The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1934-08-09
Flowing Under Farmers

The blowing under" of farmers has started The first
500 small and poor farmers have been moved from their
farms in South Dakota which they hOmesteaded years back
and put 1Oacre plots to exc out enough to subss
There is surplus of two million farmers this
try of Secretary of Agriculture Wallace and his under
Secretary Tugwe have made perfectly clear that these
two million small farmers cannot be permitted to produce
for the market any longer The brain trust has learned
during the past year that is not only senseess but quite
impossible to cut production by of aotng acreage
Cuttg down much effective and far less
complicated. And that process is being started
There are many different ways of blowing under the
farmers and the the government is going about it
quite easily and special efforts being made and plenty
OF bayhoO is being used to make appear that it best
for the farmers to sit back tenacre farm irrigated
land, government support. etc.
Of course, right at the beginning direct force
is being used That would create too much trouble and too
many farmers in ugly mood already But there is
the drought and is really blessing to the adminstra
ton Many farmers getting sick and tired of living
der these abnormal drought conditions Their crops
ruined their livestock dying. At such time to many it
like actual help when Mr. Wallace around with
his Rehabilitation Boards and Here boys put you
on piece OF land that is nice and irrigated and will help
you along so that youget start
The 500 South Dakota farmers didn't like it much but
they said: eve can't get any poorer than are and
"What happen to us after what we have been thru
An attitude of resignation They step off their farms and
move to the ten-acre subsistence plots
The drouth is worldwide also effectng the Soviet
Union The Soviet government starting already during the
winter mas been fighting the drouth with all means at
disposal They have preserved water long possible
huge net of irrigation bitches has been created and water
brought from the mountains and rivers to the threat
ened areas The result of all the splendid efforts is
cellent crop.
The Roosevelt government as a drouth solution is kill
ing 100000 head of cattle and blowing under 100000
farmers thereby at the time trying to solve the agr
cultural crisis which part of the general economic crisis
Ten-acre plots that the farmers reduced to the
andlV the
they are worse off because farmers have been used to higher
standards Germany for instance has 5O69OOO farms OF
these 100000 farms plots of not more than
Those who have the life of these German peasants have
fairly accuae picture of the life the American farmer will
be forced to live the 100000 Subsistence FARMS Mis-
cry and starvation will be permanent condition
The dry lands those 500 S. D. farmers left are bought
by the state at SO per The price most did not
quite the mortgages and left the farmer nothing On
their new 10acre farms they starting out with credit
debts These debs long it debts to the govern
ment the administration probably will never be able to col
ec because cut off from the market the new peasant has
way of earning any cash. He being kept as tenant
of the state.
His land is being transformed again into grazing land
where the big ranchers like Governor Berry of South Da
kota head of the Rehabilitation Board can raise cattle
profitably
There are other projects developed by the Rural Re
habilation Corporation Farmers being put the
thousands of farms to which the government holds title
Later all of those farms owned by the big insurance COM
panieS will be included In these kinds OF projects.
Those farmers who previously operated these farms lost
them either thru nonpayment of taxes thru default
erest payments Farmers taken from the dry lands to
start all again. The original could not make
out" How the tenant, starting under con-
dtions to make go of it the rehabilitation corpora
ton fails to explain. The Roosevelt government is
spicuously silent this particular point
The explanation is simple They cannot and are not
making go of it. The government wants to get from under
these farms Those tenants will at least pay AT
least they will try hard So perhaps of gratitude
for the Opportunity the government has given them
These tenants will pay the interest to the insurance
panie at least they will try to- being thankful for the swe
opportunity AT any rate bunch of slaves has been
found who will start again working themsevesand their
families to death for taxes and for the bankers and the ia
rance companies And after few years these farmers
ind out that their dreams not going to maeraize
maybe another bunch be found that will work the farms
for the government and the bankers Without those slaves
those farms are dead loss for the banks and the
companies.
The American farmer owes Just about * billion dollars
wal Street knows well enough that this uebt cannot be col
II in no other way than by changing crews -