Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1919-09-17

markable assertions Gerber told the
senate agriculture committee that any
regulation of private industry by the
government would destroy the first
fundamental law Of human nature,
the instinct to struggle for
achievement or personal initiative"
Another opposition witness who
followed Gerber to the stand was D.
B. Zimmerman of Somerset, Pa, an
absentee cattle raiser who lives in
state in Pennsylvania while owning
large ranches in North and South Da-
kota, Montana and Texas. "The
greatest conservatism" said thinner
man, should be employed towards
the packing industry. These bills
propose to. divorce the packers from
the stockyards ownership. That is
wrong. The only legislation
needed at this time is some that would
require the packer to get into the re-
tail business in cities where he now
has branch houses"
Gerber and Zimmerman are typical
of the big business opposition now
lining up behind the packers to pre-
vent the passage of legislation in be-
half of the producers and consumers.
A Significant Letter.
An interview with Representative
Baer, in which he tells of the evolu-
ton, purposes and principles of the
Nonpartisan league, was recently
syndicated to a number of central
and southern newspapers by an enter
prising Washington correspondent.
1t has been widely read and many
letters of congratulation for the work
of the League have been flooding into
Mr.. Baer's Office this week as a result.
stone, president of the Texas Steel
company, capitalized at $2,50OOOO, is
significant of the way Nonpartisan
principles appeal to honest men, no
matter what their position in life:
beaumont, Texas.
'Hon. John NJ. Baer.
Washington, D. C.
*Dear Sir: l have just read your
interview as reported by James B.
Morrow, which | found in Sundays
Dallas News
You are on the right trali Your
presentation of the case of the peo-
pie against monopoly is the clearest
l have ever seen.
''Thirty years ago I went to the
Fifty-first congress as representa-
tive of the agricultural people of the
state of Arkansas. We were contend
ing against the same difficulties, only
in different form, that your people
have been confronting in North Da-
kota. We made the best fight we
ahead of the times.
"Education and publicity is what is
needed. The great mass Of conserva-
tive thinking people of the United
States are with you if they could un-
derstand just exactly what you are
doing. My suggestion is to give your
views, plans and policies all the pub
licity possible.
with very best wishes, am,
Yours truly,
IL. P. FEATHERSTONE
Underneath the signature is writ
ten in pencil, and initiated L. P F.:
please present my compliments to
Mr.. Townley-such cranks advance
civilization"
Nitrate Plant on Block.
No bids have as yet been accepted
for the great government-owned nj
trate plant at Nitro, W. Va. The Sec
rotary of war is trying to sell the
whole plant, including city for hous.
ing 10000 people, in one block. and
there are probably not hundred com
panies which could buy it even for
mere salvage purposes. The plant
worked only 10 days before the arms
tice was signed and in that time pro-
duced 100000 pounds of powder in.
gradients.
The refusal of the government to
keep it in operation throws on the
scrap heap, not only this great new
plant which cost us many millions but
the principle of producing nitrate for
the farmers at cost and that Of taking
munition manufacture out of private
hands.
The act is part of the evident
Washington plan to give the great
interests plenty of freedom, of which
the senate action in opening publicly
owned resources to the corporations
and the return of railroads and ships
to private management, is part. In
this case 1t is the nitrate trust and the
munition makers who get new free
don,