The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1935-11-22
THE ZERO HOUR

Inc Zero Hour Ior the paying OF 0enn-
quent taxes approaches.
There are only seven more days to take
advantage of this opportunity of saving in
terest and penalty, which to most of the
farmers of Sheridan county represents
tidy sum of money, for most of them have
been forced by conditions beyond their con-
troll, to let their taxes 60 delinquent for
number of years, but unfortunately, most
of these people do not have the money to
take advantage of this opportunity, and so
the hour will pass, helping none but those
who are in the nearly-well-to-do class, at
the expense of the well-to-do who have
kept their taxes paid up, and of those who
have not the means to pay.
Anyway the law expires December 1st.
To take advantage of it one must act soon.
It reads:
Any person having an interest in real
estate heretofore sold for taxes to the
county, and no assignment of such sale
having been made, may redeem the same
by paying the original tax without
penalty or interest
Besides the numerous farmers and
workers and small business men who have
not been able to pay their taxes for years
because of the economic crisis. commonly
CS&4sEQ Tic QS pISSSIOLl, ulduy anu
mortgage companies, and large land hold
ers, classified as rich, have been unable or
unwilling to pay their taxes also, and have
allowed them to go delinquent. The pen
atty and interest on these large delin-
Quent sums assessed against the large hold
ingS are large. So now, these large land
and property holders come before the leg
islature and ask to have the interests
and penalties abated and cancelled.
The legislature and Governor Cooney
knew that not over two or three farmers
in a hundred would benefit, but that the
bankers and mortgage holders would. They
knew also that the law was uneonSttudon-
al and had been so held by the Montana Su-
preme court on many occasions. Yet the
law was passed, and signed, and, if you
please, upheld by the supreme court, which
amended the plain wording and intentions
of the constitution. All this was done for
the rich, so they could save their money
and their property. 1t proves the class
character Of our government, and how the
constitution means nothing to the ruling
class who have their judges interpret it.
The law was passed for the rich and it will
benefit only the rich. 1t is a special privi-
lege 20 the rich.
Now what after December 1st?
1t is said that after the time to take
advantage of the law has passed, after the
rich have saved their property, then the
county commissioners are going to fore
close and sell all property of those who
could not pay, with taxes delinquent over
the limit. The day of the cleanup has
come. Its down the road for most of the
farmers and workers of Sheridan county
The law and tax foreclosures is a part
and parcel of the New Deal" AAA pro
gram to take the poor off the land, and
make farming a privilege of the rich. Il
is part of RoOsevelt's plot against the poor
There is just one way to prevent thi:
crime against the farmers and workers and
snail business men, the mass of the people
that is solidarity and mass action.
Its going TO take fight to save yGul
farRIS and homes.
What are you going to do?