The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1934-12-21
No Action To Insure Re-
lief Is Outlined by
Meeting
Politicians Use Holiday AS
ISOLATION for Political
Fence Fixing
By a Farmer Correspondent

Association was held here on Dec.
8 and for the purpose of dis
cussing a Legislative program for
the coming session of the legisla-
ture, relief and mortgage prob /
lems." About 400 farmers were
present. Fifty out of So counties |
were represented, but the meeting
was so we'll in hand of the politi-
clans that the joint statement is
sued on Dec. / by the joint COM
mittee of the Holiday and U.F.L.,
the statement that outlined a de-
finite program of action concern
ing relief, evictions and foreclos-
ures, civil rights and war, could
be completely ignored by the meet
ing.
Despite many radical addresses
on the part of the leading politi-
clans, no provisions were made to
organize real action on the basis
of a united front of all farm Or
carnations or otherwise to carry
through a determined struggle to
insure, food, feed and security.
Grand Address
Usher L. Burdick, lawyer-presi-
dert of the association and now
cOngressman-elect, opened the
meeting with a grand address. He
stated that "four per cent of the
population own SO per cent of the
wealth of the country" Later he
said, 81 predict that the next ses-
sion of congress will pass a big
bill that will set up a government
bank in place of our federal re-
serve banking system. When
get to Washington" he explained,
awe are going to demand that the
farmers get the same deal under
the NRA as every other industry
has been given. If they don't, I'm
going to throw the NRA in the
Potomac river. I'm going to in
troduce a bill that will cancel ev
cry feed and seed loan in America
and charge them up to the nationa
defense. In case of war, the farm
er is the best defense the nation
has"
Committees were appointed t.
deal with the various phases of TIT
meeting. A newspaper committee
was set up to work out ways ant
means of building up and main
tanning the Farmer-Labor Defend
er, a politician-controlled paper is
sued under the masthead OF tn
North Dakota Holiday Association
The committee proposed that ef
forts be made to amalgamate tn
Farmers Union state paper, tn
Farmer-Labor Defender and tn
racket-wrecked organ of the nor
partisan league, the North Dakot
Leader. This was rejected.
Relief Burning Issue
A relief committee was appoint
ed to interview E. A. Wilson, tn
FERA administrator for Mort
Dakota, and to request that h
appear before the meeting to al
swer certain questions. This I
fatty refused to do. The discus
sion on relief was widely partic
. pated in, showing that this we
the burning issue of the farmer
Many farmers wanted to kno
just what steps to take to secul
relief. In reply to this, Burdl'
said, eff it's food you want, s
? where it is; get it." He did nc
: however, seem very willing to tai
, the lead in such an enterprise.
: In the discussion on the Frazie
> Lemke bankruptcy bill, it deve
oped that not one of the 400 farr
ers present had as yet been alb
to solve his debt problem throut
this act. The reason for tn
seemed to be that none were pos
tive that it would work out
: their advantage. One asked, "Wh
1 if I 90 into this and find that
n am not able to meet the requiI
I ments of paying my taxes, int
est, etc? What then?" Burdi
replied, "Well, if you can't y
are sunk anyhow. Why not ia
! a chance? You can't be any woT
e off," After more discussion BIZ
e dick retorted, 1--WE are not getti
f anywhere this way. How many
you dare to go into this? RAJ
your hands," Only a sprinkli
of hands were raised; the disc'
sion was closed.
Among the many resolutic
passed was one demanding cane
n lation of all feed and seed los
, and that the bill be charged
is to national defense.
m The Frazier-Lemke bankrupt
# bill was endorsed.
! Unemployment insurance W
e favored in a resolution demandi
= adequate" unemployment ms
u anee for all unemployed.
IL Dalziel Attacks Townsend Plal
lg Old age pensions along the |
of the Townsend plan were urg
This resulted in sharp discuss
in which R. w. Dalziel, ID
and file farmer from Ward CO
ty, said, "The Townsend plan ?
posed to put sales tax on
&c workers and farmers. / hope
a Holiday Association will not al
m itself to step into the trap
ne placing such a dastardly yoke
A. On our own necks." After I
in Their discussion the resolution '