The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1942-01-30


clarifying any of them. He says
every government in the world both
democratic and totalitarian has to In
clude capital in their economic sys-
tenn" If by capital" he means mon
ey or its equivalent in gold, silver,
jewels or bonds, he is largely correct
because practically all international
trade and exchange Of goods and COM
modities are transacted upon dollar
value basis-until lately upon the gold
dollar, gold pound, etc basis; but in
transitional business may be an en-
tirely different affair and may be con-
Quoted on barter basis or token
money basis and need not, necessar-
lily, have any capital to carry on such
International trade. At this point
believe definition of capital is in
order Webster defines in part: "That
part Of wealth which is saved and is
available for, or is used in future pro-
duction." A shorter definition for
capital is: Unpaid labor-profit.
Mr.. Alter states that "the two groups
G.e., farmers and 1aborers) produce
and distribute the wealth, etc." which
of course, is incorrect. They un-
doubtedly produce the wealth and
then turn it over to the Fat Boys
for distribution, and in considering
this process of distribution we run up
against the crux of all the questions
raised by Mr.. Alter. 1t is in the twin
fields of processing and distribution
that the middleman runs rampant;
here we find bunch of vampires be-
tween the producer and the consumer
who levy imposts upon the product of
the farm and the factory that are out
of all proportion to the service per-
formed, so that very often the price
the consumer has to pay may have
been increased several hundred per-
cent over and above what the pro-
Queer has received. Let us take a
concrete example: 1t isn't SO very
long since the Montana wheat farmer
was receiving less than ONE CENT a
pound for his wheat, the grocer was
getting less than THREE CENTS a
POoio LII liOul at CIdll Out LILO IOI
sumner was and is paying TEN CENTS
a pound for bread. That figures up
to something more than ONE THOU
SAND percent spread between the
price John Farmer received for his
wheat and the price John Laboring
Man paid for the same wheat in the
form of bread and the bakeries would
MT permit their customers to sell the
bread any cheaper A similar condi
ton exists in corn, cotton. live stock
and all other farm commodities as
well as factory products.
The Farmers Union through its
and Cooperative move
ments is attempting to remedy this
situation and will do so in time if |
given proper support. Those patron |
age dividends at the end of the year
are very nice but it would be better
for everybody concerned if the stock
holders left them in the business and
thereby permit 1t to grow and expand.
This could mean Coop processing
plants and retail stores wherein the
farmer could sell his product direct
% the consumer, thereby getting d
much higher price for his crops and
1T the same time save the consumers
considerable on their purchases.
| would like to offer another sug
sestion on the establishment of new
Cooperative businesses. Set the par
value of the stock at $4,000 a share
With the option of paying down $40
share, the balance to be paid out
# patronage dividends. This plan
will leave something in the business,
.lso.
Finally, would like to bestow the
GLOWING advice, absolutely gratis:
Don't rely too much on parity prices
established through subsidies. They
will not last. Prepare for the newt
BILE headache that will follow the cur
ent spending spree. Build your Co.
peratives along all possible lines be-
ause in the days ahead they may
orm the best possible bulwark be-
ween you and economic disaster {
Eliminate the middleman. Such is S
he advice given to farmers by SUI J
erannuated copper miner. c
Sincerely yours, i
EDWARD O'BYRNE. c