The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1929-01-25

Ia % '"e VIC" OF the trad ~
distribution Of power, which !,
lifebloOd Of politics and xOv.r-
taken by the bulk Of the sea.t. -
house membership, re-AssembIiO.
the capital TO complete the final IA
duck session Of the Coolidge r.0;,~s e
Nor does this depletion Of tn.
fluence of trade unions stand ala.
There is distinct depression in =.
farm politics field, due to dis.o,.
that the American farmer is bec.s
ing less and less important F.~
ing in general does not pay. F.r-
ers and their families are mOvino !.
town in steadily increasing numbs,'
to find jobs In factories, stores :.
rages-anything that supplies a ~.
and regular wage. So the dream :.
nationwide militant political n.-
er based on the organized waee.vo,.
ers and the organized farmera :.
been shattered. It's economic fov.
dations are being Slapped and lma.l
ed to bits. Practical politicians lab
over the figures of labor union ms.
bership and listen to the tones Of !
Dor spokemen today as contrastes
their tones in 1920, and wonder ,A..
they were frightened in those .a,L
days after the war. They exami.
the totals of farm organiSatio,.p
membership and smile.
Need for strong organization AMIN,
wage workers and farmers, and n..s
for their joint action in politics ..
gainst the forces of big business i,
greater now than in 1920. But that
need is based on the fact of TODAY.
weakness-the fast that Organizes
capital has made giant strides "a.
ward control of every governmental
and industrial agency that affects
prices. Organized capital determines
what new industries shall be develOO.
ed, what terms of employment shall
rule, and what favors shall be shown
by the government, through the bank.
ing system, to the manufacturing as
against the farming industry.
Herbert Hoover represents, at the
outset of his domination of the execu.
tive branch of the governemnt, the
triumph Of big business in politics.
He is the manufacturers ideal states,
man-one who for years will keep OF.
gained labor and organized farmers
wondering whether he will not, after
/ all, do something to restore them to
an influential place in the nation.
/ Meanwhile the spirit of self Organi-
cation and self defense among the
wealth producing classes will die
down.
Benjamin C. Marsh, who for years
was director of the Farmers Nation
al Council, says, in a discussion of
] the farm problem at the close Of the
old year: Farmers as a class are
: not co-Operators but extreme indivd-
! ualists. There are only about j..
500. 600 farmers out of 6,37l,OOO, in
: all the farmers selling organizations.
, About one-fifth Of the value Of
all farm products was sold cO-Opera-
lively last year. Farmers have
2 lost most of their political prestige
/ and power. With the presen ten
denotes continued, less than one quart
er Of tie votes will be on farms in an
4 other decade"
These facts point to a growing
4 wage-woIking class problem, as TIKI
proportion of Americans drawing wa
: ges is steadily gaining. Trade union
ism is not keeping up with thi
growth. Labor politics is at lOwel
4 ebb than it has been at any time i
t three decades. Republican and demo
s cratic political programs are mOr'
nearly identical than ever before.
t The new year may witness a breal
+ industrial and political the apa
d thetic harmony. But the politician
d have no idea as to how it viii come
e or where it may lead. Until laOo
and the farmers do become disrespect
e ful once more, the politicians will no
worry.
In this situation is the real expla
= nation Of Congress failure to do any
+ thing in the past two years with tn
I bituminous coal problem and the IN
= junction evil; it explains, too, wn'
: Fall, Doheny, Sinclair and DaugherE
stay out of Jail.
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