the political tricks, and easily plays the
game with the party regulars. It was told all
over Montana last summer during his cam
paign for re-election that he was being sup
ported by the big interests of the
u <
state. How much foundation there was to the
story I don't know, but he certainly had a
walk away fight of it as compared with cairv
paigns in which the copper corporations open
ly fought him.
"Wheeler devotes himself wholly to potshoot
ing. He never makes a speech on the senate
floor, confining his remarks to interruptions
of other speakers. His greatest activity is in
committee, where he readily plays a partisan
game. He has no hesitancy in agreeing to se
cret committee hearings, although afterwards
he will often drop hints of what went on. In
a floor fight he is a total loss. He is a
miserable speaker, and one of those who never
goes to the trouble of preparing himself. Of
all the progressives—next to Norris, who does
not seek them, and Borah, who zealously courts
them—Wheeler has the best hookup with the
reporters. He is always available and will
pass out the low-down. He also will co-operate
in working up a story. Hence the boys of the
gallery like him and he gets a good play when
occasion offers."
PASSING OF S KILLED LABOR
Skilled labor is passing: they are now being em
ployed on the machines which are taking their place
as common labor.
Printer telegraph machines are now operating type
casting machines located far away from the central
machine, thus putting many operators out of a job.
Installation of automatic telegraph instruments i
abolishing the jobs of hundreds of operators.
Seventy per cent of all bakery products output
machine made.
Automatic machinery is rapidly taking the place of
coal miners, and automatic loaders are filling the cars,
resulting in speeding production and at the same time
lowering wages.
Improved machinery in the farming industry in the
gram belt is displacing men by the thousands. Nearly
anyone can run a tractor or operate any farm machine
ry—no skilled labor is required, /
In farming the combine has abolished the binder, has
done away with the use of binding twine, and the ne
cessity of shocking. The combine cuts and threshes
the gram and scatters the straw in one operation. The
h i S been 1 su P erse ded by the tractor, one of which
SSrddft ÄÄT/ h0rSeS a " d ran a twart »- f0 "
machinery is taking the place of skilled
Ikniedkbor^ mduStry ' and is Orally abolishing
iness &in * re putting sma11 merchan ts out of bus
Industries, banks and merchants
larger concerns.
Will it benefit or injure mankind?
What does it all mean?
That is the big question that this
have to answer.
is
are
un
are merging in ever
generation will
COUNTY FAIR GROUNDS
There has been again some agitation lately fi
air ground, a race track, a grandstand, and
fair buildings art)
r a
, , . proper
equipment, located at Plentywood.
The Producers News believes that
tune to buy
the time is oppor
and is somewhat
, * an( i f° r fair grounds,
m sympathy with the entire fair project
However, we still believe, that if the
Son andTh ed * !'™' S ' W ° 0d ' as • Permanent pro
po tion, and the county furnishes the monev for iho
Approvements and the necessary buildings besides tho
appropriation for the premiums annually it is
county fair is
no more
the taxpayers of the !
of Plenty wood
fair association
than fair to
county, that the city
present the county
with the grounds, gratis.
We said elds before and we reiterate
it now.
Sheridan to'ivv s .
rich— almost bevona <.ur t i'.'prehen
rub-.r. il* farm
value. Its
rot pnur*. it is
sion—and g .owing
lands are incrv.i • n * .
crops are increasing both in acres and
production and production i
regulär, while operating costs are de
creasing thanks to improved methods
There is no
U
acre
and better machinery,
reason why Sheridan county should
not have ample fair grounds, with
the proper tracks and adequate build
ings. None in the world
The fair grounds would exemplify
our progressiveness and our prosperi
ty: it would afford the opportunity
to properly display the results of
agricultural activities which would
bring people here, and increase the
demand and price of our lands, be
sides affording recreation to our citi
zens. It would promote confidence
and good will.
Why should not Sheridan county
have all of these good things?
our
<
FARMERS SEEKING CON
TROL OF THEIR CROPS
* Regina, Sask. — (FP)—In the *
* decision of the recent United *
* Farmers conventoin to seek leg- *
* islation requiring all grain grown *
* in Saskatchewan to be marketed *
* through the wheat pools is, to *
* some extent, the Canadian coun- *
* terpart of the American farmers' *
**demand for a national farm board *
* and public credit to market sur- *
* plus crops. Saskatchewan is by *
* far the greatest of the wheat- *
* growing provinces.
* Even with the pools handling *
* the greater proportion of last *
* year's crop, / returns to the grow- *
* ers were not satisfactory. To» *
* much wheat was crowding the *
* markets. Hence the United Far- *
* mers idea of using state power to *
* increase the wheat pools' ability *
* to regulate offerings of grain on *
* the market. *
* Conservative officials say such *
* legislation would make the Unit- *
* ed Farmers the real governors of *
* the province, and others warn the *
* farmers to beware of politics. *
* Farmers have noticed however *
* that manufacturers d» not hesi- *
* täte to mix in politics to get pro- *
* fit-padding tariffs. *
SR]
Economic
Articles
M
is
gc
m
By LELAND OLDS.
Federated Press
vs\
■V
The decay of England as the manu
facturing center of the world is no
where more evident than in the fall
ing market for it^ cotton goods. Ac
cording to the U. S. department of
commerce, British exports of cotton
yam in 1928 fell 19% short of the
1913 oversea shipments while exports
of cotton cloth were down 45% com
pared with prewar. Growing hostility
to British imperialism, coupled with
the rapid expansion of industrialism
even in the more backward regions of
the world, is sapping the vitality of
British industry by drying up its mar
kets.
Meanwhile official figures at the
end of February place the number of
unemployed in Great Britain at 1,
468,000, a jump of 116,495. The con
servative government's attempts to
solve the problem without drastic
modification of the old capitalist sys
tem are apparently proving a costly
failure.
British exports of cotton yam in
1928, according to the report, amount
ed to 169,212,000 pounds compared
with 210,090,000 pounds in 1913. Ex
ports of British cotton cloth have
fallen from 7,075,652,000 yards in
1913 to 3.866,692,000 yards in 1928.
"The prosperity of the British cot
ton manufacturing industry," says
the report "depends upon its ability
to export from 80 to 90% of its pro
duction. In postwar years the indus
try has met severe competition in
many markets which formerly were
large consumers of British cotton yam
and cloth."
Prior to the war India afforded
the biggest market for British cotton
goods, taking 3,067,361,000 yards of
cloth in 1913.
In 1928 India took
O'
♦>
a!
A Tip for the
Wise
Housewife
For
The Best Meats
At the Lowest Prices
Come to
FORMAN'S
Where Quality
Prevails
And Service is
Prompt and
Efficient
Forman's
FRED FORMAN, Prop.
Plentywood
Phone 17
only 1,541,786,000 yards, a reduction
of nearly 50%. Between 1913 and
1928 China, the second largest mar
ket, cut its demand for British cotton
goods from 716,533,000 yards to 186,
621,000 yards, a reduction of about
74%.
To British labor these figures
mean chronic unemployment and
part time. To British capitalists
they mean the necessity of squeez
ing out the water injected into
»hr capitalization during the yearf
of the excessive profits. To ac
complish this a huge amalgamation
scheme is being Ideveloped to in
clude mills with from 8,000,000 to
10,000,000 spindles.
Export of cotton goods has al
ways been closely associated with the
growth of the British commercial em
pire. Cotton led the way in the me
chanical revolution which put England
in the van of the capitalist parade.
So important did England consider
the market for its cotton goods that
in the early days it made the export
of textile machinery a criminal of
fense. But today all that is changed
and the number of spindles and
looms in China, India and Japan, is
steadily increasing.
BERGER IS PRAISED BY
LA GUARDIA OF N. Y.
Washington — (FP)—Tribute to
the political and social pioneering
done by Victor L. Berger of Milwau
kee, retiring Socialist member of the
Hosue, was paid in a brief speech by
Rep. La Guardia of New York—who
was himself elected on the Socialist
ticket in 1924, but has resumed his
Republican affiliations— before final
adjournment on March 4.
"Mr. Berger" he said "serves our
nation in the capacity of a pioneer,
popularizing ideas of political and so
cial reform long before they are ac
cepted by many, and while they are
still frowned upon and denounced by
the political leaders. . . . It is a
part of the price that is paid for po
litical and social progress, in all ages
and all lands."
CANADA NEARS PACT
WITH SOVIET RUSSIA
Ottawa
(FP)—An
admission
that the Canadian government is like
ly to recognize Soviet Russia soon
was brought by the statement of H.
J. Mackie, Ontario lumber baron and
ex-member of Parliament, upon his
return from a trip to the Soviet
Union.
Mackie publicly said that he had
definite information that the Cana
dian government was contemplating
renewal of trade relations with the
Soviet republic. This caused J. S.
Woodsworth, Labor Party house lead
er, to ask the government what steps
were being taken.
Premier MacKenzie King answered:
"I am unable to say more to my hon
orable friends than that the govern
ment is giving consideration to the
matter."
Press dispatches from London say
that Mackie's statement has "caused
perturbation,
industrialists are reported going to
Russia to investigate trade prospects.
The London Express (owned by Lord
Beaverbrook, a Canadian) urges the
Baldwin government to abandon its
present attitude, "because it is costing
Britain a very considerable loss in
trade."
A number of British
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HERE'S plenty of action when
old bus meets up with Westland gas
and a supply of fresh Dura.
Sit tight r-it's great stuff!
your
r
pOr;
oils
motor.
W.
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WESTLAND OIL COMPANY—MINOT, NO. DAKOTA
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WESTLAND OIL COMPANY, MINOT, N. D.
The Crime of 1929
While the market price of copper was mounting by
leaps and bounds, the recent Montana legislative assem
bly turned its deaf ear to a proposal of increased taxa,
tion. Immediately prior to its convening, and during our
1929 legislative session, copper advanced in price from 13
cents to 19 cents per pound. Provision should have been
made to tax these increased values, to be., measured, by
'tens of millions, but Montana had only a minority repre
sentation in her legislature.
Since adjournment of the last A. C, M. legislature,
commonly referred to as the Twenty-first Assembly, the
price of coppef has continued to advance. The price now,
•25 cents, less a small fraction, means that the net earn
ings of the Butte mines of the A. C. M. will show an in
crease at the end of the year, of twenty million dollars
greater than at the prevailing price at the time when the
last legislature was in session. These increased values
should be taxed, and the over-burdened tax payer among
the masses should be afforded some measure of relief.
The natural resources of Montana include the mines.
As they become depleted our state should be compensated.
When the prices of mines products are highest, the great
should be the State's compensation by way of higher
taxation. Much of the water that should have turned our
taxation wheels has passed on unused; our treasury has
been frightfully and shamefully abused, and now shows
a deficit of more than three millions in excess of the con
stitutional limit.
Through depletion of its mines resources, Montana is
now earning daily, a vast amount of revenue that she
will never collect. Every day counts. Let us exert
unprecedented energy for an extra legislative session,
and with determination, endeavor to su bstitute the pres
ent taxatoin travesty with a measure that will provide
for a tax that will be fair, just and equitable. If we fail
we must initiate. If we initiate, the copper trust should
know that the taxation rates must be higher, that lost
time may be compensated for, as well as providing for
the future.
An extra session would be 100 per cent merit. Its cost
would be equal only to the revenue that an equitable
measure would yield in a few weeks. If the cost of
extra session should be regarded as material, the editor
of this paper, a member of the senate, will waive mileage
and per diem, and believes that a large number of the
members will proffer likewise when signing a petition to
the governor for their assembly in extraordinary session.
In two or three days an extra session could pass a very moderate
bill by amcnlJing the present gross metal mines tax of 1%, to read:
1 per cent
1*4 percent
1 */2 per cent
1 % per cent
2 per cent
2 */2 per cent
3 per cent
5 per cent
8 per cent
12*/ 2 per cent
The above schedule of rates should be regarded as moderate when
it is kniowm that the state of Montana exacts 12'/2% of the gross
production flrom its toil bearing lands, irrespective of the amount
produced, and an additional tax of 2% of the gross of all oil pro
duced from all lands within this state.
In the present marketing situation, the metal mines tax should
be higher—much higher tham suggested by the above schedule.
That schedule is suggested for legislative act, and immeHiafe ac
tion. If the initiative must be resorte'd to the above schedule of
rates should be increased not less than 50%. Do the Governor and
the A. C. M. think it advisable to express a preference? If not,
what do the people think about it? What Ho the independent news
papers think about? Every Montana legislator should now go on
record for or against a legitimate mines tax, by getting into the
print of the paper nearest his home. "Every day counts,"
er
an
an
Over $500,000 and under $10,000,000,
The next $5,000,000
The next $5,000,000 _
The next $5,000,000
The next $5,000,000
The next $5,000,000
The next $5,000,000
The next $5,000,000
The next $5,000,000
All over 50 Million