davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1928-02-03

the voters and sail under false colors will
only serve to keep him "out of the picture"
after the first Monday of next November.
Progressive periodicals like The Nation,
New Republic and LaFollette's Magazine
should be wary of attempts of discredited
politicians to use them for electioneering
purposes. They should not allow them
selves to be degraded into supporting indi-
viduals repudiated by the progressive farm
Some of the publications named show a woe
full lack of understanding of the trend of
progressive thought in Montana.
If they do not investigate the records of
political charletans seeking reelection they
may find themselves aligned with the SIMS
ter forces of the state and against the in
terests of the common people.
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1928-02-03
By Ole Sanvik

Harlem, Mont venture to say
that it took a lot of brain work to
devise some way to get some cause
for starting another Big Business or
ganization that would take up the
work of the Loyalty League where
they left off. And not only that but
to devise some way to make the mem
bers fthe N. P. l.. pay the bill. Well,
here is the way it happened to be
done:
The Montana Trade Commission
turned the trick. They passed rul-
ing that after a certain date, | be-
lieve it was the first of May if
remember right. Every merchant in
the state was to mark all merchandise
carride in stock with the wholesale
price and the selling price: In plain
figures this plan was supposed to be
done to protect the consumer and stop
profiteering. Just think, stop prof.
teeringl That was not what the
Montana Trade Commission was ap-
pointed for, as you will see by these
actions later on.
Made Us Pay the Bill.
Immediately after this ruling was
passed the A. c. M. Co.'s agents got
busy to spread propaganda among the
merchants of the state, advising them
to organize and fight the ruling of
the Montana Trade Commission. This
they did, by the help of the A. C. M.
agents. The Montana Development
association was born. Each merchant
was to pay into his organization from
$500 to $4,000 according to the
amount of business he was doing.
According to figures given out the
association collected one million dol
lars and as soon as this organization
was perfected and the money collect
ed in, the Montana Trade Commission
backed down. They gave for an ex-
cuse that they had gone too far and
believed that their ruling was unjust.
Now you can begin to see how the
cards were played so as to gather a
fighting fund to fight the Nonparti-
san League and at the same time
make US pay the bill. Every time we
would buy anything from a merchant
part of his profits went for dues in
the Montana Development Association
which was used against us.
Small Merchant to Go
1t was one of the hardest blows that
ever struck Montana. First the
farmers found that all of the business
interests were against him and his
organization. Second, it turned him
against his home markets and trading
places which was a detriment to the
state. Third, it discouraged many to
such an extent that they gave UP the
struggle and many moved out of the
state.
And the poor little merchant who
paid his money to the Developm, mt
Association. I have felt sorry for
them many times as they are in the
same class with the farmers and
workers. Their days are numbered.
The chain stores and the big cata-
logue houses will put 95 per cert of
them in the labor ranks.
They should back the farmers to
the limit in his struggles. But be-
cause man is in business, wears a
white collar and little better clothes
than most of us farmers. They feel
That they belong to a higher class and
therefore they will not read anything
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1928-02-03

Admission by The Wall Street Jour
nal that the cost of breaking the pow
er of the United Mine Workers in
Pennsylvania coal fields may be re-
garded by the operators as a capital
investment raises a vital question.
viii coal diggers share through in
creased wages in the higher prices
bound to result when capital has con-
troll of overproduction through giant
combinations Will not the MELONS,
Taplins, Rockefellers and other dom
inant coal barons demand a profit on
their investment in openshop condi-
tions?
The journal, commenting on the
openshop gains of the Pittsburgh Ter
minal Coal Corporation says: "Pres-
ent production is is at loss. The
annual report for 1927 will show a
substantial deficit as a result of de-
creased production and special expen-
dltures due to the strike. This loss
may be regarded as a capital invest
ment, however, since it has freed the
company from the domination of union
labor and will make it possible to
compete on an equal basis with West
Virginia nOn-union fields"
Competition on an equal basis with
West Virginia means competition in
forcing labor to produce for the low
est possible wage. Nonunion opera
tors who for several years have been
paying wages based on the low 1917
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1928-02-03
Coal Operators Take Big Loss to
Smash Union and Form Merger

scale cannot obtain a market, whole
regions are operating less than half
time, and further wage cuts are in
order.
Because of the strain on the pro-
ducers," says the coal editor of the
Chicago Journal of Commerce, "wage
reductions have been made in some of
the eastern high volatile fields. In
the Big Sandy district, cuts of ap-
proximately 1919 from the 1917 level
have been pretty general. Labor is
disgruntled over the reductions and
trouble has developed at some mines.
Operating time is estimated at 33 and
one-third percent and less"
Pittsburgh Coal Co., the Mellon
concern, is following West Virginia
nonunion tactics,~ still further reduc-
ing wages in the hope of getting a
market for its products. Along with
the other operators in the Pittsburgh
district its mines have been averaging
only 2 to days a week and it has
Topped from 40c to 60c day off the
wages of its miners.
The Rockefeller Consolidation Coal
Co., which preceded Pittsburgh Coal
in breaking the Jacksonville agree
ment and starting Openshop opera
ton, is taking the lead in the first
big mergre. Other mergers will fol-
low. The drive against the United
Mine Workers was a necessary pre-
liminary to this development
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1928-02-03
CLOVEN HOOP PROTRUDEs

Farmers in northeastern Montana are
known to be progressive, to the interests
that find it convenient and profitable to
keep such tools as Wheeler in Washington
and "tlathead John" in Helena. That is
the reason LaFolIette's magazine contain
ing an article on China by Wheeler was sent
into this part of the state last week.
This splendid magazine was unwitingly
used as cloak to put over prediction
propaganda for discredited stoolpigeon of
the Anaconda Company. But we are re-
minded that the devil sometimes assumes
the garments of angels when he tries to
tempt the righteous
The clOven hOof, concealed in the inno-
cent appearing issue of LaFollette's Maga-
zine, showed through the China" article
attributed to Wheeler, as wide as a barn
door. The corporate devil is out to oct
votes for his disciple and for that purpose
ne arrays himself in the habiliments of
But there was a strange inconsistency
about the publication that wanted to make
the dollar chasing ex-police court LAWYER
from Butte look like progressive. A pic
lure OF the progressive senatorial group an
peared on the cover showing Senators Hen
rick Shlpstead, Brookhart, Borah, Norris.
LaFollette, Frazier, Nye, Blaine and Howell.
The world-court-supporting satrap of the
Anaconda Company, Wheeler, who tries 70
masquerade as progressive was not shown
in the picture. :
And all such brazen attempts to mislead
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1928-02-03
Livingston Editor to La,p.
tor Run Paper for One W' a.

Livingston, Jan. 21.-AnDo,,.
that during the week of Fa6,-Uuncng
to 26 entire editorial mana vUauary 20
the Livingston Enterprise T S;ITIent Of
en- over to a ministerial criti iii OT CIV
Flint, managing editor sup"e aSI l. {.
during the period he will a6e " "1oS mat
call on the sick or accent ;n,,; gag to
out to such dinners as cierg ,,r,.auOns
their families often find fIo nen and
invited" but regrets that '''Ibm ~
leave to the minister the priviIe IL must s.
performing marriages and noi Ttse Of
that he has made no criticism 'l ~ C ",
manner in which Livingston nm n ~ I1e
ers arrange their sermon snbia aeacn-
Dean II. Crowley Carroll Of fb S0'S
ingston Episcopal church. who ' me- Lv-
cepted the invitation to publish has .1 q,
a paper as a brother ministor-oSsa;4G:n
may "read without shudderinoy ~ ,'i l
ing his prayers anew after oI % say
over the headlines" has iny iitei'la "
other critics of the newspapers T no ~n
choice, display and editorial noI Ie%S
to write him before, during and g', n@es
his managerial effort, their SHOOT aase'
tons and comment. '0seeS'
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1928-02-03
Total $25,941, 679,546 10000

The commissioners report orouns
wages, salaries, business, partner
ship, and profits on the sale of cant
tai assets under the general head of
income from personal industry. The
total income from personal industry
is set down as ST., 1892 1926, 1893. The
other four sources are treated as in
come from property with a total of
1898, 351, 153. But it is absurd to
class the income which the very rich
derive from the increase in the value
Oh their investments as income from
personal industry. Shifting this to
the other side we find that of the in
comes reported in 1926 S15,5O2. 9O6.-
alS comes from personal industry and
SlO,41S,772,S28 from property.
In contrast with such huge in
comes, the incomes under $4,000
each are derived more than 1920 from
personal industry, that is from wages,
salaries, business and partnerships,
VI the total of $2,128, 637, 497 report-
Ed by the 1,016,153 individuals re-
porting net incomes between $1,000
and $4,000 about 9O96, came from
these sources. And below these are
the millions of workers with such
small incomes, entirely dependent on
wages and salaries, that they do not
have to report.
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1928-02-03
Sheridan County Is Bright Spot

outside CT dope peddled by tn u. S.
Chamber OF Commerce.
Should Have Organized Farmer
Labor Party
There was not a thing in the Non
partisan program that we fought for
in 1920 but what it would have bene-
fitted the merchants a great deal more
than any one individual farmer. Yet
they were against us. l did not APP
prove of the way the Nonpartisan
League was organized. | did not like
the idea of using the old party ma
chinery. 1t was out of date. Too
much rust and too many flaws. be-
lieve that if we had spent the money
we did on the Nonpartisan idea on
building up a Farmer-Labor party we
would have ben much better off, and
we would today have a good strong
organization that would be fighting
the farmers battles. l was in favor
of the League program. | paid my
dues three times, $1,000 each time, so
| will say like the old laborer who
was ready to leave this old world. He
had not piled up a lot of money but
he held out his hands and said, "Here
is pair of hands that have never
scabbed. And l say never will"
Sheridan County, the Exception
Well, since 1920 l can write Mon
tana's political history in a very
short space. The A. c. M. Co. has
had full swing. They have had con-
troll of everything from dog catcher
to governor and most of you know
I how Big Business will act when they
get it all their own way, with one
exception. There is one thorn in the
eyes of the Big Business administra-
ton and that is Sheridan county.
There the farmers have control of
nearly everything, including the rep
resentatives in the state senate ana
Legislature, and needless to say the
kept press of the state is wasting a
lot of good black ink telling the rest
OF the world what a bad set of soc
lallstlc citizens we have in the north
east corner of our great state.
There is one hope for the farmers
and workers of the state for the fu-
ture and that is the star in the north
eastern corner of Montana, Sheridan
county. They have a strong organiza-
ton of the Progressive farmers and
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1928-02-03
COPPER PRESS ASSAILS EDITOR
OF PRODUCERS NEWS

During the absence of the editor of this
newspaper in the east the kept press of
Montana INDUCED in a series of cat fits
reminiscent of the days of the Nonpartizan
League.
Because we exposed the scheme of the
Montana Power Company to stealthily gain
possession of the six richest power sites in
the west the branZe check press went into
a veritable epileptic fit of misrepresenta-
ton, vituperation and fiendish personal
abuse.
That old sleepy harlot of the north-the
Great Falls Tribune featured dispatches
from one Bryant in Washington, D. C. de-
Scribing the palatial suites that the editor
was occupying in the New Willard and
Wardman Park Hotels of that city. His
associations with the SinclairS, Daughertys
and McLeans were referred to and his &C
QUESTION of bags of gold intended to cor
rupt the Montana subjects of the Copper
and Power Overlords were limited at. "a
plot is being Matched in Washington to de-
feat Sen. Wheeler" the little bronze collar
ed puppet of Con Kelly, shrieked the Fri
bune.
The Helena Independent followed suit
and let out few ilmannered yelps intended
to convince the big boss at AZ Broadway
OAAe"U Lii h~CIllpOCL was SClll loyal 10 HIS
master, was not on the Wallace payroll and
still refused to connect with the tainted
dollars OF the Clarks
Amongst the lesser dogs set on the heels
OF the editor of the Producers News APP
peared Ham and" Sam of the Belgrade
Journal and 'Peeping Ed'' of the Great
Falls "Rushlight". These candle power
Journalists were trOtted out to write the
Shiny lies that their KilOwatt brethren of
the daily kept press dared not print because
OF the libel laws still operative in the state.
With the death of the Ku Klux Khan and
the prospects of getting the printing of
sheets preaching religious intolerance and
unAmerican ideals appearing mighty slim
this year, Ham and" Sam is shaping his
course to get hand out from the Power
combine. And he made a start by abus-
ing the man who turned the spotlight
OF publicity on the recent attempt of the
Power trust to burglarize the natural re-
sources of the state. And thus that season
Ga old handout artist hopes to connect with
his Ham and" this leap year.
Since "Peeping Ed'' was separated. bv
the union men of the state, from the paw
roll OF the Montana Federation of Labor. he
has endeavored to wear out all the wood
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1928-02-03
ELEMENTS OF POLITICAL EDU-
CATION
Continued from last week.

IL. WHAT SYSTEM SUCCEEDED SLAVERY?
When large scale production based on slave la
Dor became impossible, the place of large-scale
production in agriculture taken by the colonies
tn development of which led to the creation of
the medieval system of serfdom-the feudal sys-
tenn If we imagine economic unit embracing
the whole village one united whole, based upon
the lords manor as the neutrality-suspicious.
center of the unit, we have picture of the medi-
aeval domain-the feudal SYSTEM which developed
directly out of the slave holding system.
10. WHAT WERE THE PRODUCTION METH
obs OF THE FEUDAL SYSTEM?
: The decomposition of slaveholding society and
its economic SYSTEM based upon large-scale agri-
culture and the transition to the feuda system, is
bound up with changes in the methods of produc-
tion These changes lie chiefly, not in the agricu
tural field, not in the village, but in the city, in
the field of the handicrafts.
The predominance of hand labor, slightly diff
ferentiated lie, slightly divided into separate
component part, inextricably bound up with pro-
auction by means of hand implements and tools
in separate small workshops-this is the technical
foundation of feudal society
The Distinguishing trait of the handicraft method
lies in the fact that it is inextricably bound up
with the personality of the artisan, with the ex-
perience and practices handed down from genera
ton to generation This predominance of practical
experience in the processes of handcraft work
leads to routine, to stagnation since the knowledge
of these processes is inseparabe from the person
ality of the artisan and the acquisition of this
knowledge is possible only through apprenticeship
through copying. On the other side, handicraft
places definite and fairly narrow bounds to the
development of the productive forces since each
artisan generally produces the product completely,
from the first to the last stage of the work
1t is true that the artisans in the feudal period
were specialized to certain degree; the division
of labor in the process of production existed also
among the handicrafts altho in its simplest form
The feudal system made fair progress along the
path of development of ways of communication
city building, etc., but even the highest works in
this period were carried out by means of handi-
craft work, l. e., by the use of massed hand labor
Under such circumstances the development of the
productive forces in feudal society had definite linn
its.
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1928-02-03

market quotations shows that these
flnanclers could have unloaded in 1923
at prices ranging as high as $23. 37
for st. Paul common and S45.5O for
the preferred and in 1924 at prices
ranging up to $1S.75 for common and
$5Z' II for preferred. Immediately
following the announcement of the re-
Ownership March 1S, 1925, they could
have purchased and added enormously
TO their holdings at less than SIS a
snare for common and less than $40
a share for preferred.
Keep Holdings Dark
The evidence shows" saws East
man, that the members of the stock
holders protective committee repre-
sent to a very considerable extent
holdings acquired since the receiver
ship. Both the chairman of the com
mon stock committee and the chair
man OF the preferred stock committee
bought practically all that thew now
mold thereafter, and the Iselin com
mlttee bought no less than SOC. 900
SHARES. The record also shows that
Oh the ~ largest stockholders in the
oC: Faul there are now only 2 that are
not brokerage houses holding for
clients whose identity is not disclos-
The preferred stockholders commit
tee is practically 100 per cent Stand
ard Oil-Kuhn-Loeb. 1t consists Of
chairman N. M. Buckner of the New
York Trust Co., Pres. A. w. Loasbv
Of the Equitable Trust, Pres. John NC
Hugh OF the Mechanics & Metals Nat
Bank, Harold I. Pratt of the Standard
Oil Pratt family and a Milwaukee
banker. New York Trust, Equitable
Trust and Mechanics & Metals Bank
are recognized instruments of the
Rockefeller Kuhn-Loeb outfit. The
comittee's counsel is a Rockefeller
stocknolders committee is a represen-
tative of the inner circle of tbis hank
er-oil combination.
From this it is clear that the st.
Paul reorganization was pulled for
the benefit of this group.
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1928-02-03
Clerks Have Hard Time With
II. G. of L.

The struggle of white-collar work
ers to maintain their living Standards
IN the face of high living costs IS re-
Elected In the New York state labor
commissioners annual review of Of
flee workers wages. Although tha
report shows an upward trend If Of
flee wages since 1914 it reveals wears a.
In which they Jagged far behind ran
idly mounting prices. The wages IF
office workers have also failed ~
show anything like the gains sscpre =
by industrial workers in New Yor II
factories. A0hA
The average wage of office worl
ers employed by factories IN Non
York state in October, 1927 the NV Nv
port shows, was $35.S8 a weeIr t.
Guided in this average are off =.
clerks, stenographers, bookkeenrea,rSse
accountants, cashiers, stock CLERKS 20 os e
ice managers, superintendent 81 ~
For October. 1926, the avera@o eso.
So5.SS and for October, 1914 s1S Was
week. The increase in the last - reao
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1928-02-03

increasing profits of the countrv's
leading corporations.
The 228 individuals with incomes
of more than $1,OOO,OOO each in 1926
had combined income of $546, $685.
524, of which only S16,246,368 or
about go came from their wages and
salaries. On the other hand S2O4.-
269,127 or 1910 of their incomes came
from dividends and $28O,8O2, 1873 or
51%O from profits on the sale of CAPT
tai assets. These 2 items together
accounted for $3.50 of their total in
come. The remaining go came from
interest, rents, royalties, partnerships,
etc.
The 465 individuals with incomes
ranging between 100000 and $1,000
600 each had a combined income of
1851 1888, 001, of which only S16.126.-
2O4 or 4.5@6 came from thier wages
and salaries. They received, howev-
er, $154,855, 499 or 44.8@6 of the total
from dividends and $133,9O8,1O4 or
37@O from profits on the sale of capt.
tai assets. In this group dividends
and profits accounted for about 1920
OF the total income.
The 009 incomes between 100000
and 100000 were derived 7.6@6 from
wages and salaries, $500 from divi-
deInds and $500 from profits on the
sale of capital assets with the balance
from interests, rents, partnerships,
etc. The 3,258 incomes between
S15O,OOO and 100000 were f14%
wages and salaries, 1850 dividends
and 26.7@6 profits. The 4,7O6 incomes
between 100000 and $15O,OOO were
1850 wages and salaries, 41% divi-
dends and 21.1% profits.
The total income of the 4.O75.542
individuals making returns covering
1926 income was $25, 931, 679, $40. The
arounts derived from various sources
were:
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1928-02-03
Economic Articles
By Leland Odds, Federated Press
How Parties Quilted the
{. M. & St. Paul

How the Rockefeller Standard Oil
interests with their allied bankers of
the Kuhn-Loeb group will reap mil
lions In profits from their re-organ2
lzatiOn of the Chicago, Milwaukee e.
st. Paul railroad is suggested in a
scathlng dissenting opinion by COM
missioner j. b. Eastman. He objects
TO the interstate commerce commits
sion ruling authorizing the bankers
to proceed with the plan. His discus
sion makes it clear that this is lust
one more of the intensely profitable
financial juggles which the dominant
flnanclers have put over on railroad
and industrial corporations in order
TO cement their control.
The new financial structure of the
st. Paul actually involves what
amounts to an increase in the capital-
lzatlon, although this is concealed bv
making the common stock a no-par
security. The interest charges on the
new funded debt will exceed those in
the old by more than S1,2OO,OOO al
though about 100000 of these
charges are made contingent upon the
roads earning enough to pay them.
Big Fellows Unload
Eastman points out that speculation
has been rife all along the line and
that the stock offered the best oppor-
tunities. He says:
"Most of the large stockholders of
the old company unloaded some time
before the receivership. Immediately
thereafter the common fell m ahou+
1925 and the preferred to about $3.50
a share. The announcement of the
reorganization plan, providing very
generously for the stockholders.
stimulated the upward movement.
Present prices are around $40 for the
common and $37 for the preferred.
Transactions have been heavy"
The large stockholders. prior to
the reorganization, were the Rookie
fellers and the other nabobs of
the Standard OILS National City bank
family. A study of New York stock
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1928-02-03
STUDY UNION BENEFITS

bov Washington gg :, (FP)-Tb.t
DC; Geh lei. are paid by 81 na that death
international m Eaational labor unions Hip n 81 and
ca ca States States; and that p nav q, me Unit,
Tor disability, 10 for sicJxnpesasy benefits
provision for aged men n,bIess, lS make
nave \; We some form of insuranSso, and IS
IN the ne January an Monthly Labor r' Is told
tics. u labor stats
More than S3OO.OOOOOO
pa pad by these labor org sT mas been
Fhe ae, types Of benefits and 'i iHsU9as in
Group insurance is increasiInnn INSURANCE.
Nv Two unions have substitute N \. favor.
the death benefit formerIv az! this for