The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1934-05-11
BY JOHN L. SPIvAK

per cent of the scissorbills are
starving. Hit 'em in the belly.
Then you can talk revolution or
anything else. Why" he made a
broad and vague motion with the
palm of his hand-"the past few
years did more for the Commu-
nists than all the propaganda they
have spread since they started"
"Have you been hit in the belly?
Certainly I've been hit in the
belly"
"What are you doing about it ?"
Nothing. l can't do anything
alone"
"And the A. F. of L. union isn't
doing anything. Then what's the
matter with the Communist union?
81 wouldn't have anything to do
with them," he exploded. Il went
to some of their meetings. Don't
do damn thing except attack the
/ IWW. Say they didn't know how
/ to organize. Well, we had the best
organization"
"You didn't survive, so maybe
the accusation has some grounds,
l suggested.
He was a little hazy about why
he did not like the international
! Timber Workers Union. All he
knew was that he did not like it
didn't like Communists in general
"Did you ever hear them talk? p
he demanded. Capture the gov
eminent. Fight on barbados
Christi 1 tell you nobody can d.
anything until most people ar
starving to death"
"What do you favor?"
Blowing up their God damned
mills"
i "What good would that do?"
: He thought for a minute and
1 then laughed. Nothing. Not
= thing. But it would make me fee
t better"
4 Suppose rs per cent of the
people were starving. Who viii
j organize them?"
j "They will come together them
t selves"
Y "Do you believe in organization
d you're damned right l do"
"Why?"
|. Because it's for nv own benz
) fit"
:. "Then why aren't you organic
+ ing your fellow workers ?"
O There's no use. I've been a
: through it. Give these men $50 {
4. $40 a week and that would rui
s your best organization. There's I
# use until they're hit in the belly
A dark figure loomed in Il
doorway, a youngster in his ear,
n twenties. My companion recoj
S nized him. He was a logger fro.
IS Ryderwood, too. The three of l
g went upstairs.
t Roger A. Jones, secretary of IL
e Loggers and Sawmill Worker
Union was devoting most of hi
e time to laundering about tryin
% to keep the Al, a lumber com
pany union, from capturing tn
right to collective bargainin
st There were four men with Jon'
is behind the wooden rail that fence
y in his office.
is In the light l could see the fa'
r of the youngster who had con
i up with us. There was a Tiddi:
1t growth of beard On his chin al
1t a grim set to his mouth. Th'
ID Wobbly leaned heavily against Il
n rail and started to poke a fling
is at the air.
r "What the. hell is this union d
ing?" he demanded belligerentl!
er ''I don't even get the hours Tn
E supposed to work. :"
d "There's been lot of complain
lie about that" Jones assured him
m "We're taking it up with the cor
it pliance board"
st "But what are you doing abo
ly it," the Wobbly insisted. "I car
Y 80 miles to find out"
If you've found out" Jones sa
t quietly.
s "How do they feel?" 1 asked.
&c 'They're bitter against the Mr.
y low wages and high living cost
n Under the Raw Deal the hour
i'd have not been reduced appreciab
ot so as to take up even a small pa
as of the two-thirds in the industr