The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1921-12-30

t8Ty T6QuCllOH Oh AZ H0Is C0AI OA al
farm commodities. This 10 per cent
reduction was offered for s months
only, unless the railroads succeeded
in reducing wages still further. Thus
an attempt was made to line up farm
ers and other shipping interests In
the drive on railroad labor. The com,
mission, however, has refused to an.
null its order.
It is expected that the 10 per cent
voluntary reduction will take effect
on other commodities than those Gov.
cred by the commission order.
There is rumOr that the big ship
pers and the Farm Bureau Federation
and the National Grange have made
a treaty Of peace with the railroad SIX
ecutives and that the executive prop
uganda against railroad labor will be
furthered by this alliance. Farmers
in general, however, will not be taken
in by this railroad plot If they know
the facts Of the situation.
II the railroads had used the 400
million reduction in wages obtalnei
on July 1 for lowering rates, there
might be more readiness in the public
mind to accept the promise that fur
Their reductions In wages would be re-
Elected In lower rates.
But there Is q great number Of peo-
pie on the farms as well % in the
cities who are unwilling to get few
cents advantage for themselves by
helping large business to rob any
great class Of people.
ANOTHER TRUST .klLLEp"
Conservatives themselves m U . t
laugh ct the attempt to meet certain
grave modern problems with the con
sentative policy.
The Interstate Commerce Commits
sion has now become aware Of the
railroad trust and Is going to break
1t up by an approved method. Will
liam Rockefeller, Harold 8. Wander
| bilt and George 8. Baker are ordered
| to give up q number Of their director
ships and other railroad offices on De-
cember 81.
These gentlemen are heavy stock
| holders in the corporations they were
| ordered to resign from and thus de-
stroy the railroad trust, and hence
will elect their sown men to fill their
places.
We suspect that the gentlemen on
the Interstate Commerce Commission
have a good smoker, among them,
selves over the prospects Of Rookie.
feller's, Vanderbilts, and Bakers
hired men breaking up their neatly
arranged, railroad trust.
This is the only remedy which con
| servatives have offered so far. for the
trust problem except that Of giving
! the monopolists greater opportunity
for profiteering.
/ DEes RELEAsE LIKELY
/ On December az the president had
| conference with Attorney General
Daugherty on the 1877 political pris
oners still confined for alleged viola
tons Of wartime laws, and it is un
defstood that many Of these are to be
released before Christmas.
While at this time the list has mo-
= been given out, it is assumed tha
Eugene " Debs, prominent socialist
leader, who has been confined in tht
federal prison at Atlanta for nearly
four years, is among the number.
i The attorney generals office EN-
phasized that no general amnesty wal
intended, but rather each case wal
!. considered on individual merits ant
. that executive clemency was simpl!
extended on larger scale than usual
& PANAMA CANAL GAINS
. The traffic through the Panama
!. canal during the past year has beel
, nearly twice that of 1916. The 1872
total is greater than that for any Q
the war years. We thus have anothe
J illustration Of successful public un
! dertaking totally out Of the range an
, power of private enterprise on whicl
many of our wild-eyed private owner
: ship cranks could devote great dea
of profitable thought.
-
AsoLlsHEs SENATE
The state of Queensland, Australia
! is the first important state to act o
> the agitation for a single Legislative
] council, since Great Britain took ava
) the major powers Of the House G
: Lords about 1910.
Queensland has abolished its uppe
house.
: It's constitution provided that tn
. upper house could be abolished Onl
4. by majority vote of its members; s
I the labor government, which dom
{ mates that state, swamped the uppe
! house with labor members who we1
/, pledged to abolish it. The action wa