Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1921-03-23

! Mentioned for Interstate Comm
/ Washington, D. C.-Senator E. F.
Ladd and Congressman Sinclair sent
the following telegram to Governor
Allen of Kansas, when they received
word of the criminal assault on two
Nonpartisan league leaders there,
which occurred on March 18th.
I'VE respectfully request that you
promptly start investigation Of the
lawless action in your state Of alleged
members Of the, American Legion and
others opposing the farmers move
ment
"Such action reflects seriously, not
only upon your state, but upon the ma
ton, for it is an unconstitutional, un-
American, unjustifable and cowardly
invasion of the rights of free men.
1--WE further suggest that you ask
the cooperation of the commander of
the American Legion in clearing that
organization of the nationwide charge
that it was involved in the recent
Kansas outrages.'
=; MEN: BADLY TORTURED.
Carl o. Parsons Of Minneapolis, of
the executive committee of the World
War Veterans, and J. A. Stevic, editor
of the Kansas Leader, we're not only
tarred and feathered by mob of
roughnecks but badly beaten and left
in wild section of the country.
About the same time ex-senator
Burton and his wife were kidnapped
away from farmer meeting and the
farmers themselves physically abused.
Burton headed the Kansas investiga.
ton committee which recently made
careful survey of the Nonpartisan
League.
: Press reports have it that most of
the men who formed the mob were
American Legion men, but this may
we'll be lying newspaper work to keep
up the charge of disloyalty against the
League. Such mobs are generally
composed of town DULLES, hired by
anti-farmer politicians and interests
for the job, and this would account
for the unusual nastiness of it's &C.
lions.
DEMANDS FEDERAL ACTION.
: Attorney General Daugherty has re-
ceived a telegram from A. c. Townley
president of the Nonpartisan league
demanding federal criminal action on
the ground that Governor Allen has
hitherto done nothing in such cases
and that Parsons is citizen of Mime
sofa.
Violence of this kind has not been
duplicated in the West since the &C..
tivity of the Infamous politically ma:
neuvered mobs in Minnesota in 1918.
In that year politicians were so in fear
of farmer victory that they really set
aside the American system of TIC.
tions. Farmer candidates were not
allowed to appear in 10 of the sc
counties.
And the latest outrages are a good
indication of the need and possible
strength of the League in Kansas.
WALLACE HITS SALES SYSTEM.
1--WE are the best producers in the
world" says Henry c. Wallace, the
new secretary of agriculture, "but our
sales system is very bad indeed
His first message shows some
grasp of the problems besetting our
agriculture and gives promise that the
new secretary will be of value to the
farmers of the country if the "invis.
ible government" will allow him some
freedom of action.
1.-The farmer is the one man engaged
In big business who has had no voice
in fixing the price of the things he
produces. He has, been compelled to
take whatever he could get. His cost
of production has not at any time been
considered in determining this price
In time of small crops prices have
sometimes been high. In times of large
crops prices frequently have been
ruinously low.
- I'VE must look to the administra
: tion OF our credit machinery. Those
who control the finances of the coun.
try and who have in their power tc
influence, either directly or Indirectly
the extension of credit, can exercise q
large amount of control over the prices
of farm products. The same thing is
true of the administration of ou1
transportation systems. Through the
simple device of regulating the, flow
OF cars the prices of farm products
can be sent up or down at the will OF
those who exercise such control. We
had some costly experience along thiS
line during the war"
+ 80, =
1T: CAUSE. OF DEPRESSION.
i Secretary Wallace finds two causes
for the present agricultural depres
sion: Zone is the high cost of produc
ton last year. If we include all the
factors which properly enter into the
cost of production, we find, for exam
pie, that the cost Of producing a
3 bushel Of corn in Iowa, the greatest
corn state, was more than 80 cents
This includes landN cost, the labor. cost