The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1931-08-28


some highway commissioners are
the only decent appointees to i'm
pOrtant office that Erickson has
ever made. The Scandinavians as
a rule are fearless in office, as
may bee seen from the lashing they
are beginning to give tn corpora
tions in Minnesota. Erickson him
self is fearless but only in promOt-
ing slavery. There is another good
reason why Erickson has discrim-
mated viciously against his own
people in his appointments. He
has their votes already. By re-
warding scrub political ringsters
from other nationalities he adds
cunningly to his machine. He new
er dared to place a Scandinavian
in an office where a fearless man
could hurt the utilities"
Thousands of men, women and
children among the working class
es in Butte and elsewhere will need
charity this winter because some
member of the family has been de-
MED all compensation for industri-
al accident or short changed on
what, under the law, he had COM
ing. The repeated reversals by the
courts Of the rulings of the Indus
trial Accident Board hostile to
widows, orphans and crlpples plac-
es the blame for this zOrm Of cor
pOrate despotism directly at Erick-
son't door. He appointed to that
board, Stafford, formerly in the
/ service of the Colorado Fuel and
Iron Co. and j. Burke Clements
now well known to be the most
shamefaced corporate tool that ev,
er held such a position in the Unit
ed States since workmen's compen-
sation laws were enacted. His sor
did cruelty in denying to the help
less what the law says they should
have stinks all over the north
west. Because of Clements anC
Stafford many a merchant who car
Ill afford it in Butte is carrying
; families that should be supported
, by the Anaconda company. Erick
son we'll knows the increasing fou
! odor that the work of Clements i
spreading but he has not aske'
I Clements for his resignation.
: On June 1st, 1880, fourteel
Y months ago, the delinquent take
r in the state amounted to 81, 1892
: SAB. Nobody knows how niue
2 this had grown 10 by June Is
' 1881, but a fair estimate would b
: present delinquency of fiftee
: million dollars. These terrifiyin
n figures meant nothing to the goV
S ernor of Montana when deliverin
e his message to the legislature la:
n winter. A word from his that Il
: utilities should be taxed more, Il
7 farmers and other small household
l. ers less, would have aided and po
sibly brought success TO the gallal
efforts Of a few to reduce farm
and improved realty to a law'
classification. Socialism partly i
s. wolves state ownership. Under Il
/ present classification silently
" greed to by Erickson-he has new
s. tried 10 change 1.-THE lands al
IS houses will be forced into cover
le ment ownership.
:. Prudent lawyers do not guara
9 tee to win. The best physical
: do not guarantee 10 cure. Bold
" friend John when seeking Off
l. the first time promised that
= could get the state out of debt
=, four years. He never consider
- why the state was in debt and
= = has lately not mentioned how dee
- ly we are in debt. The debts q
- not due to extravaganza IN a
branch Of government. The DEF
y are caused by the failure of I
:. legislature TO require a just me;
=. a. ure Of taxes from the Monta
70 Power company, the four gre
-, - railway systems, the telephc
- company, or the natural gas CO
panies. In ne message has
present governor ever advised
legislature to raise the classifi
ton on utilities. The Monts
Power Company has grewn fir
ng an investment Of fourteen mill
;on dollars Of outside money to a I
nst ing Of one hundred twenty mill
the dollars on the New York Stock
NV change. If it was taxed like
ion farmers Of Fergus, Wibaux
ted Flathead it would pay about
no million dollars the year to the st
urt and counties, school districts /;
ari- cities in It.
nd After the legislature adjou
ur- Erickson mildly insinuates tina
has two per cent license (fncome?)
erb ought TO be levied on this conct