The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1921-07-08

ganization Of those who follow the
engineering profession, on the wastes
IN big business is hard blow at the
superstition about efficiency Of "cap-
tains of Industry" The great pity
is -that this report will be kept from
the people at large with great care.
lie it gets wide notice the engineers
will be added to the lists of Bolshe-
viks.
The engineers tell, us that billions
of dollars are tied up in idle equip
ment, that owners wilfully maintain
high prices, and that high labor turn
over is one of their commonest wastes.
Throughout industry in general they
say that management is responsible
for about half the wastes, while only
one quarter is laid at the door of
labor.
These engineers are the men who
do the actual productive managing of
big industry. They understand the
problems Of production and have a
social interest in seeing production
improve. The owners of bi e industry
and so-called captains Of industry
whom the dependent press buffers
with praise, know little or nothing Oh
production and take no part in it, OF
they are active market politicians
By this we mean that they strive fol-
more profit by withholding supply
rather than by more and less costly
production.
On the other hand, they spend vast
sums in fighting organized labor anC
organized farmers in order to KEEP
this market grip by political power
Only a great sense Of national danger
could have led their direct hired mer
the engineers-to cry out against
their wasteful domination.
Roosevelt and Harding
In the June number of La F'ollette's
Magazine, Senator La Toilette con.
trasts the attitude of President Roose-
velt toward big business in 1904 ano
that of Harding in 1921. In 1904
Roosevelt wrote E. H. Hartman pri-
vately:
"If you think there is any DANCE,
of your visit causing me trouble
* :, of course give up the visit
for the time being; and then,s a few
weeks hence, before I write my mes.
sage, I shall get you to come down to
discuss certain government matters.
Both men, the railroad stock gam.
bier and the president, thought there
was considerable danger in their be-
ing known to meet together.
Cali this public fear of the invis.
ible government)," says La Toilette
is now changed. Big business ac-
quifed command of practically all the
mediums of publicity.
3The war followed and destroyed
substantially the last vestige of free
press.
another thing war did: It openly
enthroned big business in mastery OF
government"
Relative to the way big business
took charge of the government dur
ing the war La Toilette says: cit was
a confessions that the owners of the
great monopolies controlled all pro-
duction. It was an admission that
the government could not conduct its
war without the consent of
the trust powers.
"Nay, more than that, the govern
ment found it necessary to completely
surrender to the trusts, accept their
domination and permit them to con-
tract with themselves on their, own
terms"
In 1921 Harding announces a poll
cy of "More business in government
and less government in business" and
he calls frequent conferences of "the
best financial minds men Of the
Hartman type.
North Dakota Bank Position
The statement Of the Bank of North
Dakota for 1921 up to June 16 shows
total resources of $11, 577,O10.87 and
a net profit for the period of $751;
9O5.36.
Collection of new taxes has raised
the deposits of the state and local
government units to over $8,O00,O0O.
Local government deposits of the kind
that the anti-farmer politicians tried
to get local authorities to withdraw
SUDDENLY to cripple the bank when
normally struck the country now
amount to $685. 94.02.
Redeposits in 374 North Dakota
banks amount to $2,787, 7O5.54 and de-
posits in banks outside the state to
only $58,734.55, an illustration of how
the Bank of North Dakota can keep
money at home.
Registered checks amount to $72,-
3.44-these are checks drawn by To-
cal officials which the bank has held
up. A few innocent people may have