The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1937-01-15
AN OPEN LETTER
By JEROME G. LOCKE
Billings, Montana
FEBRUARY 4, 1897


have not attended this years legislative sessions,
but gather from the copper hued press and such nOr
nation travels by the grapevine that economy is
the watchwOrd in the corridors of the Capitol It
the chief cry of the Governor and of course the
Anaconda owned Taxpayers Association and other
pOrate stOOges that infest your midst are sounding
posts sOctude for the attened purses of taxpayers
The cOnagiOn to have spread until most of the
membership now wants to cut public expenses-save
money.
Gentlemen, I'll grant that, from a vOte-getting
standpoint this economy slogan has potent and win
ming effect 1t sOOthes not only Big Business but
large percentage of small business, middle class indi
viduas, whose economic vision goes further than
saving and sailing another dollar Possibly, In the days
of "free market" rugged ndividualism" and 'un-
limited opportunity, it good economy. Those days
gone, nevermOre to return
Neither Federal nor State government has dared to
take a real of idleneSS. The best information
obtain indicates about thirty thousand idle work.
men In Montana. The actual number may be as much
ten thousand less. ten thousand (prObably
mOre). Despite Wall Street and Democratic hOOey about
returning prosperity, this number will neither mater
tally permanently decrease In the long and by
the very same mechanical laws under which Capitalism
brought country to its present depOrabe condition,
the number in ideness only increase Another eco
nOmic taispn. already visible may double or treble
the number almost night
These thirty thousand social Cast-Offs with their
wives, children and dependents possibly hundred
thousand, all told human beings They must have
the necessities of life, at least The Federal govern
ment is cutting them off, decreasing relief rolls
and trimming the case load. They have nowhere to
turn except to the State they helped build up That
fact should have some bearing shOrt-sghted
my views.
don't think you will do ALL or any part of it. but
sunnOsng you follow the red herring of economy to it's
O0ical conclusion where do you get? Go from the sew
era counties pinch down the cities and throw out
another five hundred lon three hundred off the school
districts and pitch another two hundred more out of
miscellaneous departmpnts of government Where are
Won then in craftsmanship economic betterment nubc
Welf9rn
st"rd? You have merely kicked three thousand more
into the ranks of the unemployed and that is onIv a
be0inning. 10y =
This extra load of public work. or relief or doles
or Whatever may be- must be assumed by the State
shOueed by the taxpayers you are so zeaOus In
project Then the newly caSt-Off contingent like tho
rest OF the reieferS, has no PURCHASING mower Tho
market for ham and eggs, silk sOx, gasoline dental work
and all else dries up. Business declines and ALI vour
the bread line 'P "'"Ier 70
90 you VIII De damned by dollar preserving taxnav
erS II you don't and damned by everybody else r. Won
IU All you can get out OF it is lesson, and Heaven
Knows II is time that lesson beean to sink in not onI
on you but on the economically dumb middle class
which you so largely represent --' O0'S'
Capitalism has failed. It will either h. uou,o.,
Dy something elSe-and that verv shortIv - IN
nell VIII break loose in this country. 90
The time has long since pasSpd vvEor 4I;u
&c recognized IN Helena, and in WashinOton ;l:
o ne eiortn there are but three general roaJ 49,
ta a. Tor lack of civilizatiOn) can take IN Mo-
'""a, LII America, in all the world - "AO"-
Fascism is easy to get into and damn.4;o -.
eIt Out OF IL comes naturally and OOcoII "a - "
=; az " e'CemPtS 10 preserve decayinp nrof;+ s4.
anJ Co. u growing unrest, discomfort cfovt;
crisis becomes In degradation. When the ecOnomi
L; DecOmeS serious enough an irOnhOo1o5 I:44 lC =
p must De clamped down; the business O'aCOr-
etc., @ loSt SIdnd OF capitaiStic prOfiteorC go Te
with total ensavoHo philosophy of the dark ags and