The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-09-08

five stories by Bruce Cation, staff
writer for NEA Service and The
Tribune, who was sent to the mid
west corn belt to find out what
tie farm strike IS all about.
Copyright. 1882. NEA Service. 1nc.)
Sioux City, Ia, Sept. 8.-The BUSH
ness communities in Sioux City,
: Omaha and other cities in the corn
belt are watching the farmers strike
with tremendous amount Of inter-
est-and, on the whole, with good
deal Of sympathy.
The prosperity of these cities, in
the first place, stands or falls largely
with the prosperity of the farmers,
and today the farmers are anything
but prosperous. But that is not the
only reason for the interest with
which they look on.
Sioux City, like other cities in the
area, Is beginning to get an mixing
Of the tremendous amount of power
which lies in the farmers hands-if
the farmers ever discover just how to
use it. And one or two things have
happened since the strike began to
indicate that at least a few Of the
farmers are glimpSing some Of the
possibilities.
Recently creditor foreclosed q
mortgage which he held on the live
stock Of an Iowa farmer living near
here. The stock was to be sold at
auction to satisfy the claim.
A group Of blue deninled farmers
on one Of the strike picket lines got
to talking things over on the morning
of the auction. They decided that it
was too bad for George to lose his
livestock He was a capable, business
like farmer. overwhelmed by condi-
tions not in his control. The loss
would ruin him.
So they took up collection. Money
isn't plentiful In the picket lines. The
men raised just $11.75. But they took
the sum, small as it was, and a stable
group set out for the scene Of the
auction.
Having reached it, they took up
strategic positions. They gave the as
sembled buyers very definitely to UNI
derstand that it would not be healthy
for anyone to bid against the men
from the picket line. Then, as the
auctioneer began his patter, the farm
ers put in their bids. They bid one
at a time-50 cents for a good cow, a
dollar for q thick dipped draft horse,
and so on. There were no other bids.
The auctioneer had nothing to do
but knock the animals down to them.
The upshot was that Georges en-
tire herd of livestock was sold to the
group from the picket line for exactly
$11.75. And, having bought the ami
mails, the men calmly took George
aside and gave them all back to him.
\ X X
Some of the leaders of the farm
strike have drafted for consideration
q plan whereby the striking farmers
would not only withhold their pro-
duce from the market in order to
control the price. but under which
they also would strike hard blows at
any man or group Of men who stood
out against them.
Under this plan boycott commit
tee Of farmers would be chosen to in
vestigate all cases of action against
striking farmers. If, for instance, a
bank should institute foreclosure pro-
ceedings against farmer, the COM
mittee would look into the matter. II
1t found any reason to believe that
the farmer was being dealt with
harshly, they would recommend a
boycott.
Then every farmer In the strike
would boycott the bank, the lawyer
and everyone connected with the
bringing of the foreclosure proceed
ings.
The same thing would apply to any
other creditor who got unduly impa-
tient.
There is no question but that the
farmers are aroused. In talking with
them I heard, over and over again,
the expression, "Well, we haven't got
anything to lose, So" Regardless
Of the outcome, the strike is q symp-
tom of a profound unrest. The farm
ers have got to the point where they
want to raise hell instead of corn.
A Sioux City business man the
other day remarked that the strike
was largely the work of radicals.
"None of the established, conserva-
tive, prosperous farmers are In on IL,
he said.
The man he was talking to, an
other Sioux City business man, re-
piled: 1.-THE only trouble is that
there aren't any established, conserv-
alive, prosperous farmers left around
here any more"
A closeup picture Of the financial
problems Of the farmers was given
me by George Ashford. president OF
the Security State bank in the little
town of Homer, Neb., which Is near
here.
Ashford can tell you about the
grievances Of the farmers as a class.
Sitting In his little office in Homer
he has been watching steady de-
cline in agriculture for years, and 1t
has made him profoundly discour-
aged.
UNLESS there's some sort Of a
change" he says, II don't know where
the farmers are going to get off at
at ALL There's lots and lots Of farm
land between here and Sioux City
that's not making enough to pay
taxes. And when, on top of that, the
farmer has his land mortgaged-and
most Of them have-it's not hard to
figure out what he's up against.
when man gets a mortgage it's
an indication that he has no reserve,
and If he has no reserve it's just a
case Of what the insurance companies
decide to do. The big insurance COM
panies, you know, hold just about all
of the farm paper around here.
Eighty per cent of the farm land
around here is mortgaged. Between
so and 60 per cent of the men whose
land is mortgaged cannot meet their
payments. The loan companies, so
far. have been very fair about fore
closing on these men, because it's to
their own interest. They don't want