davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-08-22
The Real Solution


Wilson'S address to congress on the
high cost of living w1lI add greatly
to the number of those farmers and
workers who see Independent polite
al action as absolutely necessary. AT
a time when spublic welfare demands
real solutions, the president makes
a mere political gesture to capitalize
the situation for his party. Let US
hope that the people are sufficiently
serious to not let him or the reaction
airy politicians of the other stripe
succeed The standards Of civiliza-
tion In America are at stake.
We would all like to see a crusade
against those personally responsible
for unduly raising prices, but there
is no chance that the present depart
n1ent of justice will run in any of the
big fellows. Wilson admits in his
speech that the last Democratic con-
gyees made profteering Illegal dur
ing the war, but provided no penalty
for the crime. And at best this
prosecution would solve no funda-
nienal business problems of today.
We are not confronted with criminal
acts so much as a vicious system of
distribution and monopoly Of resour-
ceH.
The very men who manipulated the
markets to force up prices stood ace.
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-08-22
Country Fairs

Now that the season Of county and
state fairs is upon us, it may not
be aniss to recall some criticisms of
them which Professor L. II. Bailey
a strong champion of the farmer, of.
fered several years ago. He believed
that the fair had been made too much
a city mans enterprise; whereas ii
shonld be farm enterprise and man
aged by farmers.
s'The fairs" says Professor Balley
IN his book, 1.-THE County Life Move
ment," "have been invaded by gam
bling and nunaberless catch-penny
and amusement and entertainment
features, many of which are very
questionable, until they have often
became great country medleys of
aerobats and trained bears and high
divers and gew-gaws and balloon as
tensions and sideshows and profess
sional travelling exhibitors and ad-
vertising devices for all kinds of
goods.
"And as things have increased, the
local agricultural interest has tended
to drop out. In some cases the states
makes appropriations to local fairs;
T. is a question whether the state
should be in the Snowman business..
"T should like to see one expert
rnent ried somewhere by someone, de-
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-08-22

+ er pays for farm produce, the farm.
er gets only one dollars; the middle.
men get the other two dollars. B,
organizing, doing away with. waste,
and eliminating unnecessary middle.
men and nonproducers, the producer
and consumer can get greater par
of this two, dollars-the farmer get
ting letter prices and the consumer
aging lower prices than formerly.
The farmer cannet afford to at
tempt to arbitrarily raise the price
Of his own produce and hold up the
public. In the long run such a course
would bring opposition and ruin.
A farmers trust would be as bad
as any other kind of trust and
would have two-thirds, of the people
against it.
fhe only safe course for the farm
er is to insist that IL there is anv
prlce-flxing the public as a whole
snail do it and that the farmers shall
have their proportionate power as
part of the public.
The Nonpartisan League and the
labor parties are based on these min
clples. - IA
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-08-22
CONSERVATIVE ACTION

President E. G. Hall of the Mime
sofa Federation of Labor rightly do.
nles that the action of the federation
at New Ulm was radical. He insists
and in this he is right, that in de-,
Gliding to form one big political par.
ty and fight for its rights, Minneso-
Ia labor has taken a distinctly con.
sentative step. The radical wing Of
labor is insisting that political &C.
ton is a failure; that labor can win
only as it eschews the ballot and EN-.
ploys the strike alone. 3 50,
In rejecting this advice, and decid.
ing to stick to the time-honored
American method of the ballot, Min.
nesota labor has but followed the
conservative example of North d.
kota's farmers and workers. And it
is a method that is bound to win
If Mlnnesota's farmers and workers
stick as North Dakota's have DONE
Fargo IN. d. Courier News.
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-08-22

signed to project a bold enterprise
on a new foundation It would frs,
be necessary to eliminate some Of
the present features and then to add
constructive program.
II would eliminate all gate receipts
all concessions and all shows; all dis.
plays Of ordinary store merchandise:
all sales of articles and conamodi-
ties; and all money premiums.
Il should like to see, in this single
experiment, complete transfer from
the commercial and amusement
phase of the educational and recrea-
ton phase. I should like to see the
county fair made real meeting place
for the country folk. | should make
the fair one great picnic and gather
ing place and field day, and bring
together the very best elements that
are concerned in The development of
country life"
Perhaps we might give a little
more attention to the organization
and lay out of the fairs this year
Perhaps if enough of us feel the way
the Cornell university professor does
the Northwest, with it's more enter
pr1slng rural population, might show
hlm his first Abold enterprise on a
new foundation" II
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-08-22
Il Confession of Guilt

The discharge of the expert &C.
countant, N. Grant Hoage Of Butte
| Who was placed upon the books and
ffecoFds of Sheridan county by Coun-
ity Attorney Gunther, by agreement
Of that office with the Board of Coun-
ty Commissioners of Sheridan coun-
=, is an absolute confession of guilt
ny the members Of the Board of
County Commissioners and was a stem
taken by them, after due delibera-
tion, to prevent the facts as to the
'tli.e 'on1tion of affairs in She,itaa
county from coming to the light in
an official man.!:.l.
We have every reason to believe
That the steps to dismiss Mr.. Hoage
was taken after sufficient consulta-
ton with Assistant County Attorney
Cudhie.
We believe that the discharge of
Mr.. Hoage is a part of deep laid
conspiracy for the obstruction of
justice.
We believe that the action of the
Board of County Commissioners were
steps taken as policy of "self pres
ervation."
The excuse that this honorable
body gives is that the accountant has
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-08-22
AUCTIONEER
JENSEN
DATES

AUGUST 27. C. E. TOUGH, 7
MILES EAST OF HOMESTEAD.
EVERYTHING GOES.
SEPT. S. LOUIE ANDERSEN, 1
MI. NORTH OF COALRIDGE. SOLD
FARM.
SEPT. 20. HARRY ARENDS,
GULBERTSON. BIG STOCK SALE.
OCT. l. CARL LUNDBERG, 10
MI. SOUTHWEST OF GRENORA.
RENTED FARM.
II you want a decor do you call
the blacksmith?
If you want lawyers, do you see
the butcher? ".
Ii you want an Auctioneer get one
VINO has been there before and will
get there again no matter where 10
Gated. -
A would-be will lose you more
money than you can make in six
months. Play a safe game and get
real service or no pay.
AUCT1ONEER JENSEN
DHoNE s ANTELOPE, MONT.
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-08-22

The farmers can still call a Gran.
jury, if the nnalefactors by aid Of tn,
assistant County Attorney and the
county Commissioners are able t.
block investigation by the dismissal
OF the expert accountant. The effor,
to proceed without a Grand Jury has
not been entirely sifba barren Of results.
We now know Just where Mr.. Cud-
hue stands, and when Mr.. Gunther
returns from Rochester, we VIII
probably know in Immediately ;yust
where ne stands. The Producers
News at the present. tine believes
that he can BE depended Cd to stand
by the farmers In their demand for
justice.
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-08-22

not found anything so far and. thai
i ne VIII not find anything and that hi,
1oItA-er employ is a useless expense
Economy is their excuse.
Yet there was no effort at econon, !
"hen the classification contract was
lei. =
/ oC there was no effort at economy
wien the funding bond issue was
sold.
There was and has been no effort
at economy by the county commits
sloners in allowing themselves thous-
:ands OF dollars in illegal mileage.
No, there was no economy in these
items.
However, the Board has become
recently very economical, outside of
their own claims.
II 1t were fact that the expert
examiner was finding nothing" there
would not be a question raised to
expense. The county commissioners
would willingly spend paltry sum
like ten thousand dollars of the peo-
pies money to exonerate themselves
and give themselves a clean bill.
EVERY INTERESTED TAXPAY-
Err KNOWS THIS.
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-08-22
Fighting For Power Prices

0ailng. the war the United State
C1Fernmont built up in se,s.dofo,.,
system of price control and reg1
La''on that on the whole( in spite O
us Iallure to treat all commodities
tquaily, tended to keep prices down
after the armistice, despite the vast
~ increased wealth of the profteers
SAo their enormous hoard of supplies
pl!ed up for the purpose of raising
prices, the government suddenly lift
60 most Of the rules and regulations.
The inevitable happened. Prices
Keep shooting up to undreamed OF
heights until at this time the nation
actually faces crisis. The thing has
become scandal The nation is con-
fronted by actual danger. Labor is in
nan-reDeillon expressed from ocean
to ocean by gigantic strikes. It was
under these circumstances, after
eight months of unparalleled food
boarding. and market cornering, that
the government started to act.
The plan of great investigation
has been announced.
Every county in every state is to.
report on profteering.
The existence of profteering is too
well known and the causes and
remedy too easily ascertainable, to
call for such a sweeping and expen-
sfve search for information But an
investigation of such gigantic
character takes time, and before it is
over the people may forget. They
forgot after the packers were in
veahgated. and convicted of monopoly
and profteering. They have lost
themselves in every investigation in
the past and forgot its purpose. They
have patiently viewed twenty years
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-08-22

The way our sham fighters in con-
gress are directing attention from
the real profteers to the farmers
VINO are painted as the nations great
est malefactors because they have a
guarantee that insures them $2.O5 a
oushle for wheat, would lead one to
oeiieve that bread constituted the
sole cost of living; whereas, the price
OF a pair of shoes will buy barrel
OF hour, which will last whole fami-
ly IN bread for four month, and shoes
are just a start in the cost of living
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-08-22
they should be

they should be.
Gar proateers have robbed us of
sums beyond what they. can invest At
home, and now we are asked to 81 -
war again to give these profteers a
new, rich field for investment. The
purpose of this proposed war is not
even to make our plofteers a law un-
TO themseles in a neighboring coun-
Try We are to fight that these in
tefests may have as free a hand to
pronteer, in Mexico as they have here
we are to extend the same Of Ameri-
ca by force of arms.
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-08-22
knocked to pieces again.

And here is where greed has a
hand in producing war.
The same forces which nlenaced
the world in 1914 and the years pre-
cedlng are still here. Let us not
forget it.-HENRY FORD IN THE
DEARBORN INDEPENDENT.
The war with Mexico which is be-
ing sold to Us by misleading and ~
ing news stories and advertising
ought to keep our memories of war
making sharp, as Mr.. Ford suggests
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-08-22

The outcome of North. Dakota's
great industrial democracy program
Is being watch with intense interest
by substantially all Of the Other
states. 1t is very easy matter to
see and understand why special pri-
n!ege greed has been doing every-
thing within its power to prevent
fne launching of the program; and
since its successful launching, in spite
OF such opposition, will do everything
within its power to prevent its sue
cess in operation.-Lyman County
Is. d. Record.
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-08-22

OF trust busting without singI,
trust ever having been really busted
And what are they going to do af
ter they investigate? a..s
They are going to regulate pro-
flts; they are going to punish pro.
hteers; they may actually put few
magnates in prison. This is exactl,
what they have been doing or talk
ing Of doing for more than twenty
years, while the power of the mono.
pollsts and profteers has steadily
increased.
| The one thing they never propose,
and that one thing tests and con-
victs them: THEY NEVER PRO-
POSE TO PUT THE PROFITEERS
OUT OF THE CONTROL Of BUSI-
NESS AND THE PEOPLE IN,
THEY HAVE NEVER SUGGESTED
THAT DEMOCRACY MIGHT WORK
IN INDUSTRY.
And yet, this is eaxctly what Cana
da was not afraid to do when it de-
clded to take the whole handling of
the wheat crop out of private hands
and have the public do this.
This is exactly what Australia has
done for years and done with great
benefit to producers and consumers.
1t is what France and Italy are do
ing to large extent. 1t is what
England is planning to do in several
industries. In America alone the
private interests are able to prevent
this and stage an endless sham fight
to fool the people.
The only recourse in America is in
movements like the Nonpartisan
League and the Labor Party, which
frankly avow democracy in industry
and are fighting to put the people in
control of the great necessities.
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-08-22

A few local papers in North Dako.
"a nave suspended publication because
OF the new law limiting the number
OF ohclal papers in each county IN
one. 1t is a good thing to get them
On tne public payroll, because a pa
per which can not live without feed
ing at mat source is poor vehicle
FOR pnbf1c advertising: Advertising
not based on a good subscription list
IS robbery of public as well as private
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-08-22

high at Washington during the war
On the other hand, scarcely a man o.
an organization which hernandez
market reform so as to stimulate
production escaped without charges
Of disloyalty. Censorship and es.
pionage law application choked off
about all liberal opinion which would
have supported the administration in
checking profiteering.
Now the president has made a
| gesture of passing the results of his
past policy to a Republican con-
gress. Congress may pass it back.
or at most do little to hurt the inter
fests 1t represents. And in the mean
time the great problem Of the Ameri-
can people will grow steadily worse.
Coal production is being held down.
steel production cut, farm production
forced below cost and thus cut down
through our wretched marketing
system. *}1 49,. Nv 1~,--e
1t is good tactics to force the off,
Gals at Washington as much as pos
slble in the right direction, but when
1920 comes around let us at last send
real representatives Of producers and
consumers to the capitol as the Nom
partisan league farmers and orga-
nlzed labor in many states propose. ]
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-08-22

people. 'G.@E~
Can the people control prices Il
le s,v erus.s control y industries and
S ana and incidentally, per-
APPS control governments |? -
Does it not, then,,. become a >o,es.
= a0n a. as to whether, the monoeoIists
OF the people shall control indnS
I. Inc government has sno,,o,
e srsI its official agent; the fed
eIai trade commission. II has s .eI
Inc Inc law of supply and demand 1' NJ
1.; - government price regulation
~, not work, is not democratic con-
a liz OIL the monopoies about the only
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-08-22

Let US not forget hiSS S t tke last wai
was made : :, :.
Let us not be bind 70 tie s fas s.j sfas :!
the same tactics are being prayed eo1
Gay.
In our. eagerness 10 !o,se. e
war, let as not forget that the forces
which produced war still exist ana
are at work among us. - -,
Some of us took good deal OF
criticism by intimateing that pron's
had a considerable bearing on some
mems patriotism that is, upon .neir
5es;re for war which they invariably
sailed patriotism
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-08-22

"A minnesota chicken court has At
1ase 6een found to convict a q
1ownley of disloyalty. : Every kAnt
paper in Colorado is chroniclino tbe
tact with advice that the farns s,.s
now unload Townley. They seem to
eoIset That the refendum vote of con.
noence in Townley by these same
farmers is but barely counted and
1ound to run SO per cent confidence
IL VIII be time enough to cons;der
IN me advice of the harlot press when
tne upper courts have considered this
pire. N0'' EN-
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-08-22

As usual the big press comments
on farmer mention of Governor Fra
zler as a good presidential candidate,
to the effect that he would draw to
HIM all the radical and disconnected
elements. A travelling salesman.
however, who writes to the Minneapo-
lis Tribune, declares that if this is
the tlNth, Frazier could be elected
by a big majority, for every one he
meets is discontinued and disillusion-
ed about the two old party machines.
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-08-22

Rumor has it that Nonpartisan
league farmers outside of North Da-
kota are planning to cooperate in
buying Prince Albert coats and plug
hats to protect themselves when thew
go to town against the experts who
can tell "Bolshevik" at glance. To
save expense the farmers wives will
take correspondence courses in mani
curing so that they can remove the
evidence of work from their hus-
bands hands.
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-08-22

The Wall Street Journal declares
snas There should be- good salvage
n mexico, now an obvious and dan
gerous derelict." We quite naturaIlv
suspect that it is the hope of salva es
mat causes the whole runpus and
mat the Wall street brand + n;ra4o
would salvage the peariy gates above
o On,,. aalse pretenses if he could find
some way of getting. there. ~
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-08-22
Let Us No no. + Forget [.

And we ought not to forget that
the lust for way money is not vet
dead. That Is 9 lust which can never
be satisfied even by a gfut of profits.
Thousands upon thousands in our
'wn country, not to speak of others.
nave had a taste of that kind of
oney and they would not be averse
to more from the same source. Buila-
ing up a military establishment can
provide war profits for a number Of
years before the war. But when the
is complete, then the
continuance of profits demands that
be taken out on the field of battle
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-08-22
An Alternative for MONOPOLY

The federal trade commission
makes the significant announcement
tnat prices are no longer based upon
the law OF supply and demand.
II the Law of supply and demand is
gone, that means that prices are NO
longer made by natural competition.
but arbitrarily fixed by trusts, mono,
poles, organizations, understand
ings."
-. - =
If we have been carried into a new
"olo where prices are made by hui
man agencies and combinations, the
siaa problem then resolves itself
t n.o nnnng what human agency is
pest suited to make just and fair
prices for all. 81, - 80
1t becomes choice of price-mak-
ing, either by the trust, or by .-tha
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-08-22

The primary law has been saved to
the people Of Montana. The credit
Tor this saving of the primary is not
que to the Republican party. the
Democratic party, nor even the So
clahst party, but the farmers Non.
partisan league, with the assistance
OF friendly allies, is responsible for
tne defeat Of the conspiracy of .bip
business and organized politics" to
take away from the people the priv
iege of the priamries. ssWe1l St;ct,
has saved the farmers from losing
their farms in Montana too. Watch
and ! see.-Valley County MONTY
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-08-22

n ? g4a. q, t
Inc mere passage Of laws in North
Dakota will not cure these evils Rut
IN North Dakota they have contract.
ed the habit of enforcing the nom
edial legislation they enact. If the
passage of the law is worth while its
aalmstrat,on is still more import
ant For too many years We have
seen the old political parties under
pressure quiet the public clamor bv
giving the people the laws they de-
manded, and then allowing the laws
TO become dead letters by reason If
non,ienforcement. That was the old
political system. But in North Da-
kota at least, the farmers have
changed the system. Here in Min
nesota we will be close second
"adena (Minn.) Progressive News
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-08-22

With the wholesale grocery trade
up IN arms against the packing trust
and lighting for existence, the poll
tlcians will find it little harder to
collect funds from these wholesalers
to fight the Nonpartisan league.
which is, of course, the strongest
enemy Of III: packers.
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-08-22
THE WEEK
The Rations Issue
League Against the League
Our Greatest Profteer
Ocean Freight Rebates
Washington Economy
Orderly Lynchings

The league of rations is attracting
more public attention than the league
of nations, declares Missouri SEN
ator. Other politicians Sthan this
senator have been aware of the "a
tions issue for a long time and have
apparently been using the league is
sue to keep attention from an issue
too. hot to handle. Then the rail-
road men put the ration question
squarely up to official Washington in
the only language politicians can
appreciate, and now all are rushing
to solve the matter.
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-08-22

~. Around the hotel Hobbies these dove
n,,ae lello"s' such as prune peddlers
. nm; carry farmer abuse as a s;de
me. are about as numerous as tho
p pre- declared frogs were in
naraons time. According to this
gentleman One could not take a bite
ot bread without having a froo s;t
ting on it." Lug slt-
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-08-22

One of the leaders of liberal Eng.
lish opinion has declared that Wilson
talks like a prophet and acts like
Lloyd Georgia. good distance from
the extravagant faith which liberals
of Europe professed to have in Will
son a few months ago. Lloyd George
has long been recognized as an old
party man who had decided to play
with the conservatives.
Perhaps European liberals and
those here, too, failed to recognize
the limitations of Wilson because thew
knew the other national spokesman
better, knew what Lloyd George.
Clemenceau and Orlando would do
and turned to Wilson with the hope
born of despair. He talked the way
the liberals thought, but in the great
test he acted with secret diplomacy
and imperialism.
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-08-22

In the Ford libel trial it was AZ
ser.eo that 800 Ford employees were
suspected OF pro-Gernnnism. The
plants production record prove tbat
.hey worker, however, for the IT 6
A"-fargo IN. d. Courier-News "
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-08-22

The problem of labor today is not
bound up in the right to quit work,
although during the war great eff
fort was made to take this right
away. It's the big problem of the
opportunity to start work and stay at
it under fair conditions.
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-08-22

how far would you carry nub,;c
9D~ . :" was asked of Glenn r
piumb, labor representative before !. !.
senate committee. eUntil graft ant
pr cease" was the quick no
ply. That is just the point. we want
enough public ownership to do avn
with class privileges, and we dony
want any more. uoh