The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-11-21

spies and gunner, which plays
a big part in the steel strike, is
hardly probable in this case, be-
cause as a matter of business
the mine operators can profit by
a shortage at this time. The
anti-labor efforts will be in the
direction of breaking up the
union rather than operation of
the mines.
A new plan to settle the Irish
question is announced by the
Lloyd George ministry. The
province Of Ulster is to have
one parliament, sitting at Bel
fast; the rest of the provinces
will haze another, sitting at Dub
lin. The two are to be united
into a common council with
equal power to legislate on gen.
eral matters.
To the outsider this might
look look like a real offer of SET
tlement, especially if one in
clines to the idea that Ireland
is hopelessly divided on the re-
ligious issue. But the Irish ap-
pear to regard the new plan as
what Americans call lust as
good legislation"
British army and navy con-
troll is to remain. Britain will
undoubtedly manage to retain
the control Of customs, excise
duties and trade relations,
which furnish the fundamental
bone of contention in the Irish
question. r! subsidizing the
minority in Ulster with a few
favors, England will be able by
this plan to keep her business
domination over Ireland. The
religious question is a handy
thing for the English ruling
class, for by tanning it proper
~ they can apply the old strate-
gy of "divide and rule"
Secretary Houston has a lit
tie vest pocket organization
which can make a lot of mis-
chief and transformation for
farmers. 1t is known as the Ma
tional Association of Agricul-
tural Commissioners, the COM
missioners being political Office
holders who feed at the old-par-
ty trough. They are holding a
convention at Chicago now and
their first move was to attack
and denounce organized labor.
"Optimism marked an adj
dress by Secretary of Agricul-
ture David F. Houston.' says
the news report. But the opti-
mism appears t. consist of the
belief that shipping would soon
return to normal and permit
Europe to turn to former mar
kets. Food prices would then
go down here because our ex-
ports would be lower. How any
one could suck optimism from
these statements, and especially
before a gathering of farmers,
is beyond ordinary reasoning
power.
1t is a safe bet that this con-
vention of Representatives of
farmers Of every state in the
Union," as the controlled press
describes them, will have moth
ing to say about the unprincipl-
ed raid on returns to the farm
er on farm products, nothing
about profteering, nothing OF
market reform, nothing about
serious efforts to keep our Euro
pean market for farm products.
They will say a lot of things for
the farmer which the special
interest want the farmer to say
at this time.
America has just witnessed
a most radical change Of nation
al policy. In the past two weeks
thousands Of persons have been
arrested for "advocating radi-
cal ideals" and tons of the little
pamphlets and papers paid for
by the pennies of the poor have
been confscated. Most of the
arrested persons will be liberat-
ed, of course, because they have
committed no indictable offense.
Some who happened to be born
abroad and who have been try
ing to take an intelligent part
in building up public opinion
here, will be deported. The
number of persons planning vio-
lent revolution in the United
States is negligible except in
the minds Of guilt-conscious plu-
tocrats.