Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1922-02-09

there had not been better cO-Opera-
tors here than him this community
would have been bankrupt long ago.
The trouble ia that Mosbek has been
given too much rope, he has alw avs
been granted the opportunity to do
all the talking and writing that he
wanted to and never missed an OPP
portunity. 40 naturally has gotten u
lot OF publicity, and to people in
other communities where PERHAPS
| only his name is known, it has been
linked with the success of co-opera-
tive unde TT akings in Askoy.
He writes further In his article
that he seeded 10 acres to clover last
year, trying TO illustrate he liz more
Of farmer than an eight acre
farmer" Well a real estate man or
anyone who speculates In land is
bound to have some extra land on his
hands at times aside from what he
actully lives on and cultivates. And
as for farming with tractor as he
writes. that is a huge joke. Yes, a
little garden tractor which, Ii il tips
over he can raise with one hand.
But he failed to state In his article
how many cows he has. The people
around Askov know how much farm
ing he does. But as to that, we are
not Interested: we only mentioned it
In our previous article because he Is
always talking so much about farm
ers' organizations should have only
farmers as officers. The question
naturally arose. Is he farmer?
Here In Askov where cooperative
movements have had good success,
generally speaking. Postmaster J. r..
Petersen was formerly secretary Of
the creamery and is now. and has
been for some time, secretary of the
Pine County Mutual Fire Insurance
CO.: Banker A. Gravesen is secretary
Of the Askov National Farm Loan
Association and treasurer OF the
creamery: and V. s. Petersen Is sec
rotary Of the Askov Cooperative AS
sociation, These men have all been
chosen by the farmers themselves
and we believe, to mutual benefit
We are firm believers Of that farmers
and business men of small villages
especially should cooperate and work
together for mutual benefit. it is the
only way i'm which community can
flourish and good fellowship and
friendliness be maintained. What
Is the interest of one is the interest
Of the other. There are enough Of
those soft shirt orators who pit class
against class and are always holler-
ing down with the middleman." 1t
would seem that they have had their
day and little more reasoning
should be the order When they re-
fer to some Of those men in the larger
cities. who just rent an office and
hire n stenographer. as middlemen--
those who for instance when the
sugar game was played. bought a
carload and sold 1t to another like
"middleman" for a cent or more add
ditional per pound and i'm that man
ner switched the sugar around about
dozen times before it got to the
ultimate consumer and then sold for
30c or more per pound, yes, when the
talk is about those kind of middle
men" then we are there to push. be-
cause they are not middlemen, they
are robbers and grafters. they are
not rendering service. But il is
different with the average retailers
and small town business men. They
are rendering "A service and ii they
tlO not they will not long endure
against competition. They are hand
ling something and are on the job.
They are not like many Of those
who are just trading or swapping.
who do not see what they are buying
and selling and in many cases are
not rendering any actual service.
Mosbek thinks it some joke be-
| cause the writer was elected secre-
tary OF the Askov s. c. White Leg
horn Club last fall. not having a live
feather. The joke however. seems to
be on him rs he left the meeting
in an apparently sad mood. However.
we have never said that a business
man might not hold office in farm
ers' organizations: 1t was farmer
who nominated the writer and it W As
farmers who elected against protest
by the writer. which anyone at the
meeting will verify. We have plenty
Of other matters to take care Of with
out being secretary OF chicken club
and so stated then and there. even
suggesting another man for the office
who is a farmer and has poultry
But the majority seemed to think
that il they elected a newspaper man
to that office, the club would sc,
more publicity. II We have failed, OF
IL it is the desire of the members. We
will be more than glad 10 gracefully