The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-05-23

he finds that a great many bills
approprlating money for the pur.
chase and development of lands fo,
sololers were introduced in the lep.
lslatures of the various states this
past winter, but that only a few
nllls, with small appropriations, were
passed.
BRAINS" ORGANIZED AT LAST
one of the slogans of our "select
classes a few years ago was this:
You can't organize brains"
This was the final and crushine
answer to every proposal that the
Dement'S of organization need not
stoJ with the manual wage-workers
or the farmers. Trade unions and
oranges might be all very well fol
stupid people, but the folks with col.
lege degrees and white collars were
dlnerent; they would be insulted by
any such binding chains and obliga-
tons and brakes upon their genius.
Well, now it has Representatives.
brains" have held a big and enthusi-
astlc meeting in the national capital
and have formed a trade union of
scientists for the purpose of raising
the wages and lettering the indus.
trial conditions of men who carry
enough college degrees to impress
even banker.
Five hundred scientists and tech
nologlsts, all employed by Uncle
Sam, met the other night in the lee
ture hall of the National museum
and voted, by a large majority, to
| affiliate, through the National Fed
GRAFTON of Federal Employees, with
the American Federation of Labor.
-Four years ago Washington was a
city with almost no organized labor
movement outside the printing Of
fees and the building industry. To-
day there are $4,000 trade union
cards among the government en-
ployes.
1t is probable that within a year
several thousand scientists in the
national capital will be ardent trade
union members.
JONES FAVORS SHIP SALE
Senator Jones of Washington an
nounceS that, as chairman of the
senate committee on commerce, he
has prepared bill which he will in
troduce soon after congress meets
providing for the sale or lease of
all the ships in the government s
great merchant marine.
This announcement indicates that
Senator Jones and Chairman Hurley
of the shipping board are in full &C
cord as to the principle of public
| ownership and operation of the
means of transportation. They are
against it. They do not propose: to
permit the government to give .
| trial to public operation of shipping
i'll time of peace. They probably
have the support of a considerable
majority Of the Democrats in the
senate, as well as majority Of the
| Republicans, so that the announce
ment of the Jones bill is an an
nouncement of the probable action OF
congress.
There is, however, possible fatal
obstacle to their plan, for the pres
ent year. Congress is going to dis
cuss so many other issues that the
shipping measure cannot be brought
before the senate for final action I'M
! til late in the session. At that time
Senator La Toilette and half dozen
others may decide to talk the bill to
death.
FARMERS ON NEW LEGISLATION
The Farmers National council has
issued a statement showing that il
is actively working for the consider
alton and enactment of legislation in
the new congress of bills protecting
the public against the private mono
poly of our food supply, private own
ership of railroads and shipping, anc
the Penrose plan of abolishing ex.
cess profit taxes and reducing the
taxes on big incomes. 1t also calls
for a battle to the end against the
proposed giving away to special in
terests of the water powers, the oil
the coal and other natural resources
owned by the people through the gov
eminent. Finally, the council call:
for "the repeal of the espionage law
and amnesty for all political prison
! ers.
BOOSTING" FOR NEW PIONEERS
/ The United States railroad admin
istration has gone into the business
of boosting the settlement of cutov
er timber lands in northern Michigan
and Wisconsin. It's agricultural sec
ton has issued an eloquent booklet
with this sentence as an opener:
BLESSED with on abundant rain
fall and pure and admirably suitet
water supply, possessing a soil o
1 virgin fertility and admirably suite'
to diversified farming, and situated
within a nights ride of markets TO
several million people, three-fourth
OF whom are consumers and not pro
ducers, this vast and largely unoccu
pied area is equivalent to a newt.
discovered state"
Farther along the settler is warne,
that he will need at least $1,000 at
ter making his first payment on y
acres, even under the most favorabl
. circumstances.
GREAT NORTHERN -AGRICUL-
TURIST VISITS PLENTYWOOl