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

over again. They were curious
about what had learned of pub
lie sentiment since / had seen them
last.
owe been talking with unem-
ployed miners all morning." I said
cheerfully, "and in the City Hall
where you gave the C.W.A. work |
ers a room in which to organize
L talked with about 80 or 40 of
them. They said plainly that if
they do not get sufficient food for
themselves and their families soon
they intend to take it by force.
! Now what will you do in that
case?"
"Jesus," said Ben. GIVE been
thinking about that all night. Must
we start on it all over again."
you're going to face it sooner
or later; we might as well get the
answer"
Ben gulped his drink and looked
, long and thoughtfully at the melt
, ing ice in the glass. Clarence fin
: ished his beer and drew nervous
S lines on the table ton. Finally the
: Brain Trust secretary sighed and
? gave his decision.
"That's a sticker," he said.
at sure is" said Clarence draw
. ing another design.
n "But that's not an answer"
p persisted. "You are supposed t.
n be a labor government. That's To-
e the workers. On the other hanC
: YOU are sworn to uphold propert!
rights. That's the capitalist gov
IL eminent. If you defend propert,
r rights you lost the support of tn
lie workers and if you give the work
d ers free rein you lose the supper
ID of the property owners. Right :"
E. Fright" said the Brain Trust.
10 "And if you lose either one, 20
I'd lose your political organization
IN Right"
ne Fright" they said disconsolatel!
NJ $50 what's the answer"
p "I don't know" said Ben.
"Yeah," said Clarence, |hat's
$ mess"
They thought for the space Of
10 beer and a highball and then Cla
is ence borrowed a pencil from me.
it Look" he said worriedly, "tl
IN iron companies have a per CAPT
he tax at the present time of $65 f
&C. every resident of Hibbing. W
Tas have over $4,000 people livil
tly here. If we raise it back to S
on that would bring US in, let's Sc
aid about a million dollars. Now
lch we raise that to $500 per capi
'ge tax, which Is what they used
wv pay, that would bring Us m
at lion and a half, and with the 9th
yor incomes we would have enough
him feed the unemployed. That's 70
ere answer"
"Not quite" l cautioned. :"
re- the first place the iron ore co
set panies are already insisting tt
yer the $65 per capita is too mu
ga Thew want it reduced. They +
was about SO per cent of your incor
;ret If they refuse to pay, where v
view . you get money to run the toy
I'LL nav the officials salaries and tt
ret keep your patronage in line,
no" well as feed the unemployed ?"
tor' "That's a sticker" said Ben Il
WI norman sadly.
:, an "Sticker?" said Clarence, "T
y" is a headache"
Inc "The companies can start liti
VIII ton, keep it in the courts for
eral years and in the meanti1
10y where do you get money to
neie the town."
+, "That's more headache" said
rapping for another highball.
-'ne We drank quietly for wi
Finally Clarence said:
gu "Look here, we have frier
Oul Governor. If the companies s
VS. vs. litigation and won't give US (
- to pay salaries and feed the
h nc employed for whom they are
80 sponsible anyway because
'iCp brought them here in the f
W place. then the Governor can
~. hibit moving any ore out of
> state"
49,. $50 what? Assuming the
WI ernor does that-which Of co
Re can he stopped from doino
- an iniunction-how will that h
Won I'M taxes TO rim he vi'lp