The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1937-12-02
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Edited This Week BY
VICTOR A. JOHNSTON

The spotlight of public attention in
state administration affairs swung to
Northern Minnesota this week where
Governor Benson is attempting to set
tie feud between farmers of that area
and the Timber Workers Union.
This feud is of long standing, dating
back to last winter, but the present
flare-up, according to reports, came
about when striking lumber workers at
the Cloquet mills blocked the public
highways during the past month to
farmers seeking to deliver pulp wood to
the mills Pitched battles enSued with
the pickets using rocks and stones as
ammunition against the farmers.
This was serious matter to hundreds
of small farmers in that territory who
got a substantial part Of their cash in
come from the sale Of timber they cut
on their own land. The farmers ap-
pealed to Governor Benson but accord
ing to their story the Governor wasn't
interested in their plight. Finally,
however, last week, the farmers de-
cided to bring the whole matter to
public attention by doing some road
blocking themselves and they tied up
all traffic for several hours on Highway
81 by leaving their parked trucks on
the road.
This action of the farmers stirred the
Capitol with Roger Rutchick, secretary
to the governor, Immediately getting in
touch by telephone with Mr.. Benson,
who was at a northern retreat near
Lutzen, and the highway patrol being
ordered to escort the farmers trucks to
CloQuet.
Farm Leader Explains Situation.
One view of the situation which pre-
walls in Northern Minnesota was pre-
sented in a recent radio address by
Frank T. Ronkainen of Kettle River,
president of the Associated Farmers of
Minnesota.
| In his radio talk, Mr.. Ronkainen said
the organization which he heads was
formed last winter during the first
strike of the Timber Workers Union
when a similar situation to the present
one prevailed, and that the organization
was formed to protect Northern Min
nesota farmers who depend on timber
products for part of their living.
1.-The farmers" said Mr. Ronkainen,
appealed to Governor Benson for pro-
lection. Did he give them any help?
He did not. The governor let the
strikers have an open season on the
farmers. A gang of strikers would
chase a poor farmer off the roads like
a pack of dogs would chase rabbit
THE Governor never raised a hand
Instead he telegraphed these Com
munists and IWWs a promise of sup
port.
1.-The International Lumber Company
at International Falls, for many years
has been hiring farmers in its logging
operations. This spring the Timber
Workers Union forced the company to
fire every farmer in its camps.
1T may interest you to know that
these timber workers, possibly in graft
tude to Governor Benson for permitting
them to beat up farmers, are helping
to build fine cabin for Governor Ben
son on the North Shore of Lake Su-
Iperior
These timber workers are on strike
again. Northern Minnesota is alive
with outside racketeers and agitators
who are making threats of violence
The union has been offered a scale o.
wages, commencing at the bottom, Of
5000 month for common labor, ant
running up as high as $165 90 a month
for cook in large camp The men
however, refuse to work.
THE official paper of the Timbe,
Workers Union for October Is. 1887