The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-06-25

ruined farmers. Their leaders must
be exposed, their members must be
won"
Puro polemised at length against
the old line leaders, so-called Pro-
gressives, Farmer-Lsborites and So
cialists, showing in each case how
they strive to liquidate farmers
| mass struggles and aid the New
Dealers" He concluded his report
with: The task of the U. F. L. is
to mobilize and lead the masses OF
| toiling farmers against the robbery
of finance capital and its hirelings
in the countryside. This conven-
ton must work out the necessary
steps to prepare organization for
! these tasks"
After the Drought-What?
AS the delegates unfolded the
story of the burning drought and
| failure of the A. A. A. plans to bring
relief, Hans Hardersen, delegate
from Montana, warned against any
idea that after the drought all will
: be well.
1.-THE drought in the North
west only intensifles condition
which had already become i'm
possible" he said. The drought
has transformed a condition of
individual relief cases, to a con-
dition where relief is demanded
by whole sections of starving and
bankrupt people"
AS though to give points to Har-
dersen's words, young Hugo Hill
from Knappa, oregon, gave the
comparison of prices which farmers
receive in Oregon where there is no
drought, and the prices the work
ing class consumers in Minneapolis
pay for these same products. He
reported that potatoes are bringing
40 cents a hundred pounds on the
farm out there. Cucumbers bring 10
to 10 cents hundred and cost the
Minneapolis workers Is cents for
two. Milk, used for cream, butter
and cheese is being bought from the
Oregon farmers for rs cents hun
dred pounds, which is just over IL
cents quart.
Food Trusts Worse Than Drought
Il want to say" Hill reported,
that these prices which the food
trusts force on us are a worse
calamity than the drought because
they are plague that stays with
us year after year"
Hill reported further that the
United Farmers League in Oregon
has added 443 members in the last
few months-a gain which has
come about as direct result Of the
struggles of the farmers against the
evictions which go merrily on in
spite of Roosevelt's promises.
Recently striking longshoremen
in both Portland and Seattle have
been helped with relief food sup
plies sent in by the United Farmers
League locals. In return, a con-
tingent of Seattle longshoremen ap-
peared to help the farmers fight a
mortgage foreclosure case.
Relief for Bankers
Roosevelt has appropriated $780,
900 for drought relief, the delegates
pointed out, yet most of this money
goes to the bankers who have the
mortgages on our cattle and for adj
ministrative expenses.
For every miserable dollar, for
every bushel of wheat, for every bale
of hay, we get to feed our cattle, -
Hans Hardersen, leader of the Mon
tana delegation explained, eve have
to fight. During the last two weeks
we had three big demonstrations of
farmers from all over the county
They promised us 100 carloads of
feed; we received 1000 bushels. We
forced our commissioners to accept
our demands for relief work at so
cents per hour. "a hours per week
payment in cash. Now they say they
haven't got the money. Through our
demonstrations we increased the re-
lief budget in the county SO per
cent. According to the reports of the
county doctors 2S4 children in Sheri-
dan County are undernourished
starving.
Our county has the largest per
centage Of tax delinquencies of all
Montana Counties, 81 per cent. We
have sent protest kilograms and let
tiers to the president, the governor,
in all directions. The results of our
struggles are very inadequate. The
need is increasing steadily and we
have now promised the authorities
that the next demonstration to the
county seat will be bigger than ever
and is coming to stay until our de-
mands are fulfilled. We will come
with blankets prepared to stay for
week and longer and we make
them feed us too. If they buy up our
cattle, we want the money and all