The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1930-11-21
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 81, 1880.
NO HARD TIMES FOR COUPON
CLIPPERS

Times are hard in the United States For whom?
For the millions of unemployed wage earners who
are walking the streets looking for jobs, appealing
to the charity organization societies, chamber of
commerce relief committees, and other bread line
organizations.
For the farmers who trying to make a living
by selling Zoe oats and I5c wheat and whose crops
were cut by the unprecedented drouth which hit
large sections Of the country last summer
For the little business men who are going down
in companies before the keen cutting tools of 1880
bankruptcies. Ever since 1922 reports of business
failures have averaged around 10000 per year.
Until the present year the banner total 23,600
failures In the first quarter of 1880 there were
1868 failures; 6,403 in the second quarter; and
5000 in the third quarter In short, during three
quarters of 1880 there have been approximately
10000 commercial failures. There is every indica-
ton that the total for the year will well above
$4,000, unprecedented figure for the American
business world. The great majority of these fail
ing firms had capital of less than $4,000.
Times hard on the American masses How
about the few at the top Of the economic heap
who able to live in luxury without work upon
the labor Of their fellows?
The u. S. Department of Commerce publishes
monthly review, the Survey of Current Business.
In department of this review are reported pay
ments of dividends and interest made by certain
industrial transport and public utility corporations
The earliest year covered by these reports was
1913 During that year, interest and dividend pay
ments averaged $14S 100000 a month The total
Tor the year was Sl,fbUUOO,UOO. For the single
month of January, 1880, interest and dividend pay
ments totaled $1120,000,000 For January and
February, 1880, the total 81, 637 100000. In
other words, interest and dividend payments dur
ing the first two months of 1880 were practically
equivalent to the total for the entire year 1913.
The year 1923 was a good year. Interest and
dividend payments for the IL months totaled 49,
989,000000. The present period of hard times be-
gan at the end of 1929 During the latter year,
however, the total of interest and dividend pay
ments was $5,029,000,000, or about une-quarter
greater than the payments for 1928 The year
1890 has been year of uninterrupted hard times
for the American masses. During the first eight
months the total Of interest and dividend payments
was $6,618,00O,O00 more than half billion dol
lars in excess of the highest previous year In
United States economic history
Times hard for. the exploited masses, for the
farmers, for the thousands of small business men
who suddenly being pushed to the wall by
chain store development and the concentration of
economic power The property owning class in
the United States will be able to claim the year
1880 as the banner year in the payment of I'M
earned income. The masses may feel the pressure
of hard times and shout their opposition until they
are run in by the police. The property owners
feel themselves secure behind barrier of corpor-
alton SURPRISES that continue to pay them their
accustomed rates of dividends and interest, and
then add something for good measure