The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-09-12


the notroius coal, oil and phosphate
lands leasing bill from passing the
senate in it's original infamous form.
The Wisconsin senator has out
manouvered and outfought Senator
Smoot of Utah, chairman of the pub
lie lands committee, who has tempo
rarily dropped his defense Of the
packers to railroad through the leas-
ing bill. AS things stand now the
bill can not possibly pass before the
end of next week, and then only in
modified form.
The crucial feature of the bill,
which provides that 20-year lease
granted under it's terms shall be re-
pealed without passage of special
act Of congress has as yet withstood
attack by the enlightened minority
in the senate. La Toilette, however,
has an amendment which he will in
trodLce next week which would large
ly nullify the power of special priv
lege under this gift principle. The
amendment provides that the govern
ment may fix wholesale and retail
prices of all products obtained from
land leased under the bill.
There is ample evidence that the
bill as originally drawn would be very
satisfactory to the Standard Oil COM
pany.
BAER URGES SOLDIER BONUS
An amendment offered by Repre-
sentative Baer to the bill incorporat-
ing the American Legion, which pro-
vides that every state must be rep
resented in the establishment of this
war veterans association under per-
manent feredal charter, was adopted
by the house on August 81.
Mr.. Baer's bill providing for IL
months extra pay at $50 a month
for honorably discharged world war
veterans, is daily gaining in popu-
/. larity among representatives in con-
!, gress. The bill provides that the
sum necessary for its carrying out
e shall be provided from extra taxation
= on all incomes over $4,000 a year,
5 and also by an upward grading OF the
2 excess profits tax. 1t is held, pend
ing hearings, in the house military
= affairs committee.
5 HOUSTON KILLS DROUTH AID
5 David Franklin Houston, secretary
n OF agriculture, has given a morta
$ blow to the drought relief bill intro
duced in the house few weeks ag'
It by Representative Sinclair OF NORTH
s Dakota. In a lengthy letter just re
d ceived b. MIR. Sinclair, Houston eH
= presses the belief that the matter |
o one in which the federal government
2 can not be expected to give financla
TO aid, and refuses to give his mdorse
" ment. Rather than expending none
~ in drought relief, the secretary says
ID he is inclined to favor reclamatlo
3 work of the type embodied in the Il
o. ,ipation extension bill Of Represer
Of tative Riddick Of Montana, noV pene
mo State and local authorities, L
I believes. must handle local drougf
wv problems. ,,
Il REFRIGERATOR CAR FACTS
GO Government operation OF all T
SO frigerator, peddler and special equi
M ment cars, such as are used oy u
Of Big Five packers to MAINTAIN the
food distribution monopoly, IS urg
he bv the federal tsade commission IN
he special report on this subject ma
IN to President Wilson this week
las Stating that . government MOI
red poly in this line is essential 10 ~
mi vent a strangle-hold monopoly py
Armour Wilson, Cudahy, SWl1t d
Morris ring, the commission polr
Ia. ont that the big packers now o
ito 90 ner cent of al refrigerator
,tal equipment in the country II
nm further recommended that ICING $
tions and refrigerator equipment
chit addition to cars be acquired Dy
in government, and that the railways
lem licensed to operate them on ST.
it'll nonprivilege basis.
IFS "The volume of traffic OF the
mis- hackers has enabled them 10 sec
,en- from the railroads advantages 0
self competing shippers" the report $
Io,o- IN mart. "Formeriy in the shape
ira direct rebates these advantages
ance now usually in expedited service
.rm- the big packer cars.
,,n,v .0The small independent pas
go cars are nisused md diverted
New ouently being out of service al.og
i'm, q, for extended periods. In 1911
90 cars of the Big Five and their
,,ont sidiary companies maintained an
inst erage of 80.8 miles per car per .
while the average for cars Oh