The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-08-30
By ROBERT J. BENDER

(Vsce President and General News
 Manager, United Press Associa-
 tiOns.)
 (Copyright 1882 by United Prcss)
 Des Moines, Ia, Aug 30.-(UP)- Extension of farmers blockades against agriculture shipments which resulted in widespread vio- fence yesterday. is expected to bring more positive opposition from county authorities and others.
 l. Statutes thus far not applied can be brought into effect.
 2. Big trucking concerns are considering general refusal to ac- cept further farm shipments on the ground that the present strike ac- tion nullifies insurance on their big trucks.
 3. Railroads only may be used for shipments of produce and draw only from those sections unaffected by the strike.
 Such measures would be design ed to discourage the picketers, and drive home what many sympath- izers in the movement are coming to believe, that the only folks to suffer thus far are farmers them- selves.
 Should the big trucking com panies refuse to haul farm prod ucts, leaving them to the railroads, not only would the railroads pront but the strikers could do nothing without violating very severe 1ed- eral laws.
 Today a grand jury in Council Bluffs is starting an investigator into actions of some Pottawatomle county pickets-the first serious legal thrust at the movement.
 Iowa statutes. in fact, could step in any time and make short work of the farmers strike. as 1t Is now being conducted. Only tolerance of the citizens. and authorities has permitted the picketing to con- tinue.
 It should be kept in mind there is nothing in the bylaws Of the Farmers Holiday association con- doning, advocating or otherwlse bearing on picketing.
 On the other hand. state law de- cisions record as illegal the type of picketing the farmers are doing. In addition, there is one of the most rigid laws here of any state bearing on removal of public ofn- cials from office for non-perform- ance of duty. The Iowa supreme court has ruled that "the law puts no limit upon the right of defend- ant to exercise fair persuasion through publicity. but 1t cannot countenance any display what IS the equivalent of aggressive interfer-. ence with the right of peacefui ingress and egress '.
 "Force threatened is tf> equiva- lent of force exercised" the su- preme court opinion adds, "be- cause it amounts to intimidation and duress in either event. Az gressive picketing has been quite uniforml denounced by the courts including the United States su- preme court. Such court has held that peaceful picketing' is- con- tradiction in terms"
 Attorney General John Fletcher has not interposed any ruling yet on the picketing as conducted by the farmers. The issue has not been brought formally before him. However. state court decisions have held that picketing is usually an invitation to violence and where it is persists until its victim is destroyed, it is a challenge to vio- lence of the most effective kind.
 The state law governing removal of appointive or elective omcers such as sheriffs, can be imposed by as few as five qualified electors at any time they believe the sherin or other officer is refusing to per- form the duties of his office. Such a public officer might be driven 10 more vigorous enforcement or stat utes bearing on the conduct or the strike should citizens of com munity demand.
 Under the law a petition may be filed by i've qualified electors or the district, county, or municipal- ity where the duties of the once are to be performed. (Twenty- five electors in the case Of state ofiicers) the petition shall be prose- cuted by the county attorney Tn the district court and the court may suspend the accused from Of. Ace if, in his judgment, sufiicient cause appears.
 By T. w. INGOLDsBY
 frInitei Isreas Gtalf Corresp0tidcnD
 Omaha. Neb. Aug 3o.--(UP)- Armed deputies rode milk trucks running the farm picket blockade In Iowa today, while Nebraska of- licials threatened to arrest any iowa farmer caught plcketing Ne- hraaka foadn near Omaha.