The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1920-07-02

North Dakota's fameus grain in
spection act has been held constitu-
tional by the United States district
court, sitting at Fargo. In April the
line elevator and other anti-farmer in
terests secured temporary injunc-
ton against its enforcement from the
federal circuit court on the ground
that It was burden to interstate
commerce and conf1icted with the fed
eral war regulations.
ton was secured was the clap-trap of
The argument by which the injunc-
special interests unless honest deal
ing could he considered an illegal bar
den to impose on the grain trade:
But the federal circuit court could
hardly be criticized for entertaining
it because the turncoat attorney gen
eral of North Dakota failed to pre-
sent points which would have demoi-
ished the injunction plea.
The North Dakota statute abolished
that universal practice of line ele-
vators of stealing Is to 80 pounds of
grain to the wagonload--a practice
formerly forced on managers because
they were under bond to deliver at
the terminal elevator Us much as they
bought and because promotion de-
pended on amount of surplus grain
obtained without paying for it. 1t al
so provided means for enforcing fed
eral grade standards and for payment
for dockage.
Again another important section of
the North Dakota law has been found
by the courts to be entirely constitu-
tional and therefore American. The
federal supreme court recently de-
cidcd that the seven important indus
trial laws were likewise constitution
al and thoroughly American. On the
other hand, how do the raw practices
in the grain trade defended by anti
farmer interests stand as regards
Americanism?
Efforts by the Merchants and Man
ufacturer'S association of Los Angeles
to railroad Sidney Flowers, a re-
turned soldier, to prison for uphold
ing union labor, have failed for the
second time. Mr.. Flowers, who had
been one of the most seriously wound
ed of our soldiers to recover, started
Il magazine called the "Dugout" for
returned soldiers on his return to this
country. 1t was a capably edited
magazine in all respects, but the ed!-
tor had the fighting courage to at
tack the profiteerS and to uphold
union workers who were trying to
better their conditions.
At first he was treated merely to
petty persecution and to warnings to
drop his attacks on the protiteers and
his defense of union labor or to sus-
pend the magazine. The editor, who
had fought SO strenuously for democ-
racy abroad, refused to surrender his
principles. Then came one of those
frameups for which California is be-
coming famous throughout the world.
world. A pretended friend of the
Dugout sent him through the mail a
list of papers in important European
countries and suggesting exchanging
with them as a means of developing
good will among nations. Mr.. Flow
ers sent copies of the Dugout to these
papers abroad and was Immediately
arrested for "having commerce with
the enemy countries" and for Grimm
al syndicalism under the laws of Cali
fornia.
Two juries have now failed to con-
vict him in spite of the tremendous
pressure brought to bear by the
"kept" press of Los Angeles, the ex-
penditure of more than $4,000 by
the Merchants and Manufacturers
association and the work of three
prosecuting attorneys supported by a
small army of spies and stool pigeons
and professional testitiers.