The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-07-18

ple-GOvernment Employment Ser
vice Almost Ruined Congress
Fights for Special Privilege With
Economy"
Washington, D. C.-There is
great although carefully concealed,
apprehension in Washington over the
outbreak of social revolution in Italy.
for that is the Interpretation placed
here on the serious food riots in
Florence, Bologna, Ravenna and 9TH
err cities of northern Italy, with con-
seuuent assumption of supreme pow
or bv chambers of labor"
The Importance of the situation to
this country was pointed out to your
correspondent by an officer of the fed
eral trade commission. He emphasized
the fact that food profteering, hurt
ing the farmers and the wage-earn-
ers alike, is responsible for the out
break and observed that FOOD,
PROFITEERING, BABLY
MORE FLAGRANT THAN THAT
IN ITALY, is TODAY GOING FOR
WARD UNCONTROLLED IN THIS
COUNTRY.
MENACE OF FOOD SHARKS
Just how much the international
manipulations Of the American pack
ers are responsible for the present
uuheaval in Italy is still a matter of
speculation. AS yet there is no data
available to show their full grip on
the food markets of the world. In
this country, however, it is certain
that the grim monopoly of the "Bfg
Five" is busily tanning the embers
of unrest. Squeezing producer and
consumer, and fiouting the govern
ment in Their sordid race for gain,
the packers, officials here believe, are
doing more to bring the perils Of
revolution to this country other than
any other element.
Widespread recognition of this con-
dition, and widespread fear of food
riots and worse in this country as a
result, is abroad in Washington now.
There is actual apprehension of what
might follow if the facts of the food
monopoly were ever spread before
the American people in their true
colors. AS Senator La Toilette said
the other day: "If some great play
wright would dramatize the evidence
collected against the packers it would
cause a revolution"
PROGRESSIVES SEE DANGER
And Senator Kendrick of Wyom-
ing, cattleman by profession, COM
ments on the admission of the pack
er combination that theirs is the big
gest commercial enterprise in Ameri-
ca as follows: "
"The startling significance of that
fact is realized when we consider
that this huge industry, dealing in the
food supply of the nation and rapid.
~ extending it's interest to trans-At.
lantic and South American fields, is
dominated by a few private citizens
who are wholly free from govern
mental supervision"
To check this situation before il
brings the inevitable result now seer
in Italy the progressive and liberia
group in congress, regardless of par
ty lines, are now uniting to pu
through legislation regulating thu
food monopolists and restricting thu
packers to that one industry. Bill!
for this end have been introduced b!
Senator's Kenyon and Kendrick, ant
representatives Anderson of Mime
sofa and Lever of South Carolina.
MEXICO AGAINST BREWERS
Meicox, while expecting consider
able profit from a advent of prohl
bition in the United States, will no
welcome American distillers an
brewers whose business is now out
lawed at home and who have latel,
been casting longing eyes across tn
Rio Grande as a fertile field for tn
perpetuation of profitable calling.
At the Mexican en1b assy here
was explained that the nation re
quires all her cereals for purposes Q
food consumption, and that there
no disposition on the part of the gov
eminent to increase the exlstln
number of distilleries and brewer1e.
As Mexican law provides that fec
eral licenses must be secured befor
launching any new commercial er
terprise one of the few possible ave
nueS of escape appears to but cut o
the harrassed liquor men OF tn
United States.
hO"eVeE, II Is Sdiu tlciC 40 w.
likelihood that the California WIZ
growers, a majority of whom are
Latin extraction will find a have
of welcome in Lower California ar
other northern Mexican states. II
government sees in more lntensi'
cultivation of the grape a source
income to the state, profit to u
people, and an industry with consl
cradle export value to the Centr
and South American trade.
1t is believed that the probable e
odus of the California wine grove
will prove a serious obstacle to Sc
ator Ashurst's scheme for annexil
Lower California to the Unit
States. Sentiment in this section
said to be decidedly anti-prohlbltii.
and averse to coming in under
Stars and Stripes for this reason
for no other.
LAND VALUE MONOPOLY
Convincing propaganda for re-
sion of federal taxation laws IS Dei
made by the Farmers Natioi
Single Tax league over the rece
sale by Vincent Aston for, neal