The producers news., 1931-12-04

mouse the boards OF directors OF
several left wing co-operatives,
which are operating very success
fully at Frederick. such as the
Frederick Cooperative store, the
Frederick Cooperative Oil sta
ton, and the Frederick Co-opera-
tive Shipping Association, sharing
the rent and expenses of the
building with the U. F. L. COM
mittee. Other organizations will
make use of the big living room
Of the residence for meeting pur-
poses.
CO-Operatives Grow
One of the results of the U. F.
L. work about Frederick is the
definite strengthening of the CO.
operatives. The co-operatives
there have put themselves defin-
itely behind the organization of
the farmers into the United Far
mers League. They are entitled
to a lot of credit for the power
full organization there. And on
the other hand as a result, the
farmers are drawing closer and
closer to the co-operatives as they
realize that the co-operatives are
something more than mere bust
ness institutions, but are militant
factors participating in their
daily struggles as well as taking
their money fer daily necessities.
The co-operatives are thus assum
ing a definite leadership among
their patrons, as the confidence OF
the farmers increase. This fact
proves that a class cooperative,
supporting the class struggle,
leading the farmers and workers
in their daily fights. are what the
farmers and workers want and
support, rather than neutral busi-
ness institutions, called co-opera-
tives, which cater to business and
avoid the struggle. The Freder-
ick co-operatives are the head
quarters of the toiling farmers
and workers, the place where they
lounge when in town. In regard
TO this work should be mentioned
the names of Comrades John
Nummivouri, former manager of
the cooperative store. who is now
on his way to Russia TO take an
important position in the Soviet
Commercial Trust and also the
new manager, Comrade o. E..
Saari, who came out from the
east to take Comrade Nummi-
vouri's place, who Immediately,
upon the Producers News being
designated as the official organ
of the United Farmers League,
entered a bundle order of fifty
papers a week; and also Comrade
Oscar Lutio, manager of the Co.
operative Oil Station. who is new
er too busy to help the farmers
in their daily struggles, nor to
take a leading part in their orga-
niZation; and Comrade Helge
Tangen, manager of the Cooper
ative Shipping Association which
does a tremendous annual bust
ness, who also helps and instructs
the farmers in his daily contacts
with them, telling them why and
how to organize.
Good Foundation Laid
A substantial foundation has
been laid already in South Dako-
ia for a powerful section of the
United Farmers League, which
work will develop much more rap
idly from now on because of the
arrival of the official organ, the
want of which has been a great
handicap in the past. The farm
ers are getting behind the Pro-
ducers News with zeal and sub
scrptions are already coming in.
Condition In South Dakota
! The conditions of the farmers in
South Dakota are the same as
everywhere else. The prices of
corn, of pigs and of cattle sink
daily, until they have reached the
level where the gross returns will
hardly pay taxes. Interest is be-
ing defaulted, notes at the banks
cannot be paid, banks are failing
all over the state, and the farmers
are coming to realize that the jig
is up, that they cannot and never
will be able again to pay interests
on the mortgages given on higf
land values, not to speak of ever
paying the mortgages themselves
One man reported: al came to
South Dakota ten years ago with
$4,000 cash and S11, 900 worth OF
farm machinery and personal
property, money that l had made
in Iowa, and bought a large farm
in this, the finest part ef south
Dakota. / consider myself a gooC
farmer. I viii be foreclosed out
soon on a $4,000 mortgage be.
cause / cannot realize a thousand
dollars on all my property anC
this years crop. I will then moi
have a thing in the world and
am past middle age with several
dependents. Nobody can beat thi;
system and / am for the over
throw of capitalism. tho 1 have
always opposed all radical ideas
all Of my life, and it can't be done
too quickly, either. to suit me.
He joined the League. Foreclos
ures are the order of the day anC
i thousands of those who thot they
were fixed for life are bein|
, turned off from their farms. ThI
! chattel sales are called off by tn,
! bankers because the farmers un
der the leadership of the U. F. L
are boycotting the sales. In man,
! places In the state. if they buy a
all, they bid way down and Civ
the things back to their unfortun
ate neighbors.
i C0MERT0WN