The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1929-12-27


er of a great cause. And above
the din of battle, melancholy and
heart-stricken. while his two clos
est friends continue 30 seek for ad-
vantage in their death grapple,
looms the shadowy form of the
President, the great Herbert Hoo
yer himself. Nor can he remain
neutral as his heart would demand:
for he must side with one against
the other, he must be partial to
the champion of the farmers!
The 1880 Smoke Screen
And this is the game that seems
likely to be put over on the agri-
cultural masses behind the great
smoke screen of 1880. Old Guard,
Young Guard, Progressives, Demo-
Gratis and Republicans-all are in
on the game. Observe from now
on how the real issue of farm re-
lief will be camouflaged, how the
administration forces are to be put
in the position of staging a fight
for the farmers against their enc
mics.
Very little is to be gained at this
moment by seeking to unravel the
ridiculous network of claims and
counter claims between the Farm
Board and the Grain Spectators.
between the Chamber of Com
merce, headed by Barnes, and the
administration forces headed by
Legge. To do so would merely be
to fall into the trap set by tweedle-
dunn and tweedledee of Big Bust
ness to deceive the farmers. Let
US rather take a birdseye picture
OF the whole process-Some basic
facts are worth reviewing:
Readers of The Producers News
will be pleased to turn back to the
September 20 number of this pa
per In which issue your CORES
pendent reported a speech made by
one of the close administration
spokesman in the House, a speech
which puts Mr.. Herbert Hoover IN
eseapably on record as to his posi-
ton in the fight between the grain
gamblers and the farmers.
President Hoover Involved
That the campaign to secure
real farm relief" (your~ CORES
pendent then wrote), twill involve
President Hoover himself and the
whole program of the Washington
administration which has been re-
vealed as the spokesman of Big
Business, appears certain from
various facts which have thus far
received little if any publicity.
Speaking before the Indiana
Grain Dealers Association last
June while the Farm Bill was be-
ing debated in Congress. Fred 8.
Purnell, representative from that
state, and close to the administra-
tIon, took occasion to assure his
Spectator grain constituents that
they had no reason to fear the
pending farm relief measure:
L want to dispell any fear
you may have" he said, The gov
eminent does not want to nut
you) out of business. To
guard against such a possibility
1 offered an amendment to The
0lli. -. This amendment has to
do with the half billion provided
oy the Board to loan to cooper
atIves. | fOresaw the pOssibili-
~ of cO-Operatives established
oy government funds, borrowed
at cheap rates and for Long
terms and operated and controll-
ed by the government, building
plants across the street from es-
taollshed businesses. To prevent
such a condition this amendment
was drafted and it has the an
proval of President Hoover.
In fact / had the helm and
advice of President Hoover in
drafting this amendment. / con-
ferred with him several times
upon IT. am telling Won This
so that you may be assured that
the president is not HesirOus of
putting you out of business.
Co-Operatiyes Must Show
Ihls amendment provides
that no loan for construction
purchase or lease of facilities for
handling grain shall be made nm.
less the Board finds that there
are not available other suitable
existing facilities at reasonable
rates. In other words. the CO.
operatives must show a need.
AT long as Herbert Hoover
is president I think Won have No
reason to fear"
The amendment which Mr. Pnr-
nell takes credit for concoctino
himself and which he worked ov.
er with Mr.. Hoover, was as a mat
Ter OF fact designed bv Mr. Fred
d wells, one of the big Four of
sne grain spectators and a men,
per OF the recent secret conference
9etWeen the Farm Board head Mr.
Legge, and the grain dealers II
was later thought ''impoliticv IN m
e.uoe the amendment in the bin as
Inaily passed By the Senate Int
tne Farm Board has consisteDtI,-
adhered to the policy.
Behind the Screen.
This IS basic fact number one
oenlnd the smoke screen which tibo
administration is now settino nm
S !. Legge has again made
Il clear that no loans viii he Tnsslo
@ cooperatives except at acoTn
merclaP rates. This is Hoove-'s
policy as the above speech bv Pm
neil SO clearly proves. One other
point IN this connection. The 60
called friends of the farmer u tLo
Senate have all along known ~
TINS policy and this speech renrs
sentlng the views Of the PreS;de,t
why have they so carefully avoid
60 making it public? WHY have
Messrs. Walsh and Wheeler of
Montana, presumably opponents ~