Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1925-04-09
Continued from last week

farmer and that would be to
open the door for the European
emigrant as wide as before the
war. / know this does not sound
well to a great number of our
people, and | believe ! know the
true reason too why it sounds
bad. But in spite of the effect
it would have on wages by fore
ing them down because of a more
liberal labor supply, | believe
that in the long run it would
work a blessing for all of us in
this great land, even labor itself
would profit by it. There is in
this country room for millions
and millions of people. To the
man in the crowded city this
statement may seem ridiculous,
but let him wander off into the
country, into the great open
spaces where there are miles be-
tween neighbors and let him fig
ure out how many millions more
forty acre farms there are room
for, and he may change his ideas,
that is if he is capable of figuring
these conditions. Northern Min
nesota would not be crowded if
another million settlers moved in;
but it's intrinsic value would be
greatly enhanced. It is true that
those new settlers would produce
a lot of food; but it is also true
that every one of them would
consume food; and it is also true
that the factories would have to
produce an immense lot of farm
ing machinery for them, and they
would all want good houses, and
barns, and silos, and household
furnishings, and the thousand
and one other things that home
builders must have; and, of
course, in order to supply them,
new factories must be built, new
stores and supply houses started,
and thousands would get employ
ment with those concerns, and
they would all consume the food
products of the new farms. Wag-
es might goadown some; but what
of it? 1t is not the high wages
that have been a boon to u.s., In
1914 when wages were lower we
lived better and more satisfied
because then we earned little
more than we needed for our dali
ly sustenance while now although
wages are higher we earn a little
less than we need for a living. 1t
seems to me that the man who
earns $500 a day and is able to
save dollar out of that amount
is better off than the one who
earns $500 a day but needs $500
to live. And why should we fear
the European emigrant? I, at
least, am unable to discern the
danger. Here in Minnesota for
instance the majority of the peo-
pie are of Scandinavian and Ger
man descent; but has anyone of
these people, or any group of
them ever tried to establish a
kingdom be it Swedish, Norwe-
gian, Danish, or German. No. I
am sure that it would be the last
thing these people would be
thinking about. They came here
because they were in love with
the great ideals of this country
and ! am sure that they would
give their all to defend it, as was
proved during the world war.
These people may live a COM
munity life that is a little diff
ferent from the life lived in
communities a little further re-
moved from the other side of the
ocean; but they can sing Hail
Columbia" with as much true
American spirit as anyone. It
may appear clannish to those
with long row of American an
cestors; but we must remember
that you can not jump away from
and into another civilization; but
that you must work with the