The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1941-10-01
AN "OLD TIMER" SPEAKS

be able to eat BY adopting the tech
nique of the Great Moses (Genisis)
we might drink it, but it will be
pretty thin liquor. That brings me up
to the real meat in your editorials,
Name Calling" and What Is the
Answer"
These two editorials belong to-
gether, they are both zone of a piece"
have had as much experience of both
as most Montanans / was in Miles
City when the stockgrowers associa-
ton met in 1886. | proved up on a
homestead in Missoula county, after
living ON it for eight years, and have
lived alongside of the Orchard Homes
Ditch" for 40 years ON five acres of
land. In that time l have had 10
children of my own, and put II more
through the schools. l don't say my
wife had nothing to do with this But
here's the point, | could not do it
again under present conditions. In
1889 | took up squatters claim on
Swan Lake in Flathead county, and
lived on the country-without cent
of money, nearly year Uncle Sam
provided free meals and good ones. |
have lived with the Indians on the
ground-in an Indian teepee, and was
never more comfortable in my life
Plenty to eat. Where is this free
food now? l don't say we did not
work hard for what we eat, but what
chance has a man today. The Mon
tana Pioneers would have got no
where without that free food, housing
and fuel. Even for his livestock as
well as his family.
The lumber in my house cost me
six dollars in thousand feet, clear of
knots, and l paid for it by working
at the mill for one dollar day and
my board. On my homestead | fig
ured that one or two tons of timothy
hay a year, paid my doctors bill for
now home grown citizens
to carry on Montana's work.
One confinement cost my daughter
between 8 and 4 hundred dollars
In 1894 when ben Strong" was
governor of the Federal bank, | made
$500 ON this five acres. While he
lived | averaged well up to $4,000
dollars. He was strong by name and
strong by nature and saw to it that
enough money was issued to match
production. To put living conditions
n shape to equal my record on the
mall farm we shall have bring back
he conditions that enabled me to
AIRY out my objective. They call
ur attention to the fact that we i'm
Iort all our food in Montana Last
ear | raised one of the best potato
his spring, | hauled them all out to
he dump. | wrote the governor that
thought the percent bonus given
n Alberta for home grown produce
hight remedy that condition here, for
think it lays in the wholesalers
ockets. A few years ago the Bor-
eau Brothers Retailers used to take
s much as $1,000 year in produce
'om my five acres. Back in home
tead days the "Pulliam Brothers,"
lso retailers, took the whole produc-
on of my neighbor's farm of 100
cres, furnished everything and set
ed once a year. The last time my
sighbor had $500 coming and got il
my presence.
There is general belief that a
rmer lives off the farm, and needs
, kind of relief, Food Stamps or
herwise. It can be done, but not
70 1t was managed when a days
lnting brought in an antelope,
er or an elk. When Debs tied up
e railways | ground wheat in
flee mill for bread. Lived for three
eeks on sucking pigs, and so on.
18th all the machinery for process
g there is no reason to live off the
rm. Food Stamps as now but
r all with national dividend" for
in Food Stamps-would do the
ok as far as the supplies went
.cording to Country Gentleman" in
cir last issue, that is what the adj
plans to do with all for
,ners opposed to Hitler For Gods
ke lite us get our first, then give
, rest away if necessary, without
ying interest to the money trust
H. C. B. COLVILL