The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1931-07-10
Friday, July 10. 1881.
BOUGHT AND PAID FOR

ia It is well worth careful reading because it
calls attention 80 well to the base betrayal of the
farmers by the so-called Farmers Union cooper
alive business activities of st. Paul, which pub
fishes the Farmers Union Herald, that is sent 30
the Farmers Union members of the northwest
states, namely, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Da-
SEota and Montana By and thru this paper, and
thru speakers and ballyhOoers financed by them,
an attempt is being made to control the minds of
the members and deliver the farmers vote of these
states 10 the republican party and Hoover under
the guse of saving the marketing act" which
never meant to do anything for the farmers and
up to date has only served to make the ruin of
agriculture more complete. The Farmers Union
Herald is published by those sO-caed co-Operatves
operating out of ST. Paul, all of which heavy
borrowers from the Farm Board. The paper in
fact is the house organ of these business enter
prises, supported by them. 1t is not owned
controlled by the rank and file of the Farmers
Union the educational department of that
ganization. The paper therefore is naturally
strong supporter and defender of the Farm Board
by which it is financed, and Hoover and the
publican party which tell the Farm Board what to
do. Co-operatives borrowing money must support
the republican party-it must deliver the farmer
votes to Wall Street. This the St. Paul crowd is
trying 10 do. It breaches cooperation and de
nOunces big business in one breath and supports
big business and its instrument with the next 1t
breaches too that the salvation of the farmer lays
IN shipping his grain or cattle to the St. Paul CO.
peratives and paying those organizations exactly
the same commissions and obtaining exactly the
same results any private commission house,
thus insurng the paying of the sO-called cooper
alive executives their $4,000, $500, $4,000 per
annum salaries, and then voting the republican
Lot AO
provides the operating capital for these co-opera-
ttves at low rate of interest But these cooper
atives do not offer any further solution for the
problems of agriculture. They are sales agencies
only, selling in the same market and to the same
people that any other sales agency sells TO- They
do not propose to develop cooperative manufac-
turing and retailing agencies to provide outlet
to the ultimate consumers. No, they intend to get
their finances from capitalists sources to destroy
capitalistc business, which is childishness in the
Nth degree These co-operatives don't believe in
political action a class basis tho the capitalists
do, except in far they support the republican
party ard the status quo.
It should be plainly evident that the Farmers
Union business leaders are simon pure takers
and in fact Bought and Paid For"
The editorial in the Stanley Sun which analyses
aows:
"At no time has this newspaper held any great
amount of confidence in the farm marketing act.
This newspaper was opposed to Hover and the Old
Guard Republican machine prior to the last presi-
Dental election, and still holds the same position
We did not believe at that time that Hoover anG
the element which he represents, would ever allow
law to pass from which the American farmer
might gain cents worth of benefit. We still
entertain that same belief.
In our opinion the Farm Marketing Act was
passed, not to benefit the farmer, but 10 silence
the farm leaders. These leaders were travelling
up and down the land, sowing the seeds Of dis
trust in the Old Guard, and there was the grave
danger that some 30 million farm votes in the
United States might become balance of power
which would decide future national elections.
Since the passage of the Marketing Act (which
mas taken the co-operativeS under its wingl we
find these same leaders praising the Old Guard,
lauding Herbert Hoover, and telling the farmers
of this nation that If they will just stick with the
old Republican machine, the co-operatves will cure
them-in the dim and distant future.
In notification of the above statements let us
review the editorial page of the Farmers Union
Herald official organ of the Farmers Union. IS
election more than year away, we find the Her
aid LAYING foundation and manufacturing an ec
Cuse to justify it in supporting Hoover and the
Old Guard in the next campaign.
"'Under the heading "The Presdentt
indianapolis Speech" the Herald has this t,
say: President Hoover's speech at Indian
apolis was his most vigorous utteranc
since entering the White House. Listenin,
the radio could clearly understand
that at times he put vigor and emotion int
some of his sentences. These sounded Xix
defiance to his critics, even a challenge *""
He emerged from obscurity at indianapolis
with the assurance that the ship woul
sail on and ride out che storm. The Indiar
apolis speech addressed mainly to bu:
mess men, +" = An equally firm stand a,
surfing the farmers chat there will be n
backward step in the agricultural program
but straight ahead toward the goal of c,
operative ownership by the farmers of IL
machinery of marketing their commoditit
would be both helpful and comforting
translated in every day uoltsd States Il
Herald said: Keep Herbert Hover in the Whit
House; he's just waking up after a three year