The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1935-10-04

Continued from last week.
Conclusion
Change from a profit to a pro-
duction for use economy should be
pursuant to plan-as steps toward
one great national plan designed
to provide a decent livelihood, OPP
portunity to advance and full social
security to every man. Each indl-
vidual is dependent upon thousands
of other individuals each commun
ity upon hundreds of other COM
munities. Scientific progress drives
us toward an economic system that
will protect the lives and welfare
of ALL citizens with mathematical
certainty, not by haphazard guess.
Cracker-box statesmen and coun-
ty seat constitutional lawyers
may wrangle over legal details, by
which a hundred billion in prop
erty can be taken over and double
that sum in debts wiped out. Pos
sibly a combination of methods
will be desirable. Congress has
power to issue and regulate mon
ey, to tax, to set up moratoriums,
to make or Withhold appropriations
and to declare a national emergen-
cy. Many authorities hold that it
may conscript wealth as well as
man-pOwer. 1t is to be remember
ed that Lincoln wiped out four bill
lion dollars worth of ownership
when he freed the slaves. The Am
erican public did likewise when it
ratified the Eighteenth Amend
ment.
Patiently, Uncle Sam cannot
trade bonds, bearing interest, in
perpetuity, for one hundred billion
worth of Wall Street property. He
can trade the owners thereof life
or term incomes, based on the
earning capacity of their wealth
The Constitution requires only
that there be 'just compensation. y
! A majority of the nine old men,
who grace the Supreme Court, can
define "just compensation" any
way they desire. The important
point is not how the job shall be
done but that it must be done, il
Wall Street dictatorship is to be
averted, democracy preserved
prosperity returned and civilization
set back on an upward road OF
progress.
Getting Wall Street wealth is the
coming He-man job. Don't look fol
ping-pong party or send weak
lings. The rest of an immediate
economic program to restore pros
perity is child's play.
Take the public properties GU
of politics and commit their CO
ordination and general opera
ton to an Economic Plannins
Board or General staff of train
ed men.
LOp off all useless government
tai boards, bureaus, commits
siOns, departments and otRel
agencies.
Revise the tax structure to ge
most of governmental operation
cost by direct levy on big in
dustry. Wipe cut most of tn,
personal taxes. Exempt farm
and homes up to $4,000.
Cut labor hours and prOvid
productive work sufficient t,
furnish every able-bOdied per
son a job at real wages.
Provide vacations ON nav. soc
ial insurance of all kinds ant
adequate pensions for old age
Give the stock market gan,
and other racketeers perpetus
vacations in a brick-yard or
bayfield,.
In rough outline you have abou
the minimum program under whicI
there is hope of real prosperity
when our whole national mess
viewed as one unit and the advanC
ing machine age, as well as me
chanics of economic operation, ar
taken into account. The purpose @
this pamphlet is educational. Tn
race is between enlightenment an
chaos.
The program suggested is sui
stantially that of the Farmer Ii
Dor Party of Minnesota, and in lir
with platforms adopted by MOI
tana Federation of Labor and MOI
tana Farmers Union. It is definite
ly socialistic and well on the wa
toward Technocracy, New Utopij
MerltlSm. or some other form of
planned cooperative common
wealth, for which dozens Of churc
and other social groups are no
declaring.
In a machine age capitalism cal
not finally survive.
Change to better order shou
be made calmly, peacefully, unde
standingly and without real har
to single individual. Possessiv
greed is very great, economic il
norance and political apathy vel
widespread. These must be owe
come or chaos and reconstruction
the road that will be taken. Unpr
ceoented governmental spendil
and infationary measures will Or
DdDly Keep the old system crea
ing along for little while vet. B
: yond that the trail of hope gro,
dim.
AS we muddle along our who
national set-up is like saw log ia
In river drive, behind which t
economic stream piles up. Busine
: lndlvldualiSm and ownership I
, profit are the key logs agar
which the jam lodges, forms a
builds. While these hold the tan,
ed pile will ever rise, bind togetl
and lmpound a growing lake.
I Beneath the more or less pla
> surface of the spreading wat
there hides an increasing pressl
and pent-up fury of destructi
( To release the mounting lam ]
q logs must be dislodged and dest1
90: With pry bars, axes and DIV
mite iunberiaeks and river +