Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1934-08-02
Swivel Chair Judgment


DR.. Elwood Mead. eminent government reclama-
ton commissioner. can see no future for eastern Mon
tana or western North Dakota. He would pack us all
into covered wagons" says the Mandan Pioneer. "and
send US to some unbound Utopia where peace and
plenty will be found by all"
When Dr. Mead visited the area which he now
advises should be evacuated, he was in those sections
which are reported to be the worst Before reaching
such a farreachIng conclusion, he should have made
Z long and careful inspection of the entire area, which
would have taken weeks rather than days. He then
might have found that in several years northeastern
Montana. over that area served by the Bainvflle
Ophe.m branch of the Great Northern, supplied more
wheat to the world market than any other area of
equal size. He would have found In a single year
one and a half million bushels of wheat shipped from
Reserve alone, with Sheridan county producing a
total OF 1000, 900 bushels. Also. he would have per
hzps tempered his judgment somewhat with the in
formation that for several years scobey stood as the
largest primary wheat market in the entire world,
marketing more than two million bushels in a single
season
The Pioneer editor, pointing out the utter fallacy
of the commissioners findings. adds that Mead
would rare all the cities. the homes. the business
blocks. the farm buildings. the parks. would abandon
all the improvements that years of toll have brought.
and In their place would plant bunch grass to cover
the naked arth. with a few pairs OF steel rails run
ming through the territory
What DR.. Mead forgets is that the eastern half OF
Montana, the eastern slopes OF the Rockies. that great
territory which he proposes to eyacuate. Is home to
tens OF thousands OF people. Families have taken
root there. boys and girls have grown to manhood and
womanhood there. have seen their fathers and mo
thers. grandfathers and grandmothers. great grand
fathers and great -grandmothers buried there. and
their Last resting place is sacred ground. not to be
trampled by herds OF cattle munching Dr.. Meads
bunch grass.
Leaving aside all thoughts OF the economic side
of the proposed migration. a general order for evacua-
ton would mean a civil war OF 4 proportion that
would surprise the technical experts OF the east. who
would find that the fight put up BY the inhabitants Of
the area to xrest a living from the soil. would be as
nothing to the fight that would come were an attempt
made to make them leave
Dr. Mead came to this country on a tour of in
vestigation at the height OF the most devastating
drought the section has ever known He has never
seen eastern Montana painted a bright green by a sud
den thundershorer, he has never seen the rolling
fields of golden grain that are our portion In q normal
year. he has never seen the herds of fat, sleek dairy
cows that even now dot some OF the ranges OF our
own county.
DIR. Mead has made one of the typical surveys so
often INDUCED In by government experts, and has been
&RH&AA0A ny MA@% IL A0N- Ian WAA@ Lax 40 OA6
to appall anyone. Conditions are bad The lack OF
rain has turned this fertile section into a brown, life
less looking country And yet, one good soaking
rain. and the hills will be green. the pastures would
again delight the eye. and the rivers would flow bank
full
Students Of rainfall say thai the country is at the
bottom OF the dry trough, and that better days are
coming. This eastern part OF Montana is peopled
with optimists. who always know that next year will
be better. III would take two years TO set up machin-
cry for a general evacuation, and two more years in
which to enforce it. and In the meantime the drought
would end and real estate men would be flocking here
the east
We would recommend to On. Mead that he take
a little wider trip Europe is suffering from a worse
drought than the United States India is dry. Rivers
and lakes are drying up all over the world. What as
surznce can Dr.. Mead offer that the promised land
to which he intends to shift our population will not
be dry the year after we arrive, Some spots OF the
eastern part OF the state are worse than others, it is
true, and 1t may be necessary to move some families,
II they request but a sweeping evacuation OF the ter
ritory embraced by the learned gentleman from the
home OF the plush covered swivel chair La on a par
with the effort OF the rainmaker who would bring his
equipment from a distant point and flood the prairies
OF the state. ii the authorities would but pay his ex-
penses. and a sixeahle advance fee
We Entertain the President
1t LIS seldom that Montana has the privilege OF en-
tertaining = President It is a distinctive honor to