The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1931-08-07
MusseIshell, Mont,
July 80, 1881,

HOn. J. E. Erickson,
Helena, Montana.
Dear Sir:
Your letter of July oath re-
.pived and while / am in accord
9TH YOUR suggestion for relief of
the suffering, | am convinced the
Red Cross and similar voluntary
nr0anizatiOns cannot provide re-
lief sufficient to meet the de-
mands of the present situation.
This conviction is strengthened
nv the reports of crop destruc-
ton by grasshOppers in five
DeighbOring states. In these
states the Red Cross will be call
Cd upon to provide relief for a
condition almost as serious as
that which exists in Montana.
Had it been possible for the or
ganizatiOn to meet the demands
made upon it by the conditions
in Montana, this additional bur-
den would make it impossible.
Your suggestion that each per-
son having a fixed income or sal
ary should contribute fifty cents
Der week to a relief fund should,
and in all probability will, be
acted upon. People who are able
to do 50 will probably contribute
more, yet in this locality there
are about six who will be able to
contribute under those cOnditiOnss
while there will be from one to
three hundred persons requiring
relief. 1t will be readily seen
that any sum thus raised while
it will be helpful, will neverthe-
less be only an infinitisimaI pOr-
ton of the sum actually needed,
Your statements that there is
no money to appropriate, that a
bond issue could only be made by
general state election, and that
the session would nall probable
ity cost $4,000, are correct. How
ever in that connection | will
say that | do not believe that a
bond issue is either necessary OF
desirable, and that although the
expense Of a session would be ap.
Fortunately $4,000 if the assem-
bly, can by the expenditure of thai
sum raise an amount sufficient
to prevent suffering, hunger, Ol
starvation, the expenditure is am
ply justified.
| am convinced that by a revi
sion of our present inequitablt
methods of taxation, the stat
can relieve the farmers of the un
Just burden Of taxes under whicl
they now stagger, the burden cal
be distributed among those NOR
able to bear it, some industrie
can be encouraged to increase tn,
number of their employees, and il
addition a sum of from one hal
million to one million dollars cal
be raised which can be used b
mitigate the suffering which
daily increasing.
This sum in itself is not suf
flclent, but it would greatly aug
nent the sums derived from 9th
er sources, and combined with tn
efforts of relief organization
may prevent loss of life durin
the winter.
Even tho our efforts are insui
iclent we must nevertheless ren6
q this assistance for the reasO
mat common humanity demand
H. and for another reason of i'm
portance to supporters of OF
State and national governments
AgtatOrs do not make anal
Gusts and revOlutiOnaries. TT
condition with which we are col
HOnted does breed them by thou.
Sds' If the people feel tn:
@elr government has not e.
aasted every means at its con
mand to relieve the condition,
natural resentment will be arou
q which makes for lawIessnes
not and revolution.
The people of Montana are d
SIOas of observing the social re,
Ts'lOns and laws of the stat
'S M we must remember tn
Hunger hws no law"
Respectfully.