The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1934-06-07


missed by the Roosevelt Admin
stTation.
Here and there farmers popped
questions at Stenehjem, asking
what difference it made to the
government whether the money
was paid to families on relief in
cash or whether it was paid to GER
tain merchants.
Many expressed their unwilling
ness 20 listen any longer to the
honeyed promises. ave are so fed
up with hope medicine from the
federal government and other Of
ficials that we can't stand any
MORE" the chairman said.
The farmers finally insisted that
the commissioners and also Stene-
hjem endorse the resolution.
Refuses to Sign
Stenehjem fatty remarked that
he would not sign it. Asked why
not, he answered that the state
ment regarding cattle dying by the
scores was exaggerated. Imme-
diately farmers jumped up, angry,
citing cases where IL cows had
died in one group of starvation.
"Two of my milk cows died the
other day, and they haven't been
SICK" one farmer shouted.
The farmers were mad that a
man, an ex-banker, who knows
nothing of the present conditions
on the farms was accusing them of
exaggeration. They pointed out
to him that there was no need for
exaggerating things, that condition
were bad enough as hey were.
When he found that that excuse
did not hold water, the relief clerk
said, Gard then you can't demand
anything from your government,
you can only request"
This statement of his was just
as if he had thrown oil into fire
The indignation of the farmers
was further reused by the impu-
dence of these words and Stene
hjem and the commissioners had tt
listen to several lectures on civicS
in which the farmers explained
that "the farmers are not there
for the government but that these
governments are there for the PEG
pie"
"These government officials ar
supposed to be our servants. tn,
President included, why then can
we DEMAND from these servant
of ours what is right ?" som
farmers asked.
Stenehjem had no answer but h
refused to sign the resolution.
|. The commissioners continued t
fight against the resolution and
declared that under no circum
stances would they sign the para
graph demanding that "govern
ment payments for lost and the
: slaughtered cattle go directly tx
the drought-stricken farmers an
! not to mortgage holders.
, Farmers got up and painstaking
ly explained this demand. They
told that THEY were stricken b
I the drought and not the banker
and loan. sharks, and that govern
ment relief should not be a drout
relief for bankers. They explaine
that there was no reason why onl
4 the farmers should bear the bul
o den of the loss in value of the
+ cattle while the investments Of I'll
v bankers and loan sharks are pc.
4 fectly secured by laws and specii
= relief" actions of the government
The Commissioners then aske
for a five-minute recess, went int
heir own room and emerged aga
with the resolution signed, but Il
paragraph referring to the gov
e eminent payments of cattle wa
, stricken out. After the meetin
e the farmers also discovered tina
they had changed the demand
so cents wages per hour to
cents.
IS After having signed the resolr
{. ton the commissioners were aSke'
"a "NOw what are you going to do
l. "Tell us in detail how you a
l. going to proceed to get action I
l. this resolution" the chairman I
1t quested.
l. 1--WE will formulate a messag
e and wire to our congressman,
N Senator Wheeler and to Helena
l. Olson replied.
r Demand Feed
Le To the demand to Immediate
e secure shipments Of feed the Coz
e missioners again objected. The
IF talked about survey and inves'
E. CATION.
There is not time for 1nvestlg
A ton; the cattle are starving a
re we need that feed now" Hans Hs
Of dersen, U.F.L. leader shouts
n ''There is plenty of feed in Il
grainaries. And if these offici;
to don't get results we will organi
c. some more and come back mu'
of stronger than today" He demar
of ed that the feed be gotten he
ne
~