The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, October 31, 1921, Page 6

. A e M # B} _ renewals. . ready to join the League. [ " forced to go “50-50” on their profits ‘last year could not be approached by of farmers have mortgages on their farms. Many of these mortgages expire around the first of the year. The mortgage loan companies are ask- ing around 6 per cent for renewals, and in many cases 7 per cent, and then on top of this a blistering commission. The federal reserve banks could stop this whole process by supplying money for these If the reserve banks can not perform this urgently needed service, they ought to be sunk in the middle of the sea. The renewal of these farm mortgages at a rate that ‘will permit the farmers to live is just now the most needed service to be performed in this great nation. If these mortgages could be renewed at a fair rate of interest, that would change the existing bad state of mind of the farmer. It would put the farmer in the market again and that would start the wheels of the fac- tories going. Renewing these mortgages at a de- cent rate of interest will do more good than a thou- sand “unemployed conferences” conducted by Mr. Activities of Farmers in Various States BY THE STATE MANAGER HE work in Colorado is now making prog-- ress and the precinct organization plan is meeting with favor among the farmers. We are greatly in need, however, of a few more good up-standing men to aid us in forming locals and developing the new orgamzatxon plan in our state. Our members are loyal to their organization and are ready to go. We have reduced expenses in every possible way and our aim is efficiency in every element of our organization. Our plan of recelvmg promissary notes instead of post-dated checks is also meeting with the hearty approval of our League members. . The splendid co-operatxon on the part of our League members is mani- fest in the reports of our organizers, telling how the farmers are entertain- ing the organizer in their home, there- by reducing the expense of the organ= izer in saving him the hotel bills and consequent consumption of gas in go- ing to a town or city for his lodging. This enables us to keep more organ- izers in the field. The farmers of this state are watch- ing with great interest the noble fight being waged by our brother farmers of North Dakota against the reaction- = ary forces in the recall contest in their state. The. friendly attitude of the co- operative farmers’ organizations in N this state as well as organized labor e is a source of great encouragement to ,% the League movement in Colorado. —— | IDAHO | Hoover at Washington. Now, I wonder what the farmers of North Dakota are going to do in the re- call election. The’farmers of North Dakota have a bank through which they may renew their fafm mortgages at 6 per cent. I understand that the bank has now succeeded in selling its bonds and will soon be in a condition to give more help to the farmers of North Dakota. I am wondering if the North Dakota farmers will prove themselves such consummate asses as to help kill the North Dakota bank. <, If they do—well, I can’t believe that they will deliberately destroy their own bank. The farmers have scared the politicians and 'the politicians have scared the federal reserve bank officials. Having accomphshed this, let us not rest on our arms. This is the time to fight harder. I am grateful that my series of articles have done some good. . Since the publication of this series in the Leader; other farm papers have taken up the NONPARTISAN LEAGUE NEW |- coLorapo | claiming that the farmers must wait at least a year for the returns. In this way they hope to break down the producers 'and next year get the beets at their own price. The recent failure of four banks in a row in northern Idaho, and several more banks in the southern part, have put a quietus on flashy news- paper headlines telling of North Dakota bank failures. POLITICAL GANG REMOVES MAN FARMERS WANTED . Big business has entered into the Farm Bureau with a purpose to wreck it in Idaho. John Thomsas, banker and head of the Republican machine in this state, operates a big grain elevator. 'Upon the re- fusal of the county agent of his county, of Gooding, FORD SHOWS THE WAY EFF! cl BY THE STATE MANAGER HE organizers, in their work over Idaho, report an unusual amount of interest in the Non- partisan league. Farmers who any League man‘are away ahead of their economic position last year and The potato gamblers, through some hook or crook, got wind of the shortage in the potato crop a month before the farmers had heard of it and contracted for over 50 per cent of the spud crop at less than $1 a hundred pounds. The state com- missioner of agriculture, when con- fronted with the breakdown in his de- partment, had no defense. Farmers are mighty indignant at this ineffi- ciency of the department and are writ- ing to the governor to remove Miles Cannon, the political head of the de-. partment. The sugar beet trust, having been mum wage with the producers, refused this year to pay for the beets-when harvested& ENT 55/‘?\//th. fight. Some of the better financial-papers have also . helped. Business men, realizing that they too are bemg crushed by high interest rates, are also tak- ing a hand in the fight. I note that those powerful papers founded by James M. Pierce and now conducted by his son Dante Pierce have opened their batteries on the enemy. These papers are the Iowa Homestead, the Wisconsin Farmer and the Southwest Farmer. They are published at Des Moines, Iowa, and circu- late to the extent .of 400,000 over five or six states. Some daily papers have also been putting in some good blows all along the line, as- for example, the Chicago Tribune. Our great middle West is slowly coming to life and serving notice on Wall street that we propose _to move the seat of government from the city of "New York. Let us keep our courage and our fighting. spirit. We are making progress. What the Organizers Are Doing Everywl\ere to certify the purity of the wheat, Thomas secured the agent’s removal through the political influence of Dr. Bryan and Dean Iddings, state heads of the county agent department. The removal of County Agent Smith under such circumstances has produc- ed resentment all over the state. Canyon county farmers recently felt the lash of the Republican machine. Hundreds of them peti- tioned to have the county agent, McCall, retained. County commissioners bowed to the dictators of the Republican machine and removed him. The farmers were compelled to conduct a vigorous cam- paign to raise funds to retain him. Many Farm Bureau farmers, who a few months ago said the farmers should not go into politics, have completely revised their position. All in all, the League campalgn for re-organization work in i *Idaho is more favorable this fall than | at any time in the League’s history. j WASHINGTON I BY THE STATE MANAGER NE of our organization teams O expects to finish Whatcom county this week and move down into Skagit county. The preliminary work in Snohomish county has also been done and the work of lining up new and old mem- bers will begin soon. The work on the east side of the mountains has been delayed on account of the illness of C. J. Pinger, but we hope to get it started during the coming week. The state committee failed to hold its meeting scheduled in Yakima, ow- ing to the illness of one of the mem- bers and the unavoidable absence of another. A. C. Jansen, the commit- tee member from Adams county, has — per day of eight hours. The road makes money. * “read up” on how Ford did it. : PAGE SIX ’ ' X 3 X nfl -—Drawn expressly for the Leader by John M. Baer. Henry Ford bought a railroad in Michigan, lowered rates 20 per cent, bettered service to the public, and increased wages to workmen, establishing a $6 mini- Baer’s cartoon shows. Uncle Sam-asking other railroad managers to sent in his resignation owing to press of personal matters, which made it impossible for him to spare the neces- " sary time just now to give to League matters. - Our members will all regret this-as Mr. Jansen has been a faith- ful worker on the committee. ‘ Thomas Gibson, a membeF from Snake River, visited our office last week and took home with him an organizer’s outfit and will work in his home coun- ty, Franklin. We are anxious to hear from more farmers who will take up the organization work, for this win- ter at least. Remember, we pay the same commission as our regular or- ganizers receive. Send in~your notice that you are ready for work to 603 Rookery bulldmg, Spokane The work in the field is progressing nicely. Our enrolments for Septem- ber were 40 per cent greater than dur- ing August. Let every member boost - and we will soon be doing the greatest work we have ever done in the state of Washmgton We are havmg many inquiries from men who will get into -1:he field organizing durmg the next