Evening star., 1933-05-05
FARMERS ACCUSED
OF 'RACKETEER|NC'
Iowa Attorney General Bares
Threats as Group Calls
National Strike.
BY the Associated Press.

by tle Associated tleSS.
DES MONIES, May 5.-Outright
"racketeering' methods were used to
recruit the membership of the Farm
Holiday Association in the farm dis
order area Of Iowa, Attorney General
Edward L. O'Connor charged today.
The attorney general, who returned
from the counties in which disorders
have occurred, estimated that mot
more than IS per cent" of the Holiday
Association members in that area were
willing members" and that the re-
mainder we're enlisted through threats
and intimidation.
Threatened With Fire.
Farmers were forced to join and pay
IS cents for a membership card under
the threat that their barns, straw
stacks and other property might be
burned.
1T is only since the National Guard
troops have been sent into the area that
the true picture of the activities has
come to light" O'Connor said. He ex-
planned that previously farmers and
business men had feared to talk to au-
thorities about the situation.
Shortly before O'Connor made his
charges, the National Farmers Holiday
Association, in session here, threw down
this challenge to the Nation:
Either the demands of agriculture for
farm relief will be granted or the
from the American dinner table be-
ginning May Is until they are. A guar
antee of production costs Is sought
It was the second time in less than
year that plans for Nationwide
farm holiday were made. Repeating
their action Of year ago, the national
convention of the association yesterday
passed a resolution calling the strike
for May 13 and instructing its Execu-
tive Committee to prepare plans and
methods by which the embargo on
marketing Of foodstuffs would be carried
out
The delegates to the convention in
so voting shouted down the arguments
OF a minority group which sought to
defer an open declaration until Con-
gress has taken action on the farm re-
lief bill.
The latter stated their hope for in
clusion in the bill Of a clause guaran-
teeihg farmers the cost Of production
for their crops.
Earlier in the day the convention
voted to withhold their decision until
a vote had been taken in Congress on
the cost of production guarantee.
The Executive Committee met last
night at the Holiday Associations ma
tional Office here, but members Of the
committee declined to discuss con-
templated action between now and the
date set for the strike to begin.
Included In the strike resolutions
were additional clauses calling for re-
submission Of the associations demands
to Congress and the placing In opera
ton Of plan calling for the issuance Of
81 600, 900 900 in scrip money by an in
ternational council, the money to be
used as a medium for the exchange
of farm products and manufactured
goods between farmers and industrial
workers Of the country.
Troop Withdrawal Asked.
Other resolutions demanded the i'm
mediate withdrawal Of State troops
from LIE Mars and Denison, Iowa; de-
manded that Congress retain its func-
ton Of issuing money and regulating
its value; urged immediate payment Of
the ex-servicemen's adjusted compensa-
ton in Treasury certificates; demanded
that the cost of production program
be adopted as part OF the Department
of Agriculture's work; declared that as
sociation members will not be dictated
to by representatives Of land grant
colleges, and urged the discontinuanee
Of appropriations for compulsory mill
tary training In colleges and UNIVERSE
ties.
The convention reelected Milo Reno
of Des Moines as national president.
States, which Reno said now are
organized In the holiday movement, In
clude Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois,
Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota,
North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, Texas,
Kansas, New York, Colorado, Montana,
Indiana. Maryland and Delaware.
The strike last year to halt trans
brought violence in several States, prin-
cipally Iowa, South Dakota and Mime
sofa. Steps we're taken to withhold
milk from New York City.