The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1931-01-09
PLENTYWOOD PRICES

Plentywood Prices have dropped
they are still dropping and u,i,,
drop some more. The mains4' VIII
rag up the street, owned bv tb ~
odorlferous Harry Polk can,a 't ne
tne rescue of the "holdunna,s,, :: :;
several ridiculous articles In which
II was alleged that Plentvw WOOD
prices were on the level with nT;"
es IN other places, but after ar
exposure of the "holdup" bere 1 b'.
me Producers News. the ssbold,,,s,
coniapsed, and no wgroceries are
selling about 80 per cent lower
tIlan they were at the time of the
exposure, thus saving much money
70 The people of Plentvwood anS
Sherldan county and not only did
tne prices OF groceries slump buf
tne 'holdup" bottom went ont of
0ther prices as well. The main
sVreet paper now admits the local
merchants have drasticallv cut drv
goods prices and are taking groa+
losses on their wares. but tbo+ -
only hearsay-the merchants have
not yet ADVERTISED the fact or
quoted prices authoritatively. Of
course the price cuts advertised in
the catalogues of mail order hons
es forced this and will force more
>. G. Penney Co., the chain store
winch is the national retailer of
scab and sweatshop and prison
made commodities, has reduced
prices so that they are in line with
the prices charged at other places
Tor their line" of cheap merchan-
disc. That store sold. articles at
one price at Williston and at an
other price in Plentywood. Of
course the price at Plentvwood
was always higher and never low
er than at Williston.
Whether this policy was persued
by the manager: Mr.. Avery Roser.
as a result of an agreement with
ms local competitors or not is not
known. Neither is it known whe.
ther he turned in these excess pric-
es to the great benevolent corpora
tion or put them into his own
pocket in the way of a Christmas
dividend. Anyway, when the local
"holduppers" organized an adver-
Using boycott on the farmers pa
per, The Producers News, the dap
per Mr.. Roser was one of the
leading spirits, and he seems to be
quite r1ffled up over the editorial
policy of this paper.
Now his prices are in line so his
commissions may not be so fat.
Maybe this is what upset the little
man. The j. G. Penney Company
is advertising in Harry Folks pa
per-Harry Polk seems to be a
man after Mr.. Roser's own heart
and it seems to afford him a pleas
ure to help Harry out at the ex-
pense of the ]. c. Penney Compa-
ny. Birds of a feather will flock
you know. 1t is universal for man
ayers of Penney's stores to keep
their noses clean of local politics
and that company usually is GLAD
to get along with local papers but
not so with Mr.. Roser.
When he buys advertising ne
considers it a donation and Oh
course he donates his money to
those he likes best-and The Pro.
ducers News does not happen tc
be on his list. The Producer.
News sells advertising space as 3
business proposition, on the basi.
of bonifide actual paid up circu
lation twice as large as all of the
other papers in Sheridan county
combined, but that paper does no
sell its editorial independence
along with it's space TO cheap JOIN
chain stores. Mr.. Roser resent.
this.
The other merchants in town ar.
on, the whole very mediocre men
They are not business men. They
talk about boosting the town al
the printers expense while they
"holdup" the public, and when they
want something for themselves
they send away i fthey think they
can get it cheaper by so doing; thu
way they do with the most of Their
printing.
They were never known to boos'
a home enterprise; instead of sell,
ing Plentywood flour, they sci
mail order flour on which freight
has been paid two ways; they giv,
away bread baked in Minot in or
der to break the home baker be
cause they think they may make
a penny more. But they are fol
cooperation when it comes Il
"holding up" the farmers ans
workers. When they have an op
portunity to vote for Plentywooc
they vote for Medicine Lake; wher
they have printing to do they sent
it away; they get some chair
store letter heads and bills anc
posters. When they advertise the,
use the radio at Wolf Point. Whei
a farmer has vegetables 10 sci
these merchants can't use them fo-
they buy shipped in vegetables I
a farmer has a fat critter TO sci
he can't get decent price. Tina
is the way these merchants coon
crate. They don't want the com
missioners 30 buy county material,
right. They are in favor Of puttfns