The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1929-10-25
The Week
By SAM'L HILL.

The great dixie of reaction shows
signs of giving way here and there
under the pressure of the gathered
waters of Progress. For number
of years the standpat element has
been busy erecting levees and flat
tered itself that it had at last stiff
ed or subdued into inaction the
flood waters for social and political
advance. Just when the job SEEM
ed perfect leaks appear and an in
undation threatens the startled con-
sentative and shakes him out of
his SNUG complacency.
You have heard the returns from
Australia? No? and besides you
have troubles enough at home with
out bothering your head over what
goes on in Antipodes? Is that
nice? Besides it is dollars to
washers that you could not find
the news in your daily. 1t ap-
peared under a small head on an
inside page. But had the election
turned out a Conservative victory
the front page would not have been
too good TO rthe glad tidings.
Let us get our heads together
and have a good crack over this.
Australia has for the past year
been ruled by a reactionary party.
1t controlled Parliament with az
votes against 33. 1t decided to
repeal the compulsory arbitration
court and let labor disputes be
settled in the good old injunction
way. Also it proposed to put a
tax on all amusement tickets
shows, dances and sports. 1t had
few other little reforms backward
on its list and went to battle
against the Labor party with a
smile on it's lips.
The election was held Saturday
Oct. IL. Not until Tuesday follow
ing did the results come in the
United States. Trains, steamers
!, airplanes, horses and even camelS
were used to collect the vote from
three millions square miles of ter
ritory. But it was worth the eff
fort. The Labor party won A.
: votes, the standpatters got 16 anC
! scattered among Independents anC
, the like were Is votes.
When he hard what had happen
ed the head of the standpat part!
= exclaimed. 1t is CHASTITY! 1t wa
= all of that, James II. Scullin, hea'
of the Labor party, becomes Prim
Minister. He says that the Labo
men caught enthusiasm and learn
y ed solidarity from the success o
: Ramsey Macdonald and the Brit
y = ish Labor party. Australia for
3 6 while had stopped dead in it
= tracks. Now it resumes the ad
y vance at the word of command
- forward, march,"
I, What has all this to do with tn
= Northwest? Much! A lot NOR
= than is visible to the naked eye a
~ yet. 1t means that the waters {
:, Progress, held back until the
20 seemed stagnant, have begun t
- move in the world after a winte
p of ice-bound discomfort. Great Br
- tain tossed out its standpattel
" and picked Labor to guide it's de
: TIMES. Australia followed sui
~ The spirit of Progress is abros
y again in the world. 1t is release
~ 1t will come to the Northwest /:
~ it comes everywhere else.
- Fact is, it has already com
II The Progressive avalanche has b
I gun to move on its appointed pat
in North Dakota. The Nonpart
sans are out again, forming rank
he getting shoulder to shoulder, lear
at ing discipline and preparing
at fight once more the foes who r
go tain power only when the Progre
p sive tires and grows apathetic.
ly
The fool notion that only Lax
RS years, bankers and profession
oe men are fit TO govern is about e
RI ploded. Laboring men, members
ty trade unions, sit m the highe
a. seats in Great Britain and Au
C. tralia. Not only have they dol
on as well in statescraft as the ~
IS, pah claws" but they have actual
nd done better! Men from the mine
ne the shops and the farms are ru
~ ming the British Empire. Nc
X they have taken over the job
go running Australia. They will
doing it in the United States "
10 But first they will do it in Nor
no Dakota. gv FL ~
M 8 All that is the matter with t
rs Northwest labor and farmer is tn
Ip- ne has an 'inferiority complex.
is told, repeatedly, that he h
on neither the brains nor ability
ne handle state affairs. It is drill
TN into him until they have him ny
'e- Noticed. But it is far from t
4 truth. There are more suckers
the commercial and profession
world than anywhere else. Ev
Tex Guinan admits it, and s
knows New York. Canada admi
Y it. When it wants grain comm
J sion it picks--as it did last week
three dirt farmers! In the Unit
III States they pick a McKelvie and
IL Legge for Farm Board, hopil
to mix politics and industry a
compliment the farmer on his la
,ro OF brains. He isn't smart enoue
1y' When he smarts enough from
las ing robbed, he may get his dand
We up and outsmart the lot who M
M look down on him. 1t has be
ie- done. 1t win be done.
Down in Kansas the farmers a
ne SURFING, too. They are slammi,
ie- the newspaper publishers Senat
70 Capper and Allen. They NAV