The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1935-10-18
STARVATION

NAL years, the present generation of Am
orleans have known nothing Of starvation.
In other than a rare and isolated case, hun
ger meant nothing to US. 1t was only a
word Now TO a substantial portion of the
population millions in the aggregated
Is becoming a hideOus and incomprehensi-
bic but nevertheless very real fact We
no longer just hear Of starvation; We face
IT.
In this fruitful and resOurceful land,
where a scientific and machine age develop
ment has made possible the production of
an abundance (if the workers only had ac-
cess TO the tools Of prOduction), our rulers
have found it expedient to slaughter grow
ing pigs and breeding cattle; to plOw under
cotton, curtail wheat production and even
limit the supply OF spuds.
Now, in order that a decaying profit
system be preserved; that the handful of
owners and rulers of America may continue
to reign and garner more wealth from ma
kOgany desks in luxurious counting houses;
that the Money Masters may have their
sequestered Park Avenue apartments and
personal pent houses, exclusive clubs, liver
led attendants, palatial yachts and an ever
greater measure Of liberty and power TO
plllage and loot country, we go hungry,
threadbare, homeless and respondent from
one weary day to another OF less promise
less hope les Of all the things we must
have to sustain life. To you who have not
yet experienced this tragedy, there is no
way 10 describe it.
All this is not mirage, myth or bad
dream. To millions of red bloOded and
worthy Americans it is a stern and stark
reality. The pinch of hunger is here.
Sheridan county is no exception. Thous-
andS OF people out among the rolling hills
of this territory and within the confines of
the little towns have frightened up to the
last notch in their belts. We are existing
today on a little veStige of failing re-
sources.
Many have but a Scanty supply of course
food left. They are going into the rigOrs
OF q northern winter with little or nothing
IN the way of warm and suitable clothing
Some have no underwear. Little children
are without decent shoes, stockings, nit
tens Of muffers. Patched up rags and cast
off garments are the substitute After five
years there is but small supply of these
available. Destitute people have no money
and no credit. They cannot earn the where
withan to buy these necessities because
there is no work.
We cannot live on the resources of the
country because there is little remaining in
the way of resources. Per person in the
county, the records show about one and one
half head Of cattle, less than one sheep, one
tenth Of hog and five chickens. Some
five thousand people are in need. About
one thousand are still getting relief, and
daily threats that this will be cut off soon
Outside Of little road crawling that the
county is seeking to provide, there are two
work projects in sight. A waterworks in
PlentywOOd will employ 80 men for six or
seven weeks A contract for twelve miles
OF road and bridges has just been let. Most
OF 1t is light grader work 1t cannot pro-
gress after the frost goes into the ground.
The optimistic Nis-Deal dream of a sub
stitutiOn of WPA projects for a relief roll
Is not working out. Projects are not avail
able-they are pending somewhere. In
this section of the country, if all of them
were wrapped up and delivered, they still
would not save the day. In prairie coun-
try, construction projects are necessarily in
the dirt and dirt cannot be worked in a
Montana winter. The whole miserable pro-
gram is a mess and the finger of blame
T.. can point only TO the politicians.
You who dwell, temporarily, IN the tents
Of the mighty; it is your policies, your pro-
gram, your eternal promises and failure of
performance that brings millions of us over
the United States, and thousands in this
section, TO the verge Of starvation-to a
face to face meeting with physical hunger,
physical hardship and privation and all the
mental torture that can only accompany
such conditions. Secure IN the midst of
luxury, you know nothing OF the gnawing
pangs Of mental detection that flow from
your much heralded recovery Cd and Sc
curity CD programs.
Mr.. Roosevelt, you are a rich man-bOrn
that way and ever afterward secure from
any touch Of want. Mr.. Wheeler, you are
now reputed to have an accumulation that
runs into six figures in addition to your
$4,000 yearly salary mot counting govern
mental Jobs held by other members of your
family. BIr. Murray, you inherited some
thing ike four million dollars from an IN
Gle who bOasted that if he ever made an
honest dollar he would give II back. You
likewise have a $4,000 senatorial salary
that you are striving to maintain for an