The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1934-12-14

hours of work a week to earn the
bare necessities for a family of
seven, and that in some cases the
homes being designed do not in
clude modern improvements, such
as inside toilets, etc.
No Cash Income
Mr.. Tolley's statement is, in
nutshell, what the government au-
thorities really think about the
kind of relief that is given unem-
ployed workers and farmers, and
their real opinion about the kind
of living that is to be wrenched
from a subsistence homestead. He
admits that the cash income to be
obtained from farming unproduc-
tive land is very meager, and that
the homesteaders are not worth
much as customers, because in spite
of their new mode of life, they
will have little or no cash income.
What he is really saying is that
if we put aside the workers and
farmers that are left stranded by
the decaying capitalist system, in
place where they will not be a
burden, capitalism can go its ruth
less way urmolested by starving
millions on relief.
Turning from the pessimistic
picture of Mr.. Tolley to the more
rosy one of Miss Claribel Nye,
home economics specialist, We find
that the cultural we'll being of
these people is not to be neglect
ed. She says:
"Psychologically, it may be
more important that the family be
well dressed than that it be ade-
quately fed. Selection of materi-
ais and patterns, methods of MAX
ing and remodelling clothing, in
expensive, safe methods of clean
ing clothing, the uses of cheap
materials in furnishing the house,
are all factors in the production
program for which the homemaker
herself is responsible"
Miss Nye probably has never
lived on a diet of fatback and pot
atoes, much less gone hungry, or
she would not feel, as she seems
to, that clothes are more import
ant than food.
Land Board Must FOreclose
! Among the dispatches from To-
cal authorities, we find the follow
ing:
"Idaho's state land board is not
permitted to scale down the mort
cages it holds on a large number
of farms, but must foreclose when
clients are in arrears. This has
created a special need for a rural
program which will prevent loss to
the distressed owners of much
valuable land"
The rural program referred tc
here was concisely summarized By
Colonel Lawrence Westbrook, as
sistant administrator in the FERA
} in a recent press release:
"Our policy is to assist indivi
dual rehabilitation clients in main
tanning up to ten UNITS of livestocl
as a part of his subsistence pro
gram. Each of the following con
stitutes one animal unit: one cow
one horse, two head of youns
stock, five hogs, (or 2,10O pounds
! of pork, seven sheep, 100 chick
ems. In general, ten units should
provide the necessary work amin
; ais, cows, pigs, chickens, etc., fol
subsistence purposes.
C.. In our financial assistanc,
: to rural rehabilitation clients W,
. cannot go beyond what may be de
scribed as the minimum type O
; set-up that will enable a famil,
to be self-supporting."
Thus the governments solution
to the problems of farmers who's,
: mortgages are being foreclosed i
! to take away all their stock ev
: cept the above ten units, whicl
: will permit them to barely sun
port themselves, and put them i
l a position Of debt to the govern
: ment which they do not have tn
D means to work out. It is mad