The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1928-06-29
The Story of the Promotion of
Brotherhood Banking
EINAR JOHNSON
Bp John Gabriel SOltis

ElNAK JOHNSON
He was the cashier of the Pacific Brotherhood IN
vestment Co. He has been attached to the "wreckng
crew" from its very start He is good apple that mas
become infected by the rotten Originally he tried
to be straight His long apprenticeship under MerrcK
has created him into tool of the shckers lie Is 5
merely an instrument and nothing more he is aDSo-
uey safe to the gang; they have moulded into their
own image He counts for very little in the organlza-
ton save only that he is reliable man for the gang
and can be depended upon to keep his upper lip still
Merrick put him where he is now
W. H. TRESLER
He was misunderstanding of the Pacific Brother
hood Investment Company. Also an od-timer with
the wrecking crew" but always filling an nsconspicu-
GUS a minor role He was their clerk in the office
He was employed by Merrick and Company because OF
their long association in the "wrecking crew., and is
under the spell of Merrck. He is harmless fellow
trying get along in the world regardless where ne
finds himself He is, of course regarded by Merrick
and Company as a sound proposition from their stand
point Merrick responsible for his post
JOHN ]. RADA
He was the bond man of the Pacific Brotherhood In
vestment Company He has had former connections
with the "wreckng crew. He held his position by vir
tue of the fact that he knows nothing about bonds
This made it possible for Cass and Merrck to manpu-
late the bond department to suit their sweet end
Moreover in of eventuality (and in the bond
department there are unlimited possibities) it would
didn't know better.
In connection with Mr. Rada, it may edify the rail-
men to know, that in the great shopmens strike of
1922 when the heroic strikers resisting the reduc-
ton of the size Of their loaf Of Bread Rada scabbed on
them in the shops at Yarmouth, North Dakota. This
is undoubtedly, phase of labor banking that GER
tainly holds good to the rail organizations.
MIR. George ID. Brewer
He was the official loud speaker and bellyho artist
Cos nd He
pei of "conme on you suckers"
He is a member of rail organization. He became
identified with the "wreckng crew" at its BIRTH to-
Eether with the little Napoleon of Democracy, Waller
Thomas Mills, who also knows thing or two about
the formation of fake co-operatives
George ID. Brewer has very colorful political and
business history. He Socialist for long time
In fact he once wrote brochure Socialism which
was pemeated with the ideas of populism He ex
pounded Socialism, to the best of his lights, until
got into the war. Then he quit and landed a sof
berth with the "wreckng crew" in North Dakota,
Brewer closely associated with the old Appea
to Reason His wife as in the circulation department
of that paper for long time 1t George I
Brewer who conducted Eugene V. Debs tours abou
the country. He was, for many years, while it wa
profitable, Debs advance agent In 1905 Brewer tour
ed the country with Debs in the historic "Red Special
These the days of cream and honey for the con
mercialized agents of the defunct Socialist party.
However, in 1920, when Debs was a candidate fC
president and in the Atlanta penitentary for his pr
itcal opinions, Brewer deserted Debs as lecturer f.
the Nonpartisan League in the state of Minnesota I
refused to advocate the candidacy of Debs undoubed
because it dsrespecabe and Improbable to do S
and he said at the time, "would lose votes for IL
ticket"
Everybody who knows Brewer is cognizant of Il
fact that he is incapable of sustaining any set of wor
ing-class political and economic principles that in til
respect he is a chameleon adapting himself to t
commercial possibilities of any given workers NOV
ment.
Around 1920 he sold quite bit of oil stock to far
and workers of Minnesota He had a we'll ocat
somewhere in Texas. That well has not yet produc
anything for the people who put their money into
save the loss Of their money, which represented ha
toll and family privatons to save it. 1t was this d.
that defeated him for congress in 1924, in the st;
of Minnesota. The farmers and workers m
about it, to say the least.
In 1922 he was an active party to the "balance
power" fraud of A. c. Townley. This was an atten
on the part of Towney to submerge the Farmer-l
Dor party of Minnesota into the dead Democratic pa
of that state. He was Townley's "outsde man" in t
move. But they were blocked in their performance
the Red elements of the state as ehave noted
Brewer poses the Pacific Coast as an expert
co-operatives. Well, he most assuredy is, but o
certain type of "co-operatves:", as we shall haster
show; the kind that enriches the few at the expe
of the many.
/, Some time in 1922 he organized, in conjunction '
his friends, the Economy Fuel Company Co-operat
in Minneapolis, Minnesota This firm was to save
consumers of COAL moeny their bills very pra
worthy effort indeed. However, this company WIS
sucker company for another firm that Geo. d. Bre
: organized. 1t the "Prairie States Fuel Comps
! dealer in wholesale coal and coke Brewer was
treasurer of the last company, and member of
. board of directors of the former Officers of
: companies were situated at the same address:
= summer Street Minneapolis, Minnesota
de left Minneapolis for the Pacific Coast in
= vember 1924 1t was a response To the cali ~
- friend H. A. Merrick, who needed man of the
d perlence and taleAt is of a Brewer. Merrck and
- er are patonic friends
~ Brewers mission in the organization is to conc
~ labor Leaders to fixed central bodies of labor ar
J? SWING the state declarations of labor for the Cass-