The producers news., 1931-12-04
Farmers Bankrupted-- Bankers FOreCIOse

growing rapidly in South Dakota.
The big work started from the
U. F. L. Drouth Relief Caravan
which carried coal from the far
mers of North Dakota to the
farmers of South Dakota and
brought home wheat from the
farmers of South Dakota to the
drouth stricken farmers of North
Dakota.
Of course there had been con-
siderable preliminary work done
in the vicinity OF Frederick by
Mother BlOor, state organizer OF
the L. F. L. of North Dakota
who had made several trips there
aid held meetings, and by George
Maxi of Minnesota as local or
ganizer, however, the work actu-
ally started in earnest with the
arrival of the U. +. L. drouth re-
lief caravan, loaded with coal at
the mine on Louis Wahne near
Van Hook, No. Dak., at Freder-
lex in August. The coal was
given to destitute farmers and
the trucks were reloaded by the
farmers, gratis, with wheat and
other grains to be taken back to
northwestern North Dakota.
The Caravan
And maybe it would be inter
esting here to tell about this car
avan of trucks driven by farmers
on this real farmers relief de-
monstration. OF course very lit
tie relief could be accomplished
in this manner, but the demon
stration was planned to call at
tention of the world to the dread
full condition in Northeastern
Montana and Northwestern North
Dakota and that it accomplished.
The coal loaded trucks left Van
Hook going east and south thru
Garri son, Wilton, Bismarck,
jamestown, Edgely and Glendale,
North Dakota, and then to Fred
erick, South Dakota, a town OF
500 population, Z miles south OF
the North Dakota line in South
Dakota, 26 miles north of Aber-
deem. The caravan S7as %eeesa-
panied by speakers, namely Arva
Husa, his cousin, Mabel Husa, OF
Belden, North Dakota. represent
ing the U.F.L. of North Dakota
and Charles E. Taylor, state or
ganizer of Montana. editor of the
farmers paper OF Sheridan cOun-
ty, the Producers News of Plen-
tywood. These comrades spoke tC
the throngs in the different town;
which came out to see the cara
van and to read the slogans OF
the trucks such as: Moratorium
No! Cancellation. Yes!" "Frec
medical attention to all poor far
mers' children" "No Evictions,
"The Farmers Own Relief Trucks,
"Join the U. F. L." "Not On
Cent for Imperialist War;" "De
fend the Soviet Union" etc.
Huge Mass Meeting At FredericI
The trucks were received whel
they arrived at Frederick by thl
local L. F. l. committee whicl
had arranged a huge mass meet
ing. Arva Husa explained, as h
had at all mass meetings aIons
the way, the purpose of the cara
van: to call attention to the des
titute condition of the farmers il
Northwestern North Dakota an,
Northeastern Montana, the result
suits of many years of capitalist
exploitation aggravated by thre
y years of crop failure due to
drOuth of record breaking dura
tion. Comrade Taylor analyzet
the causes behind farm bankrupt
cy and prescribed the remedy. HI
urged the necessity for the orga
niZation Of the farmers in a mill
tant organization for their pro
lection and to enforce immediat
demands. This meeting was o.
Saturday mite On the grounds o
the Fredrick Cooperative Oil Sta
ton. A bunch of hoodlums wer
going TO mob this meeting, but tn
farmers were organized so the
changed their plans. The mex
day, Sunday, both comrades spok
at A HUGE MASS MEETING a
the VIM. LutiO farm. near Fredel
lex, in protest to the eviction G
Lutio from his farm, the home
stead of his father, the home
stead on which he had been borl
to which he had brought his vii
and where his several childre
had been born, by skinflir
money lender who had foreclose
on a defaulted mortgage in II
measley sum of $4,000, tho II
farm would have been considere
dirt cheap at $4,000 a couple {
years ago. Many farmers jOine
the United Farmers League
this meeting when they realize
that the U. F. L. was an organ
zation actually fighting the dail
battles of the farmers and Il
need for such an organizatio
and many more Joined subs
quently.
Meeting Stopped AT jamestown
The caravan held meetings al:
on the return trip. At Jamestov
the police stopped the meeting
the behest Of the loan sharks al
farmer SINNERS when Tayh
started to tell the audience abOl
the growing prosperity of the IA
mers in Soviet Russia. The col
asked the speaker why he did n
60 to Russia, to which he repli,
that he would be glad to if he HI
the money. A lot Of Jamestov
workers and farmers were pret+
sore at the police whose excu
for stopping the meeting ";
that the farmers had not secur,
a permit.