The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1932-04-08

power company could squeeze out of the farmers
and the amount of the budget dictated by the
power company has been made up by bond issues.
These bond issues are the debts of the county to
the Wall Street bankers, the means by which they
participate in the exploitation of the farm masses
of the county.
In 1880 the Taxpayers League of KOochiching
County was organized 1t grew rapidly swelled
by the disconnected farmers of the county. The
League was denounced by the mainstreet agents
of the power company. During 1880 and 1884,
resolution after resolution was passed asking
that certain properties that had been placed
on the tax rolls, be placed there. These were
served on the county board, the auditors, and the
county attorney" Finally a mandamus was
brought against the auditor to compel the en-
trance of these properties the tax lists. 1t was
at the request of the auditor that this was DONE"
The auditor then fought the mandamus.
During all these months not one word of re-
spouse to these resolutions and requests has been
wrung from any of these county officials There
is no record that any one of the commissioners
ever made a motion one way or the other in the
matter of these requests from the people. Their
ears like the ears of the State Tax Commission
to whom these matters were subsequently taken,
perfectly deaf to the voice of the people, but
keenly atune 10 the slightest whisper from the
office of the Minnesota and Ontario Power Compa-
ny and the headquarters of its ieutenants, the
Kiwanians . .
"The people, $50 to 3S3, said, eve must dis
pense with the luxury of county agent" The
Kiwanians said eve should keep him." He is
still on the job.
1.-THE people said at the primary election in
1880, owe vote NO on the issuance of bonds"
The Kiwanians said after the election, eve should
issue bonds" The bonds were issued. A special
legislative act by the Kiwanian legislative bench
turned the trick"
The conclusion of our Special Correspondent to
the taxpayers of KOochichng County is, "Your
Tax League, however capable and earnest its mem
bership, has proven itself impotent."
Why does our correspondent point out to the
farmers of Koochiching county that they must
ganize into the United Farmers League? Because
the United Farmers League does not have the
faith in resolutions and petitions that the Koochi-
ching County Taxpayers League had. The reso-
lutiOns and petitions of the Taxpayers League
proved themselves impotent. The county officers
Of the plumber crew did not even bother to reply
to them. They did not reply because the demands
of the Taxpayers League were JUST AND ONLY
RESOLUTIONS AND PETITIONS
The United Farmers League formulates resolu-
tons and petitions These embrace the immediate
demands of the toiling farm masses. But the
United Farmers League does not rest at petition
ing and resolving. 1t does not tell the toiling
farm masses that the capitalist class and its local
agents will cease plundering them just because
paper resolution has been presented 10 them. 1t
points out clearly to all of the small and middle
farmers that the capitalist class can only be push
ed back if the mighty fist of the toiing farm
ic hoJ Jafo
face of capitalist exploitation
The farmers of Koochiching County as well as
thru the rest of the country must ask themselves
the question that our correspondent has asked as
the result of his survey.
'In the not distant future tax fore
closures will start. Do you mean to
say that you will submit peaceably to
being set out in the road? Will you
offer resistance to being driven
off the farm you have lived on and
worked on so hard and improved for
the last ten to twenty years."
After having plundered the toing farm masses
of the county for twenty years thru the tax col
lectors of the power company the capitalist class
is now preparing to drive hundreds of these farm
ers off of their land because they be pundered
no longer, because there is nothing left to rob-
The sheriff wont be swayed from carrying out
his duties for the bankers by humble petitions or
resolutions. We know this because he is an agent
of the capitalist class that has driven the farm
masses down into deepest misery The experience
of the KoOchiching County Taxpayers League with
other county officials on the question of revision
OF the tax rolls proved this.
against the attempt of the capitalist class to
evict the farmers from the homes they have slav-
/ ed for during long years, only one policy will
stand-the policy of mass resistance to evictions.
If the sheriff is faced by a mass protest of sew
eral hundred farmers, their wives and children at
the time when he attempts 10 put some destitute
farmer out of his home, he can be persuaded" to
| go home
This is different kind of demand It might
read as follows: "We farmers of Koochichfne
County (AND OF EVERY OTHER COUNTY OF
THE UNITED STATES) demand that Farmer
John or Bill, who is toiling farmer as we are
! be permitted to remain in his home and on his
| farm"
And different kind of resolution must accom-
pany such demand eve resolve that HE WILL
NOT BE EvICTED FROM HIS HOME. The at
tack of the sheriff on him is part of the attack