The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1931-01-16
5000 MILES OF PROSPEROUS
AMERICA
By SCOTT NEARING, Federated Press


During the past two months, have Travelled
from the Atlantic seaboard thru the northeastern
corner of the United States as far west as Him
ois and Wisconsin; as far south the Ohio river
| have visited many cities and towns and talked
with great number of peOple-farmers, industrl'
al workers housewives teachers doctors lawyers,
engineers economists, business people 1t is not
easy to summarize this experience in few words
but it is surely worth trying.
Economic conditions are bad in some places and
worse in Others In no single farming manufactur-
ing or trading center that l visited were condi-
lions even fairly good On every hand there were
reports of economic hardship. Unemployment is
widespread. Wage cutting is general. The workers
are being weeded out The older workers; the slow
er ones; the workers with known radical leanings
are being dismissed right and left. Young, quick,
energetic workers are taking their places at very
much lower wages Workers are dismissed and then
offred a chance to come back to work at the new
and lower wage scale. Union men, in the building
trades, for instance, working, in many cases,
for less than half of the union scale 1t is
of take it or leave it. The employers find them
selves in a situation where they do they
please and they generally pleasing to take
care of their own profits and let the workers go
hang.
The cost of living has come down somewhat.
ed but not in proportion to the decrease in whole
sale prices. And to the man who is job
less this decrease is meaningless. Numerous bank
failures have stripped hundreds of thousands of
their life savings the decline in realty values has
wiped out the equity that other hundreds of thous
ands of families had built up in homes in
farms. Taxes are unpaid. Mortgage interest is un-
met. Bankrupt sales and evctions are to be met
with on all sides. Instalment purchased furniture
an dautomobies are being dumped back on the
sellers. Mortgage companies loaded to the
breaking point with properties that they can nei-
Their sell nor rent.
Salaried men and women DOCTORS lawyers, small
business people and workers have had their in
comes heavily cut Even those whose incomes have
remained unchanged are buying little because they
fear what the future may bring
Farmers are getting the lowest prices for their
crops that they have received in 20 or 80 years
Crop values for the entire United States are 279e
lower in 1880 than they were in 1929. Trading
centers that depend on farmer purchases are in 9
bad way
Even the rich are buying cautiously After the
catastrophe stock market collapse, the drop II
real estate value and the widespread bank fail
ures, they are holding to their money, fearful
lest it slip through thir fingers in new liquidation.
People of all classes are worried and bewildere,
by the developments of the past Is months All
most evryon believes that prosperity will soon b
restored. "Things can't go on like this" they in
sist Business must get better"
There is widespread interest in economic ques
tons, especially in the Soviet 5-year plan Man
suggest that som such step is urgently needed i
the United States "Why can't the leaders O
American business foresee these disasters?" on
woman asked, sand take the steps necessary I
prevent them?"
Workingclass organizations have secured onl
SLIGHT increases in membership during 1890 Som
Of the unions have actually lost members The r,
atty of the depression is not yet understood. II
working masses believe that the hard times win |
only temporary. Meanwhile the unemployed al
on charity soup ana radio programs