The Producers News
1918 - 1937
Introduction
The Producers News began publication in Plentywood, Montana in 1918 as the weekly organ of the Nonpartisan League (NPL), an organization of farmers founded in North Dakota in 1915 with Socialist roots. Its editor Charles "Red Flag" Taylor at some point in the 1920s joined the Communist Party, USA (CPUSA) and the paper began to reflect its views. In 1929, the CPUSA and its allies created the United Farmers League (UFL) as a radical alternative to the larger but less radical farmers' organization, the Farm Holiday Association. The Producers News soon became the official organ of the UFL.
In November 1931 veteran Communist Erik Bert was made editor of The Producers News and it became the "leading rural communist newspaper in the nation," faithfully reflecting the CPUSA's Third Period politics. In particular, the paper paid close attention to the mass struggles of US farmers against foreclosures and evictions in the face of the depression and economic crisis.
By 1934, however, declining circulation and disputes over policy reduced the paper's political role and impact as well as Communist influence over its contents. The Producers News ceased publication in March 1937.
For a number of years The Producers News issued both a national and a Sheridan County edition of the paper. The copies here are the County Edition.
1931
Volume 13, Number 40, January 2, 1931
Volume 13, Number 41, January 9, 1931
Volume 13, Number 42, January 16, 1931
Volume 13, Number 43, January 23, 1931
Volume 13, Number 44, January 30, 1931
Volume 13, Number 45, February 6, 1931
Volume 13, Number 46, February 13, 1931
Volume 13, Number 47, February 20, 1931
Volume 13, Number 48, February 27, 1931
Volume 13, Number 49, March 6, 1931
Volume 13, Number 50, March 13, 1931
Volume 13, Number 51, March 20, 1931
Volume 13, Number 52, March 27, 1931
Volume 14, Number 1, April 3, 1931
Volume 14, Number 2, April 10, 1931
Volume 14, Number 3, April 17, 1931
Volume 14, Number 4, April 24, 1931
Volume 14, Number 5, May 1, 1931
Volume 14, Number 6, May 8, 1931
Volume 14, Number 7, May 15, 1931
Volume 14, Number 8, May 22, 1931
Volume 14, Number 9, May 29, 1931
Volume 14, Number 10, June 5, 1931
Volume 14, Number 11, June 11, 1931
Volume 14, Number 12, June 19, 1931
Volume 14, Number 13, June 26, 1931
Volume 14, Number 14, July 3, 1931
Volume 14, Number 15, July 10, 1931
Volume 14, Number 16, July 17, 1931
Volume 14, Number 17, July 24, 1931
Volume 14, Number 18, July 31, 1931
Volume 14, Number 19, August 7, 1931
Volume 14, Number 20, August 14, 1931
Volume 14, Number 21, August 21, 1931
Volume 14, Number 22, August 28, 1931
Volume 14, Number 23, September 4, 1931
Volume 14, Number 24, September 11, 1931
Volume 14, Number 25, September 18, 1931
Volume 14, Number 26, September 25, 1931
Volume 14, Number 27, October 2, 1931
Volume 14, Number 28, October 9, 1931
Volume 14, Number 29, October 16, 1931
Volume 14, Number 30, October 25, 1931
Volume 14, Number 31, October 30, 1931
Volume 14, Number 32, November 6, 1931
Volume 14, Number 33, November 13, 1931
Volume 14, Number 34, November 20, 1931
Volume 14, Number 35, November 27, 1931
Volume 14, Number 36, December 4, 1931
Volume 14, Number 37, December 11, 1931
Volume 14, Number 38, December 18, 1931
Volume 14, Number 39, December 25, 1931
1932
Volume 14, Number 40, January 1, 1932
Volume 14, Number 41, January 8, 1932
Volume 14, Number 42, January 15, 1932
Volume 14, Number 43, January 22, 1932
Volume 14, Number 44, January 29, 1932
Volume 14, Number 45, February 5, 1932
Volume 14, Number 46, February 12, 1932
Volume 14, Number 47, February 19, 1932
Volume 14, Number 48, February 26, 1932
Volume 14, Number 49, March 4, 1932
Volume 14, Number 50, March 11, 1932
Volume 14, Number 51, March 18, 1932
Volume 14, Number 52, March 25, 1932
Volume 15, Number 1, April 1, 1932
Volume 15, Number 2, April 8, 1932
Volume 15, Number 3, April 15, 1932
Volume 15, Number 4, April 22, 1932
Volume 15, Number 5, April 29, 1932
Volume 15, Number 6, May 6, 1932
Volume 15, Number 7, May 13, 1932
Volume 15, Number 9, May 27, 1932
Volume 15, Number 10, June 3, 1932
Volume 15, Number 11, June 10, 1932
Volume 15, Number 12, June 17, 1932
Volume 15, Number 13, June 24, 1932
Volume 15, Number 14, July 1, 1932
Volume 15, Number 15, July 8, 1932
Volume 15, Number 16, July 15, 1932
Volume 15, Number 17, July 22, 1932
Volume 15, Number 18, July 29, 1932
Volume 15, Number 19, August 5, 1932
Volume 15, Number 20, August 12, 1932
Volume 15, Number 21, August 19, 1932
Volume 15, Number 22, August 26, 1932
Volume 15, Number 23, September 2, 1932
Volume 15, Number 24, September 09, 1932
Volume 15, Number 25, September 16, 1932
Volume 15, Number 26, September 23, 1932
Volume 15, Number 27, September 30, 1932
Volume 15, Number 28, October 7, 1932
Volume 15, Number 29, October 14, 1932
Volume 15, Number 30, October 21, 1932
Volume 15, Number 31, October 28, 1932
Volume 15, Number 32, November 2, 1932
Volume 15, Number 33, November 11, 1932
Volume 15, Number 34, November 18, 1932
Volume 15, Number 35, November 25, 1932
Volume 15, Number 37, December 9, 1932
Volume 15, Number 38, December 16, 1932
Volume 15, Number 39, December 23, 1932
Volume 15, Number 40, December 30, 1932
1933
Volume 15, Number 41, January 6, 1933
Volume 15, Number 42, January 15, 1933
Volume 15, Number 43, January 20, 1933
Volume 15, Number 44, January 27, 1933
Volume 15, Number 45, February 3, 1933
Volume 15, Number 46, February 10, 1933
Volume 15, Number 47, February 17, 1933
Volume 15, Number 48, February 24, 1933
Volume 15, Number 49, March 3, 1933
Volume 15, Number 50, March 10, 1933
Volume 15, Number 51, March 17, 1933
Volume 15, Number 52, March 24, 1933
Volume 16, Number 1, March 31, 1933
Volume 16, Number 2, April 7, 1933
Volume 16, Number 3, April 14, 1933
Volume 16, Number 4, April 21, 1933
Volume 16, Number 5, April 28, 1933
Volume 16, Number 6, May 5, 1933
Volume 16, Number 7, May 12, 1933
Volume 16, Number 8, May 19, 1933
Volume 16, Number 9, May 26, 1933
Volume 16, Number 10, June 2, 1933
Volume 16, Number 11, June 9, 1933
Volume 16, Number 12, June 16, 1933
Volume 16, Number 13, June 23, 1933
Volume 16, Number 14, June 30, 1933
Volume 16, Number 16, July 14, 1933
Volume 16, Number 17, July 21, 1933
Volume 16, Number 18, July 28, 1933
Volume 16, Number 19, August 4, 1933
Volume 16, Number 20, August 11, 1933
Volume 16, Number 21, August 18, 1933
Volume 16, Number 22, August 25, 1933
Volume 16, Number 23, September 1, 1933
Volume 16, Number 24, September 8, 1933
Volume 16, Number 25, September 15, 1933
Volume 16,Number 26, September 22, 1933
Volume 16, Number 27, September 29, 1933
Volume 16, Number 28, October 6, 1933
Volume 16, Number 29, October 13, 1933
Volume 16, Number 30, October 20, 1933
Volume 16, Number 31, October 26, 1933
Volume 16, Number 32, November 3, 1933
Volume 16, Number 33, November 10, 1933
Volume 16, Number 34, November 17, 1933
Volume 16, Number 35, November 24, 1933
Volume 16, Number 36, December 1, 1933
Volume 16, Number 37, December 8, 1933
Volume 16, Number 38, December 15, 1933
Volume 16, Number 39, December 22, 1933
Volume 16, Number 40, December 29, 1933
1934
Volume 16, Number 41, January 5, 1934
Volume 16, Number 42, January 12, 1934
Volume 16, Number 43, January 19, 1934
Volume 16, Number 44, January 26, 1934
Volume 16, Number 45, February 2, 1934
Volume 16, Number 46, February 9, 1934
Volume 16, Number 47, February 16, 1934
Volume 16, Number 48, February 23, 1934
Volume 16, Number 49, March 2, 1934
Volume 16, Number 50, March 9, 1934
Volume 16, Number 51, March 16, 1934
Volume 16, Number 52, March 23, 1934
Volume 17, Number 1, March 30, 1934