The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-08-01

entirely new system and another year
OF lighting before we reach Moscow"
CANNED GOODS SCANDAL
Full information as to reasons why
General R. E. Wood, recently acting
quartermaster general of the army,
obtained his present important post
with Montgomery Ward & Co., al
large Chicago mail order house doing
heavy traffic in canned vegetables,
will be demanded by the house sub
committee probing the war depart
ment's failure to put on the market
its millions of dollars worth of sur
plus food products.
R. j. Thorne, president of Mont
gomery Ward & Co., was General
Woods right-hand man in the quar-
termaster generals Office as "dol-
lar-a-year official. The two had con-
troll of all supply matter in this coun-
try while General H. J. Rogers, regu-
lar quartermastetr general, was over
seas with Pershing. It is asserted
that General Wood, an old officer of
the regular army, had never had any
connection with Montgomery Ward
until after he and Throne, president
Oh that organization, worked togeth-
Ell determining politicies in the quar-
termaster generals Office.
GOODS HELD OUT
Testimony brought out before the
congressional investigating commit
tee already, particularly that of Col
onel A. NJ. Davis, director of storage,
shows that Wood and Thorne to-
gether were responsible for he
agreement made between the war de-
partment and the National Gamers
association whereby surplus of
S23,000,000 worth of canned vege-
tables is being kept off che domestic
market.
Representative ReaTis Of Nebras-
ka, chairman Of the subcommittee
investigating the surplus food scan
dial, has summoned General Rogers
to testify next week regarding the
agreement between the government
and the Gamers to keep the unneed-
ed stock off the market, and thereby
| prevent the cost of living from being
| forced down to the detriment of the
food trust.
Information in the possession OF
/ the COHI11lIGGe, ICdflS tOIU yONl
correspondent, "shows that General
Rogers, on his return from France in
| February, Immediately laid plans for
disposing of the canned vegetable
surplus"
! LEAGUE VICTORY ATTRACTS
1t is no exaggeration to say that
! the seven-fold referendum victory OF
/ the Nonpartisan league in North Da-
est interest throughout the East. in
kota on June rs has reused the Keen
thinking circles everywhere there is
close study of the League program,
tremendous interest in the possibility
| of its extension on nationwide
scale. and considerable discussion as
to whether or not it's principle Will
be extended so as to become ma
tional program.
Liberal circles everywhere heartily
endorse the League and by many 1T
is seen as the bulwark which rural
America is raising against the forces
of plutocracy on the one hand and
bolshevism on the other. AS the
Public states in it's last issue, what
North Dakota does today her neigh
boring states will do tomorrow
"END INVESTIGATIONS" DE-
MAND
The National Consumers league,
representing the housewives OF
America, is strongly OF the opinion
that it is now time to stop "investl-
eating" the high cost of living and,
instead, do some legislating against
it. ~
In a letter to Representative Tink-
ham of Massachusetts,, who has Just
.. introduced bill approprlating S3o'-
900 for a nationwide probe OF soar
ing food costs, Jessie R. Haver, leg
islative representative of the Con-
sumers' league, points out that no
more Investigations are needed 70
show that the packers and their al
> lies are exerting the present strangle,
! hold on the national food supply, and
demands speedy passage of the Ken
: von-Anderson packer regulation bill
now pending in both houses.
eve should like to remind you,
Miss Haver wrote, "that very thor
OUCH investigation took place las'
winter before two committees of con-
Dress. duinrg which very astounding
facts were brought TO light
> !, GAS a result of the hearings what
, &c known as the Kenyon-Andersor
Il hin has been drawn with the coop
eration of the producers, the farmers
and. the consumers. This bill seems
IN ms to strike at the root Of the evil
I namely, the monoly which is exer
: cised by the five great packers o
e the country, a monopoly so FAR
t reaching that it threatens to eXten'
C TO all lines of food products. w
/ are convinced that sufficient fact
l. have been brought to light to war
IS rant congress in passing the Kenyon
Anderson bill"
J.