The producers news. [volume], May 19, 1933, COUNTY EDITION, Image 1

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

Image provided by: Montana Historical Society; Helena, MT

                
- ■
THE PRODUCERS NEwST"
- OFFICIAL orga n of the united
PLENTYWOOD, SHERIDAN
EDITION
THERE should be a
5a LOCAL IN YOUR
COMMUNITY
Polished Weekly. _
^OLUME XVl- Number 8.
\our paper is the best way
to educate the people. Let
them read the truth and
facts," says W. R. Miller, of
Twin Falls County, Idaho.
u
FARMERS LEAGUE
COUNTY, MONTANA, FRIDAY, MAY 19, 1933
Entered as second Class Matter Octal*». is i 0 ,
Betrayal !
in our editorial of last week we asked the question
<. WH 0 IS TO CONDUCT THE STRIKE?" Professional
farm leaders?"
In answer to this we recalled "to our readers attention
the experiences that we have had during the last year from
such leadership. Last summer Milo Reno told the farmers
to declare a truce with the milk trust because the governors
conference was going to win results for them.
The ink was hardly dry on our last issue before the
news came that Milo Reno had again betrayed the American
farmers, and particularly the farmers in the Holiday Assn,
bv calling off the strike.
What were the steps in this shameful order
for retreat before the battle had started?
On May 4 the National Convention of the Holiday Asso
ciation decided on a nationwide strike. Reno attempted to
stop such a strike call by appealing to Senator Smith of the
Senate Agricultural Committee for some excuse he could
give the farmers.
On May 8 Reno wrote to all officers and members of
the Holiday Assn. "This is your notification THAT THE
GENERAL FARM STRIKE HAS BEEN CALLED FOR
MAY 13, 1933." (The emphasis was his).
On May 10 Congress passed the farm relief bill without
the "cost of production" slogan which Reno and Simpson
have been shouting about. On that day, THREE DAYS
p.EFORE THE STRIKE WAS TO TAKE PLACE, Reno said.
"That amendment was perhaps the one meas
ure which might have prevented us from striking.
NOW THE FARMERS MUST EITHER LIE
DOWN AND ACCEPT PEASANTRY, OR BAT
TLE TO A FINISH.
On May 11, TWO DAYS BEFORE THE DATE OF THE
STRIKE the United Press reported,
and presidents of the state organization declared the strike
would begin as scheduled.
Early on May 12 the capitalist press already knew what
Reno was planning. The United Press, while reporting that
"farm holiday associations in midewestern states went
ahead today with plans for a national farm strike,
made the following significant remarks.
♦*
President Reno . . .
..
» t
* >
also
Possibility that Reno might use his influence
to stop the strike was seen when it was learned that
he was sending a telegram to President Roosevelt
tonight asking if the executive would declare a
moratorium on farm foreclosures and executions
until farm production costs are conceded to the
farmer.
• •
•*
"Reno was understood to believe that if the
President answered in the affirmative it would
mean that the 'farmer has won his battle'."
On May 12, Reno and some of his lieutenants met in
St. Paul where they received a letter from Governor Olson
to which we refer in our main story this week.
The strike was supposed to begin at 12:01 a. m., May
13. Less than 24 hours before that time Milo Reno, presi
dent of the National Holiday Association declared the strike
off.
WHY WAS THIS DONE- Was the condition
of the farmers any different from what it had been
eight days before when the strike was decided on
at the National Holiday Convention by the dele
gates? Was the situation any different from what
it had been two days before when Reno had de
clared that the "strike would begin as scheduled"?
The condition of the farmers was the same on
May 12 as it had been on May 4, May 10 and 11,
and as it is today.
On May 12 Reno had made his request to President
Poosevelt for a moratorium on foreclosures and evictions.
Had Roosevelt done this? Nothing of the sort! Reno made
a request to Roosevelt and Roosevelt made one to the in
S » u T r m ce com P a nies for leniency. NEITHER REQUEST HAS
ALTERED THE CONDITION OF THE AMERICAN
farmers.
WHY, THEN, WAS THE STRIKE CALLED
OFF? THE STRIKE WAS CALLED OFF BY
RENO BECAUSE HE GOT ORDERS FROM THE
BANKERS THROUGH OLSON AND ROOSE
VELT TO DO SO.
Reno called off the strike because he is opposed to mili
p nt snuggles on the part of the farmers.
of eT $°i 7 J 1 l surance companies received, over a year ago, a loan
i. ' 17 -YH00 from the Reconstruction Finance Corporation,
II tv/° r effor ts °f Congressman Campbell. Reno is,
il ™ deb ^ the bankers and takes their orders.
II waiiu + i ^ eno was issuing statements that the strike
SI tr y, Pi ace as scheduled he was trying to find a way
■ w stop the strike.
Furthermore,
»ota 'a - Olson, Farmer Labor Governor of Minne
Prided the excuses, which we refer to elsewhere in
l »is issue,
are °ld hands at this. On September 9 of last
ineetm ' °f ?° an< * Olson were the leading figures in the
tvhirb f.-°j e governors and Holiday leaders at Sioux City
*est Tned *° ^ rea k the strike of the farmers in the north
fteal^ Tb aad Olson are helping to carry through the New
He farmers are determined to struggle for higher
'igamst evictions and foreclosures and for relief,
to tho J^ s . colleagues know this and therefore agreed
could cqi ! ^ e ' fee ^ n g that when the farmers went home they
Thp \ and break the strike by calling it off.
of tho °t Reno has demonstrated the necessity
his own „ j ad y oc ated by the United Farmers League. In
ERS m u5r2 rds TT ?eno has decided that "NOW THE FARM
tU jT L down and accept PEASANTRY."
DO\vv E FARMERS ARE NOT GOING TO LIE
ARE ACCEPT PEASANTRY. THEY
In w G0ING T0 FIGHT *
fteno's tr*!u° nSin the .farmers have struck despite Mr.
^ ea ?ue stand l0 - US ü dec ^ sio11, There the United Farmers
Program .V n , e tront ra^ks bringing to the farmers
I ?les. rank a nd file leadership of their own strug
ÜM Prcos.
fomposPd mo ^ ra ticaIly elected strike committees,
carry on , na ' n K ran k and file farmers can
e struggle in the interests of the farm
«rs.
to defeat tb pu ,^ e t' n g must be the other weapon
•ties, and A f e *? tt5 ? c K s the food trust, the dep
The str.i/» traitors such Reno,
triisify th e S l , u ^e must be broadened to in
t'ons, to f nr ,_ gainst foreclosures and evic
ta ?, es of the in,«, pancellation of the debts and
from tho rK >' enshed farmers, and to win cash
lhe government.
UNEMPLOYED IN
SO. SIOUX CHY
GET PROVISIONS
Änd Commissione
Had Refused Aid to
Jobless Families
rs
173 ARE CUT OFF
Unemployed Council Leads
Workers in Struggle
For Food
Sioux City, Iowa, May 8.—
Today about 30 unemployed
workers entered the Council
Oak store and took the food
they needed from the shelves.
The store manager was told
to charge it to the county
state.
These unemployed workers held
a demonstration Sunday in South
Sioux City demanding relief from
their starvation conditions. About
1 ib families have been cut off
from all relief. The city and the
county commissioners refused to
give any help, saying they had Ino
money.
or
HAVE to eat
,
Monday the workers gathered
again and about 30 of them went
into the Council Oak store and
told the manager they had to have 1
something to eat. He answered '
that he could not let them have j
any as the company would hold :
him responsible. |
The spokesman for the workers i
said they did not care 'who was I
held responsible, they had to have i
food. The workers took their bas- j
kets and filled them with the
most necesary and substantial
food, told the clerks to check up
what they had helped themselves
to, a*nd charge It to the county or
State. They took about $75 worth j
of groceries.
The workers in South Sioux i
City have a strong unemployed '
council that is taking the lead in ,
the struggles of the worker. After
the workers had demonstrated
that they are not willing to lay
down and starve to death without
a snuggle, the city *d county
STRONG UNEMPLOYED
COUNCIL
VTSSStât
them to Lincoln to demand from
Governor Bryatn relief for the
■starving workers. If relief is not
forthcoming the rest of the unem
ployed in South Sioux City will
help themselves to food, and no
body can stop them.
We workers are determined that
we with bur wives and children
are going to eat regardles.? of law
and Governor Bryan.
WWW PARKIER
IS THREATENED
Gun Thugs and Official in
Alabama Thrust Guns
in Farmers Face
Birmingham, Ala.—J. H. Paxton
a farmer living in Citnonelle was
surrourded last week by thugs
and officials who threatened him
with guns thrust in bis face.
Paxton, who has often been
threatened with violence because
of his support of the Commuinist
party, was driving home in hk
car last Thursday night, when an
other car ran in front of him,,
forcing him to stop. M. Hobbs,,
marshall of Citronelle, jumped
out, carrying a pump gun. He was
followed by two other men with
pistcls.
The three ran. to Paxton s cai
and pointed their guns at him.
WHAT A UNITED FRONT MEANS TO RENO
■
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Am
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" I
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>
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>: y
M
w
Pi
i
w
m
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i
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^1-:
f]
imk of tor his convention
The only UNITED FkuiNT Keno could
was one
what the head of the railroad unions, a high salaried misleader like himself. At the
convention Reno refused the offer of a UNITED FRONT with the unemployed
which was made by a member of the Unemployed Councils at Denver, Colorado.
CASPER, SMITH
MICHIGAN TOUR
BEGINS MAY 17
Detroit, Mich., May 10.—We
have just completed
prepara
tion^ for two statewide defense
a! d organizational tours for
Clyde Smith and George Cas
per. Smith and Casper will be
accompanied on this tour by
speakers from the United Front
Committees for the Repeal of
the Criminal Syndicalist law.
Each will
SENATE PASSES
NEW FARM BILL
go on a separate
tour.
Roosevelt Signs Measure to
Stabilize Starvation, And
Start Inflation
The Roosevelt Farm Relief
bill was signed by the Presi-<
dent on May 12 after having
come through the Senate on
May 10. The only disagree
ment which developed in the
Senate was wnether the 'cost
of production' amendment of
Norris and Simpson should
be included or not. It was
no t
„ .. ,
Even lf lt ^ t* 6 « it would
have meant very little to the farm
efs slnce n does not even pro
Vlde a decen t standard of living
f ° r them - All it meant was tha<
they would get enough to be able
^ P a -V their Interest and debts to
the bankers.
™ 416 "ilj as passed consists of
three sections, none of which bode
an rihing but 111 for the farmer,
STABILIZING STARVATION
i. The secretary of Agriculture
i s authorized to cut production by
either the allotment plan of the
leasing of farm land to take them
ou t of production. This means the
.. . , , ,
sublimen of starvation and
putting the working class of the
''T' ,
2, Liquidation of the frozen
farm mortgages of the insurance
companies and the banks, by ex
changing them for Federal Land
Bank bonds, guaranteed by the
government. The farmers get only
a change in masters. Two billion
dollars will go to the bankers thru
this section.
PRINTING PRESS
INFLATION
3 - The widespread inflation pro
gram of the Wall Street bankers
™ included in the farm relief
bl11 a *l a P 1 ? 06 of brazen mockery,
Inflation will mean that the city
workers will be able to buy less,
cu tti"g the farmers markets süll
m ore, and worsening his condition
even below their present levels,
ATTACK ON WORKING
CLASS
The farm relief bill is an attack
on the farmers and on the entire
working class. Only mass action,
strikes for higher prices, struggle 8
against evictions and foreclosures,
and for cash relief, can bring the
farmers any improvement in their
conditions.
Paxton reports that it was prob
ably only the fact that he had a
young friend with him, who would
have been a witlr.ess to the mur
der, that prevented the marshall
from pulling his trigger. As it
was, the attackers contented them
selves with threatening Paxtos.
Ber««, May 10.-In the farm
ing & strict a of Pomerania num
e rou s small group* of the Corn
muni* parly were arreeted.
, The work of rallying the farm
erg af raj nst Hitler's bloody
gime continues dlespite the ar
j rests. An illegal Communist
paper coin tin ue« to appear with
j
COMMUNISTS IN
GERMANY CARRY
ON STRUGGLES
ro
a widie circulation.
° ,fl " « ««»ywooa. 'A"JV^\ r X,
HO RENO, IN DEAL WITH ROOSEVELT,
CALLS OFF FARM STRIKE; FARMERS IN
WISCONSIN STRIKE DESPITE BETRAYAL
ROUT DEPUTIES
i
Gas Attack
1 SINGLER IS FISHING
Sheriffs Deputize Armies of
Gun Men to Break
Dairy Strike
|
n . lft - tle .
f™!L Wls J°nsiii
i £ f < T e ot de . p *
tZn nf th "
' ?°f duel despitea
i ÄS ? ^ *2? ^° m , bs -
S E SI about *
™ 5 £ ' , . truc1 ?'
f"1 d i, deputies oft
with blows from their fists,
stones and Hnh«
\ Xliruout the non.
; ü «n strikJ iSnW« K Îm
,, , p ckets battled
j W1 " n deputies and state
pohce. Thousands of pounds
OI milk were dumped by the
pickets.
Five farmens were arrested at
Ashland where milk had been
dumped in Main street. Dan Cavey
(who was charged with dumping
: milk hear Mukwono, in Walw.orth
! COUIlty ' wae nested,
1 FORCE TRUCKS TO
RETURN
■
At Racine the pickets stopped
milk trucks and forced them to
, rtum home vrith their loads. . No!
m iik waa dumped here.
Walter Sin * ler - P«*ide.it ot the
, Wisconsin MilW P«ni k ge I
: hi „ nerformancp nf w ^ ted
j The Stornev tretnera^ warn^T*' i
that he wouM^te held re^fnsibîî
for mfliten? 1actionSk^^
farmers Si- vier in.™ 1? 1
££5 thathe wLTtw*
for this mi]l - tan !". J Tw Î1 1
fpU«d. ' tT-ÂÎ" X I
"J«* 4- have h
1 e advice Die lead
S a J® the farmers wnen the
s ™ e as ca
farm ® re tke P lcket
"nes and Mr. Si gier has gone
ls ln £
I
DUMP SIX TRUCKS
On Sunday, May 14, farmers at
■
Mukwionago battled thru clouds of 1
tear gas, thrown by deputies, to
dump six truckloads of milk, des-'
tined for the Chicago market.
The struggle took place in Wal
worth county a short distance from
the Waukesha county line. Wau- j
kesha county deputies on the line j
threw tear ga s bombs across at
the 400 farmers. (
The truck drivers and private
thugs on the milk trucks are !
carrying dubs. An hour after ;
the struggle 75 gun thugs were I
out deputized for Walwiorth ooun- i
were
dumped by fighting farmers near
East Troy. Thirty-five deputies
a"d guards protected the trucks
but the farmers swept them aside
despite their battling.
George O'Brien sent out a call for
a hundred additional deputies, but
by the time they got there the
farmens were elseVhere along the
highway.
ty.
Six truckloads of milk
Sheriff
I
250 Rally in May Day
J «. .. I
r reparation Meeting ;
- j
Mesa, Ariz., April 29.—Over 250 !
workers rand farmers participated
in a May Day preparation mass
meeting here at the Mesa City
hall.
Wisconsin U.F.L. Calls for
United Front Struggle In
Strike of Dairy Farmers
The Wisconsin United Farmers League, with or
ganizations m 12 counties, has issued a statement giv
mg its position in the proposed farm marketing strike
which contains the following points,
The United Farmers League supports the
strike and will mobilize its members to join in.
2. The United Farmers League calls on the rank
and file members of the Holiday Association, Milk
I ool, Equity, Grange, Cooperatives, independent farm
oi gamzation, as well as unorganiztd farmers to set up
democratically elected UNITED FRONT COMMIT
TEES OF ACTION to lead the strike and other farm
struggles.
3. The United Farmers League insists that mili
tant mass action, such as mass picketing, is necessary
to win the strike and other farm struggles.
4. The United Farmers League calls for an in- i
in prices at the expense of the trusts and the !
banks and not at the expense of the city worker con- 1
sumers. * i
!
crease
' ) - The United Farmers League calls for unity of
the impoverished farmers and city workers in the i
struggles of the fanners.
6 The United Farmers League considers the
struggles for the following demands of equal import
ance with the proposed farm strike, and calls for !
broadening- of the farm strike, to include a struggle i
for these demands. 1
No foreclosures or forced sales on prop
erty of impoverished farmers because of inability
to meet interest and mortgage payments.
b " exem Pti°n for poor and needy farmers
cancellation of tax arrears.
c. No evictions or tax sales.
d. Immediate appropriation of $50,000,000 bv
the state legislature for cash relief for impover
ished farmers, for free seed, feed and othe im
mediate necessities.
a.
The United Farmers League calls on all Wiscon
sin impoverished farmers to unite regardless of
litical affiliations, religious opinions, or nationality
and to carry on the struggles for their demands.
po
ATTEMPT STOP
A FORCED SALE
Peonle's Prnferfiv« I Aamic .
p ». c , a .^? e
Galbes ramiers; Sheriff
Aids Attorney
Vancouver, Wash., May 13.—
Over 100 farmers gathered here
May 16 in an attempt to prevent
a foreclosure sale. The sale weint
thru as a result of the assistance
given to the attorney for the
plaintiff by Sheriff R. E. McRite.
The farmers were called to pre
vent the sale of the farm of E.
W. Willett, by the People's Pro
tective League, a militant farmers
organization.
HOLD PLAINTIFF
A group of farmers went to the
office of the attorney for the
plaintiff amd held him there until
after the sale was over. The at
torney, however, got away. When
the attorney got to the court
house the farmers massed there
refused to let him in. Finally the
came t ". his r ? sc " and h '
forced a way through the crowd
for him.
The chief deputy read the sale
order. One farmer bid $1 another
$1.50. In a voice that could barely
be heard the attorney bid the
amoulnt of the mortgage andi the
property Was declared sold to the
plaintiff whom he represented.
The attorney followed the sher
iff into the court house through
fear of the farmers who had be
come embittered by the deal.
WIFE OF JOBLESS
WORKER ATTEMPTS
TO COMMIT SUICIDE
New York, May 6.—Carmen Mir
anda dragged her four year old •
son Harry to the edge of jam ele
vated platform and leaped before 1
the train before her husband could ;
stop her. The motorman jammed ,
on the brakes.
Mrs. Miranda is in a serious j
condition from ftrtemal injuries, j
Her son was lascerated.
Her husband, Juan, 36 years old j
has been out of work for a long |
time. He is tubercular. He wras ]
discharged from Bellevue hospital j
and returned borne to find that !
his wife had beeln served with aj
dispossess notice. They were told
to vacate within a week.
FARMER GROUP
PREVENTS SALE
®
,r* . n . .
county Protective Leagu
Has Support of Pomona
Grant«» I
*
(BY G. S. SLAYTER,
Chairman, Clark Co. Unit
Peoples Protective League)
Vancouver, Wash., May i3._i
The Peoples Protective League has
^ " aö
been very active here. We have
peacefully ßettled a great number
of mortgage foreclosure cases.
Our first ease was an eld widow
lady 79 years old. the mortgage
due for a year yet. She had
tax money, insurance money and
half of the interest money but the
mortgagor insisted on forecloßing
4ST2SS STot£ e r ä
the Interest money but he refused
so we hrought «mo ••pre SSU re" to
bea r on him and his lawyer. His
name is Oscar Lyles (a railrood
man) and' hte attorney's name is
Henry Crass. Llyes signed an or
der granting the old lady another
year with it to be referred back to
anyway.
the Protective league at that time,
Our governor i 8 a monied man
former banker, and naturally he
vetoed the only moratorium bill we
had, go we have no recourse other
than "force of numbers'' for our
protectiom. Our League has the
backing of the Pomono Grange in
this county and many organiza
tions are behind the movement so
we are pretty ßtroing.
FIRST AID FOR
YOUR UFL LOCAL
I
Are your meetings dull. Do
you talk a lot and get no
where ? If so, you will want to
order the leaflet just off the
press, "Are you Coming to the
Meeting?" It is a reprint of
Alfred Tiala's timely and
pointed article which appeared
recently in the Producers News.
We want all your members to
get one so we are charging only
10 cents for 26 copies or 35
cents for 100 copies. Order a
bundle for your next meeting.
OLSON IS AGENT
Embittered Farmers Bum
Reno in Effigy at
Kaukauna, Wis.
RENO RESPONSIBLE
1 Holiday Leader Says That
Farmers Should Wait
For Roosevelt
j Milo Reno, president of the
j National Holiday Association,
in one of the most open and
brazen acts of betrayal of the
interests of the farmers, de
clared the farm strike off on
Friday, May 12, one day be
töre it was to have gone into
effect.
The statement by which
Reno called off the strike
reads as follows;
M
The national officers and
representatives of the Holi
day Association
northwest
in the
are suspending
the strike order until the
President is more fully un
derstood and the effect of
his farm relief
i is known.
program
99
HOLIDAY MEMBERS
EMBITTERED
i •
Throughout the country and
particularly among the farmers
i wb <) are members of the Holiday
Association a bitter resentment
has developed against this
act of treachery.
In Kaukauna, Wisconsin, the
formers who went on strike de
| spite Reno'e sell out hung him in
1 effigy.
The betrayal and attempted sell
of the
open
; out movement was
; the work of Reno, Olson, Farmer
1 Labor governor of Minnesota, and
! the Roioeevelt administration.
TO TAKE FARMERS
UNAWARES
i In order to make his treachery
effective Reno held up his order
declaring the strike off until the
day before it was to be called. By
this manoeuver he hoped to take
the farmers unaware, and crush
I the strike movement by the un
I certainty that would develop
among thee farmers,
Reno gave as the reason for
i calling off the strike the fact that
I Rooisevelt had asked the insurance
I
com pain ies to go easy on foreclos
ir S and evicting and that farmers
should wait to see what came of
G- * ,• ,
hiß farm relief program,
Reno met in St. Paul, Minnesota
on May 12, with a few Holiday
j leaders. Gov. Oleotn was desig
"f 4 ! " the on * who should <n.p
P i y . 1 ' he excuSes tnr eMmg off the
ftrike '
I
OAA v\ A H A Ml All
{INI f [([fi |
! DAY IN ABERDEEN
; Ma ny Fanner» With Trac
. r* «.do
tors Cannot Buy C»aso
line to Run Them
(Continued on Page Two)
Frederick, S. D., May 4.—The
farmers are going ahead putting
j jjn their crop, using the old ma
aTld horse « ° r trac ^
Many tractor owners are wishing
for horses because they can't buy
| Ka f? lne ' ..
! H 1 rses aw scarcer , than
I were an( * man y were shipped out
°/ bbe coutn ^ r y this spring. Very
' Rttle new machinery is being
h° u £ht.
R. F. C. loans are urged onto
I the farmers who are in debt to the
banks, I Wonder if a farmer out
of debt could get a loan.
MAY DAY UNITED
FRONT
The Unemployed Council and
the farmers joined in a May Day
demonstration in Aberdeen. Sharp
and Maki spoke. Wiitala also gave
a short talk. About 300 were in
the parade. The speaking alnd pic
ric dinner was held in the Aber
deen Municipal buiilding on ac
count of cold, muddy weather.
I am mot much of a salesman,
but I would like you to send me
a few subscription blanks for the
I "News."
j cal meetings for some time. Hop
ing to be able to report better
next time.
There have been no lo-