The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-04-18
FARMERS TO RECOVER
UNJUST WHEAT FINES
Minnesota Food Administrator Ad-
mits Illegal Practice By Subordin-
ate.
lBy Fred A. Hardingl

y
st. Paul, Minn.-A.. D. Wilson,
Minnesota food administrator, has
promised to return to farmers Of
southern Minnesota every cent which
they were forced to give to the Red
Cross or pay in fines to Videon wye,
agent Of the food administration,
whose terrorizing campaign against
the farmers last summer has shocked
the state.
Wilson made his promise to the
farmers following a meeting of Nc
Leod county farmers at Glencoe.
He made the promise after admit
ting that Wye had no authority to
contiscate the seed wheat of farmers,
force the farmers to turn over the
proceeds to the Red Cross, and to i'm
pose fines" with the alternative of
going to Jail or paying a fine of
5000. He made the startling de-
claration that Wye had never report
ed single fine.
DISPOSED OF PROCEEDS
Without any legal justification
young wye swooped down upon the
farmers, most of them busy thresh-
ing, and wherever he found Is pounds
or more Of wheat or screening, after
sweeping the bins, he ordered the
men to leave their work, haul the
wheat to town, where he sold it and
disposed of the money as he saw fit
Most Of the money he donated to
hr,{ WI pf ~
to himself and his helpers for ex-
penses, when his legitimate expenses
either were or should have been paid
by the federal government.
In most of the cases he imposed
besides taking all of the money from
the sale of the wheat, fines ranging
from $40 to STA for expenses.
He accused the farmers Of being
hoarders when he knew, or shoulc
have known that no farmer" holding
his own grain could be considered a
hoarder.
REGULAR "HOARDER"
The ardent wye found six bushels
of screenings in the granary Of F
Proefke, Glencoe, after he had forced
this farmer, under threat of impris-
onment and $4,000 fine, to sweep GU,
all the cracks. Proefke was taken tt
town, fined and forced to give S125
to the Red Cross.
Otto Neubarth of Glencoe was
threshing when young Wye and hi;
driver arrived. He informed them
that he had. sold all of his wheat.
With his usual vigilance when deal
ing with farmers, Wye went to the
granary and then returned, order
ing Mr.. Neubarth to leave his work
Immediately, sack up his wheat and
take it to town.
After sweeping up the four corn
ers of the bin, he found Is pounds
five pounds of which proved to be
screenings, dust and so forth. Tho
13 pounds sold for As cents, which
under orders of wye were taken fol
the Red Cross.
Mr.. Neubarth, who is one Of the
progressive farmers of the commu-
nifty, was fined $40.
August Wolff had 40 pounds after
he had swept his bins. He was Civ
en- the same treatment as the 9th
ers. The proceeds went to the Ret
Cross and he was fined $25 for ex-
penses.
J. F. Schuch had Is bushels or
hand. The proceeds went to the Rec
Cross, he was fined $40, and although
he had already taken his allotment
in War Savings Stamps an Liberty
bonds he was ordered to take $40(
more, or lese go to court and be sem
to prison for two years and finet
SIS, 900.
Mr.. Schuch has not received hi
stamps and has no receipt showing
that he turned over the money TO
the stamps.
Practically all of the farmers per
secuted by wye are members Of tn
Nonpartisan league,
Arthur LIE Sueur appeared at thu
hearing in Glencoe. as the attorne!
of the League farmers. At his sug
gestion an organization was forme'
to present claims of reimbursement
| to Wilson.
LeSueur declared that every per
son responsible for the outrages per
petrated against the farmers by tn
food administration should be sen
| tn the Denitentiary.