davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1935-03-15
COMMERCIAL CLUB
IS TOLD TO WORK
FOR MORE RELIEF

The Commercial Club supper
served at the Catholic church base
ment on Tuesday evening was at
tended by about 70 people. Invit-
atoms had been sent out to mem
bers as well as non-members for
the purpose of deciding whether
the club should keep on function
ing or not. Their main difficulty
seems to be that nobody wanted to
have the honor of being the presi-
dent of the club. This was over
come by Mr.. Roser resigning from
the board and Anton Nelson taking
his place, willing to carry the title
of president.
Franc Murray was elected tenn
porary chairman for the evening,
and much time was spent talking
about ash piles and dancing in the
school house. 1t was agreed on
that more suppers should be ar
ranged for in the future as the
only way TO get people to attend
meetings. That the club had not
been much of a success of late was
also the general opinion, and sew
eral suggestions were offered for
its improvement. One of them be-
ing that it should get behind hav-
ing a National Guard unit here.
Hans Rasmussen pointed out
that if the club would broaden out
and take interest not only in a
few big businessmen but in the
things that are of vital interest to
the people of Plentywood as well
as of the county, then the club
might be worth while and would
get more support. Work for a
lower light rate. for more relief
and a fairer distribution of. it., see
to it that relief orders are distri-
huted more fairly among the small
er business people: get as much
government and state work done
in the county asepossihle, and adj
vocate that It should be done by
day labor and not by outside con-
tractors. In other words, take an
interest in the welfare of the peo-
ple in general, something the club
has never done in the past, and
for that reason is losing It's sup
port.
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1935-03-15

Farmers all over the country are.
yallving to the call for a Farmers
Emergency Relief Conference to
he held in Sioux Falls March 25-
a. One Of the purposes for which
the conference has been called is
20 get more relief and more con-
troll over relief distribution for the
farmers,
Hundreds of copies of the call
are goirg out each day. In one
week conference headquarters re-
ceived orders for 300 calls for
Ohio, 300 for Oregon, and 200 for
western South Dakota. Eastern
South Dakota ordered 500 addition
al calls. A rush order for several
hundred was received from Mime
sofa and 500 were rushed to Wy
0mirg, upon request.
Farmers of the west are whip
ping letters to conference head
quarters that they are holding
meetings, electing delegates, pre-
pairing trucks and cars. Neither
snow, mud, nor mountain roads
can stop them. Their cry is, "On
to Sioux Fallsp
Away One Month
Harry Cornell writes from West
Stayton, Oregon: "a carload Of
Oregon farmers is set to go. Gun
delegates have been selected at
mass meetings of farmers, crgan-
ICED and unorganized. We are
some busy trying to get the work
done up on our farms so we car
get away for a month. We start
mi March .. We plan to hcld
meetings in Idaho, W. MIG. Colo,
r:ldo on our way to n" cCnferen, {
ard On our wav - D."
One hundred delegates are com
inc from western South Dakota
Ro'crts county alone is sending 81
farm men and women.
Royd, Valley and Knox counties
Nebraska, are sending IS dele
gate. In a small meeting O
farmers in Niobrara, Knox coun
tv. four farmers have been elect
ed rs DELEGATES and a COMMITTEE,
is visiting all the merchants Of tn
town for contributions to meet TIL
expenees Of the delegation. Meet
ines ore heirg held in school hous
o. ard in the homes of farmers
Louis arson, chairman of tn
Knox County Holiday, writes
"Some Of our farmers here have
MT even money for postage stamp
to write you they are Tightening
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1935-03-15
Spiteful Case Worker Keeps
Farmer Off Relief 5 Months

show how he had spent the 500
This after the family had beer
cut off relief for a quarter of g
year. The farmer told the case
worker that he couldn't do that
since the 500 had been spent OF
small items here and there. They
were going to send out a cast
worker to Investigate" they fin
ally told him.
Another month passed ard ne
case worker had been near tn,
place. So last Monday the farm
er again appeared at the relic
office wanting to know whethel
they had forgotten him. Then hi
learned why he had been put Of
time and again. Miss Randall
who in the meantime had advanced
from ordinary case worker to sen
for case worker on account of he
fabulous abilities. told him:
"You would probably have beer
OF relief before this time but yol
didn't treat me very nice when
was out there. You didn't an
swer all of my questions"
The farmer did answer all thu
questions, but when he was toll
that he was to be cut off TO.
three months there was some ar
gument, of course. And that on
led to another until finally tn
farmer lost his patience and walk
ed out Of the room, leaving Mis-
Randall sitting there all by her
self. She must not have liked thi
very we'll and out Of spite and re
ven0e she is keeping the fanil.
off the relief roll. Even now, las
Monday, she stated thst she coul'
not say when the case worke
would be able TO come TO the farm
The place is eight miles out 0
town.
This case viii be one of the frs
70 be taken up by the new griev,
.non committee. And the senic
case worker viii have to do SOM
tall explaining as to her spitefI.
attitude.
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1935-03-15
FINAL. CORN-HOG
MEETINGS MAR. Is

n Meetings for the final sign@up
of 1885 corn-hog applications and
for the organization Of the con-
troll associations will be held on
Monday. March %, by committee
men in the following communities:
Johr Shoal, Westby; Jim Kaae,
Dagnar; p. C. Peterson, Coal
RIDGE; w. j.. Bye, Dooley; John S.
Miller, Medicine Lake; A. M. Ha-
gan, Redstone; John Carroll, Plen-
tywood; Ray Stoner, Outlook.
Any producer who had an aver
age of. 10 acres of corn, or 10
hogs for 1929 will probably be
Interested in the 1885 association
New signers will be required to
produce evidence Of the number OF
hogs produced in the base period
by presenting signed receipts by
those who purchased the hogs.
A North Dakota farmer who
thought il too much trouble to
fsign up found on investigating
that his payments would amount
to $3.50. Every producer should
investigate now.
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1935-03-15
By a Worker Correspondent

BISMARCK, N. D., March 10.-
The arrest of seven Divide county
farmers was followed by the threat
of contempt proceedings against
officers of various farm organiza-
tons who had sent resolutions pro-
testing the attempt to use the fed
eral government apparatus to col
lect the debts of the bankers. The
masses of farmers and workers re-
sponded with a splendid spirit,
sending in hundreds of protests to
Judge Andrew Miller and District
Attorney P. w. Lanier demanding
the freeing Of all involved in this
case.
Farm Holiday organizations, the
United Farmers League were be-
ing attacked for daring to active
ly participating in the saving of a
farmers property. The call for
further protests against the viola
ton of the fundamental rights of
workers and farmers was spread
throughout the state. The Com
munist Party as the fighters foI
the rights of the toilers through
out the country, took up the cal
and spread it nationally, and also
sent in its protests to the Judge.
AS a result of the widespread
protest campaign, the farmers
called up on contempt charges
were dismissed by the Judge aftel
a TRADE against them daring tt
criticize such benevolent govern
ment that gives an unemployed
family about SIS a month, and /;
judge, who sends those that dar,
to fight against starvation to pri
son, $4,000 a year for life, will
the constitution guaranteeing n,
reduction during his stay in office
In face of this situation the mel
were told to ego home ard grow
a new SOUL" in order to appreci
ate this wonderful system we have
At the same time the iudg
launched an attack against "dem
agogues," "agitators," and "fire
brands" who influence thousands
of people. This attack found it
concrete application in the arres
of the district organizer of tn
Communist Party, Kay Heikkils
and Henry Wallace, secretary o
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1935-03-15
Miss Randall Thinks She
Wasn't Treated Nicely
Enough"

eff you would have treated me
more nicely you probably would
have been, on relief before now"
Miss Randall, senior case worker
of the local relief office, told a
Plentywood farmer last Monday.
The farmer, c. M. Westerly,
appeared at the office asking why
the case worker, who was supposed
to come a month ago, had not APP
peared as yet.
Westerly and his wife had been
receiving a grocery order Of Sc
per month. He had never asked
for clothing and he dug his own
coal so that he might be as little
dependent on relief as possible.
In the fell, however, he had TO
ask for a clothing order to be fixed
up for the winter.
Weeks passed and no clothing
order came. In the meantime he
got an allotment check Of about
500. He went and used part of
it for what clothing he and his
wife needed.
Cut Off Three Months
Then in November the case
worker came, Miss Randall in per-
son. She asked lot of questions
and filled out her blanks. When
she learned that the farmer had
received 500 allotment check
and had bought the clothing he
needed, she told the family that
sc was going to close the case
for three months.
So she did. And for three
months the family was even de.
prived of that miserable Sc gro.
Gerry order.
After the three month had
passed, the farmer went again
the relief office and asked % u
put back on relief. He Mas toil
that he had to bring receipts to
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1935-03-15
Farmer Is Refused Feed; He
Takes 1t and Gets An Order
Sil'llfE Threatens Jail AS
Grantham Starts Load
ing Up

When Otto Grantham, farmer of
raymond, was refused feed for
his starving cattle last week at the
relief office, he simply told the
officials, well, then, l have to
take it. can't let the cattle
starve to DEATH"
While the entire relief office
was hanging in the windows watch
ing him, Otto Grantham started
pushing the first bale into his car.
hey, you can't take this hay. 1t
Is rehabilitation hay" one of the
clerks told the farmer.
well, guess it won't make
any difference to the cows what
you call it," Grantham replied.
Suddenly E. Prendergast, county
relief administrator, showed up,
SSeing followed closely by Sheriff
Nadsen.
What are you doing there,
s'e@llng hay?" Prendergast asked.
'Uh no, / am just taking it.
told them in there, so you can't
ca that stealing" he was told. 9
Then the sheriff threatened: eff
you don't unload that hay, I've got
10 lock YOU up"
Grantham looked at him. "Well
! don't know about that" and
snen to Prendergast, "In unload
II II you give me an order. My
cows need feed"
All riqht, I'll see what / car
40 Tor yOu," the relief administra,
'Or said and went into the office
e., Inc farmer received an order fol
a as bales of hay and 200 pounds
"l 0eottOn-seed cake.
otto Grantham is one of tn,
many farmers whose feed loan,
nsu oeen cut in half and who ar,
S S,ao'e to buy enough feed will
=" - iced loan checks with price.
st = Suey are to keep their cows from
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1935-03-15
Professor John Dewey
Criticizes the AAA

i WASHINGTON, D. C.-'The
AAA is a cruel and impractical
scheme to compel consumers to
raw tribute to spectators in farm
lands, farm products and farm
credit, through HIGHER prices for
farm products" statement Of the
People's Lobby, an organization
headed nv John Dewev. a profess
sor at Columbia University, says.
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1935-03-15

According to the instructions of
the state relief administrator, DR..
w. ]. Butler, the meeting was to
be called by the local relief direc-
tor. He refused, and appointed his
own committee. The Helena dele
cation then organized this meet
ing.
Hans Rasmussen was chairman
of the meeting and also gave the
report on the trip to Helena. He
explained in detail what promises
the delegation had received from
the legislative investigating COM
mittee and also from the state re-
lief administrator. He mentioned
a number of individual relief cases
which had been presented at Hell.
ena as examples of the discrimin-
atory policies of the local admin
istration.
Administrators Action Denounced
The report was followed by ar
interesting discussion which placed
emphasis in particular upon the
general discrimination in the dis
tribution of relief in the county
The fact that a summer budget
based on retail prices of April
1884, had been used Throughout
the winter was brought out anC
strongly criticized. The act of E
Prendergast, local administrator
of returning to Helena $1,000 o
relief money allotted to the coun
ty and then cutting relief with th'
excuse that there was no money
was strongly denounced.
A motion demanding the immed
ate removal of E. Prendergast an
his senior case worker, Miss Rar
dali, was passed unanimously afte
some discussion. This discussio
: revealed an intereting union i
: opposition to the motion of dis
: missal.
Defenders"
r First there was County Con
r missioner Olson. Mr.. Olson foun
= the motion too "severe." He plead
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1935-03-15

Despite heavy snowfall and blocked roads, crowd of
ABOUT OO farmers and workers gathered at the Farmer
Labor Temple last Thursday and elected their
on the relief grievance committee in the county at the same
time denouncng and defeating the efforts of the local relief
administrator to have his grievance committee SET IN
Gonus Laursen militant Dagmar farmer was chosen by an
Overwhelming majority of votes to the committee
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1935-03-15
500 Line Freight Snow
bound at Westby Sat

Storms and heavy nowfall pro-
vided effective barbados last
Saturday evening to tie up the 500
Line freight train at Westby. The
train was laid over all day Sunday
until Monday forenoon, when the
snow pillow opened up the tracks
again.
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1935-03-15
Former Prussian Minister
O. Justice Will Speak at
Farmers Relief Conference
Oregon Delegates Already On Way to Sioux Falls Yves
.ern South Dakota VIII Send 100 Delegates, Three
Nebraska Counties Are Sending rs

SIOUX FALLS, S. DIR Kurt Rosenfeld, minister
ri ustce of Prussia 19189l9, and member of the Ger
man Rechsag 19191932 will speak at the feature eve
% Of the FarmerS Emergency Relief Conference Tuesday
March 26 at the Sioux Falls Coliseum DR.. ROsenfied viii
sneak on HAS FasciSm Helped the German People," He
M he present the three days of the conference and will
answer questions by delegates interested in Germany
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1935-03-15
Only III Percent of
Farms In State Have
Inside Water Pumps

B0ZEMAN.-Only about so per
cent of Montana's farm homes are
equipped with kitchen sinks and
drains, and only about II per cent
have inside hand Ws pumps.
This percentage is haed r-
al housing survey contrc-sd iA six
representative counties ( he state
last spring.
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1935-03-15
Milk Production
In Denmark Drops

COPENHAGEN, Denmark
Danish milk production dropped 10
per cent from October, 1888, to
October, 1884, according to a gov
eminent report. In some parts of
the country such as Fyn and East
en Jutland, the decrease was is
per cent.
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1935-03-15
LUTHERAN FREE CHURCH
Westby. Mont.

Oslo. SUNDAY, March II, morn
ing worship at II a. m.
McElroy, Sunday. March II, SER
vice at A p. m. The ladies aid
meets March 81. So.
G. Mellby, pastor.
The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1935-03-15
MASS RELIEF MEETING
ELECTS CONIUS LAURSEN
ON GRIEVANCE COMMITTEE
farmers and Workers Demand Dismissal of Local Relief
Administrator and Senior Case Worker for Sabot-
aging Distribution of Relief
Sioux Falls Confab Endorsed

Relief Office Refuses to Acknowledge Farmers Repre-
sentative Because Meeting Not Advertised Proper
ly;" Prendergast Tries to Keep Own Committee
, 1935-08-05

Few human quirks are more peculiar than the ir-
rational lust to hoard money which occasionally
sweeps over a person
A New Jersey steamboat man named Charles Ben
son can testify to this. Every week for the last 10
years, it seems. Benson dutifully turned his pay en-
velope over TO his wife. and thereafter saw 1t no
more. Money for household expenses was doled out.
but the bulk OF his pay was put away somewhere for
safe keeping.
After 20 years OF this. Benson finally went to
court and got a receiver appointed to administer and
conserve the family finances. Armed with q court
order, the receiver came and searched the house
and found that in the 20 years Mrs. Benson had
managed to hoard no less than sis.6O0. all Of which
was secreted in an old trunk.
The money has been safely banked. now. The
Bensons undeniably have a tidy little nest egg laid
away for their old age. Yet there Is something al
most frightening about the intensity OF purpose
which can lead a person to add dollar TO dollar, over
two decades. to an extent like that.
, 1935-08-05
Rdrbs

While the utilities have been urg-
ing people to use more light. their
own executives. it appears. have been
doing lots Of work in the dark.
washington scientists have devised
a machine that measures the
strength Of rays that cause sunburn.
It's a little more accurate than a
slap on the back.
Anti-Long officials in New Orleans
are resigning. That's an easy way
out for them. But look at the citi-
zens who would like to resign and
can't
Congressman have raised their
mileage to 20 cents q mile. They
shorld have 1t. If only to get them
back home sooner.
MuSsolini. 1t seems. Is intent on
CT, !lizing the Abyssinians. even II
he has TO kill them al off.
, 1935-08-05
Simple Reform Means Wide
Social Change

Few reforms in this modern world can stand by
themselves. Nearly all Of them are interlocked with
the social structure as a whole. and If you undertake
to set one minor matter right you are apt to find
yourself committed to making a sweeping change
In the entire set-up.
For example: Dr. David Snedden, professor Of edu-
cation at Teachers College, Columbia University,
discussed the education OF small children before a
summer school class in New York the other night.
His point was that sending a child to school or
kindergarten at too early an age puts the child in
an unnatural environment and is apt to do more
harm than good. 1t would be preferable. he said, to
keep a child at home until it is 0 to 10 years old.
Then he went on to describe what he conceived as
the ideal school" for a child. There should be a
normal household, he said, with a roomy back yard,
thanked by similar yards In which the child and his
playmates could come together.
All OF this. he added, should be under the SYM
pathetic oversight Of mothers who are not ~gainfully
employed but are free to give their entire time to
the vocation OF h~ome-making, including its most
important division OF child rearing"
Now all OF this sounds very nice indeed, and there
viii be few to disagree with the good sense of the
prescription. But try, just for a moment, to imagine
the sweeping changes that would have to be made
in our social habits TO provide this setting for the
average child.
First We must have q comfortable house with a
roomy yard. This, at one fell swoop, does away with
those massed city blocks OF apartment houses.
-duplexes" and little cubby-hole dwellings with ten
by-seven back yards. II would mean rebuilding a
good half Of every city, and raising the economic sta
tus or a stable percentage OF our entire population
for some millions of people fail to provide roomy
back yards for their children for the simple reason
that they can't afford it.
Then there is the demand that the mother be g
full-time housewife, with no outside job to take up
her time: and this, in turn. would call for another
revolution. We have several million women gain
fully employed In trade and industry, a great many
OF them mothers; and most Of them work not be-
cause they like to but because they have to, to keep
the family going.
III we are to fill this prescription. the annual In
come OF innumerable families will have to be boost
ed-and thousands Of men will have to learn how to
become milliners. beauty shop operators, typists and
heaven knows what else.
All OF this Is just a sample OF the way things inter-
lock I'm this modern world. Here we have an edu-
Gator telling what We ought to give our children. To
do IL we would have to have an entirely different
kind of society.
, 1935-08-05

mony recently staked in Washing
ton.
Fresh from his refusal to license
a German maSSeur because of Nazl
attacks on the Jews, Mayor La
Guardia Of New York entered the
office OF an extremely high official
here. The mayor stopped dead on
the threshold. clicked his heels and
raised his arm in the Hitler salute.
He'll" he shouted. The extreme
ly high official shook with laugh
ter.
The senate department Is trying
70 duck formal action on the Ger
man governments complaints. II
will express regrets" over the Bre-
men incident, but that will be a con-
cesSion to diplomatic courtesy. In
official quartIrs there Is no SYM
patty for Hitler's conduct. There is
no desire to ALLEVIATE a vast portion
Of the electorate by ~kowtowing to
him. He win get his pound Of Dip
lomatic flesh and no more
Success - "Dcug' Macarthur is
too Snappy q soldier 70 disobey a
command of the Commander-in
Chief Of the Army and Navy. But
the chief Of staff has not repri-
manded his recruiting officers for
their sly scheme Of getting around
President RooSevelt's order that
they must not shanghai CCC pros
poets.
General MacArthur's aides fear
ed at first that they could not re-
cruit the additional 47,0O0 men al
lowed the army because Of rival CCC
offers. The boys get $50 a month
rs woodsmen and only S21 a month
as doughboys. But any clever re-
cruiting officer will explain to an
applicant that the CCC-ers must
, 1935-08-05
News
Behind the
News

- - - - - - -
Capital and world gossip events
and personalities. In and out o.
the newA. written by q group cf
fearless and informed newspaper
men Of Washington and New York.
This column In published by The
Herald - . news feature. Opinions
expressed are those Of the writers NJ
individuals and should not be In
terpreted M rejecting the editorial
policy Of this newspaper.