Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1929-12-05
PRESIDENT ADOPTS
DESPERATE PLAN
TO AVERT CRASH
BY II. G. TEIGAN

nations industrialistS, railroad mag
mates and farm leaders are signifi-
cant. These conferences indicate
that the president senses trouble.
The president . requests that the
wheels of industry be kept going.
The captains of industry have all
promised to do this and it may be ex-
pected that some good will come of
this attempt on the part of President
Hoover to stave off the evil day.
Perhaps the next year may be less
terrorizing to the worker than it
would have been had Mr.. Hoover not
called his conferences and made a
move to avert the cataclysm that is
obviously on the horizon and which
has for some months past been throw
ing it's shadow before it.
But there is no solution in the pres
ident's program. Economic crises
cannot be definitely averted by any
such plan as that which has been pro-
posed and which it is presumed will
be carried out by the men of big bust
ness. Indeed not!
Goods are made to sell. They are
not made primarily to serve. The
machinery of production and distribu
ton is conducted to create profits for
the owners.
| Aside from the agricultural Situa-
ton that continues to hold first place
in the hearts of politicians and states
men, the thing that looms up next in
| Importance as a portent of evil in our
capitalist state is the conflict between
the workers and bosses in the South.
The condition of the workers there is
admittedly bad and statistics prove
the situation to be worse than is COM
monty supposed.
Great Production Increase.
The gain in efficiency of industry"
as reported by the United States Bur-
eau of Labor Statistics is the thing
that is creating the evil situation as
much as anything. Every man rec
ognizes that during the past 80 years
great strides have been made in the
efficiency of the worker, but few per-
sons have anything more than gen
eral idea of the progress that has
been made.
In the mining industry the number
of workers increased from 100000 in
the years from 1S9S-190O to 1885,
900 in 1926-1927, representing an in
crease of 76 per cent. The output
per worker made a much greater
jump, increasing by 115 per cent.
Manufacturers also show an in
crease in the number of persons en-
ployed during the 80 year period.
There were 100000 persons en-
plOyed in manufacture 80 years ago.
This number had grown to 9,SSO,OOO
in 1926-1927, representing gain of
S6.5 per cent But here, as in min
ing, the output of the worker in
creased enormously. The increased
output per worker in manufacture is
almost exactly so per cent.
In rail transportation the number
of workers increased from $4,000 in
1S9S-19OO to 1,S65,OOO, an increase of
91.5 per cent and the output per cap
tia rose 81 per cent during this time
Agriculture Shows Decline.
Agriculture also forged ahead in the
output per capita as well as in gross
production. The quantitative output
in 1926-1927 was &c per cent greater
than 80 years previous. Nothwith-
standing this progress in production
the number of workers in agriculture
| declined There were 100000
workers in agriculture in 1S9S-19OO
and 10, 100000 in 1926-1927, a decrease
of per cent.
The above does not, however fully
illustrate the rapid growth of labor
saving devices and other things which
operate to make the worker more eff
ficient and increase the output. The
most rapid growth has been during
the past ten years. Though the work
err in agriculture increased his eff
cheney during the 80 years period dis
cussed above, by far the greater pro-
gress has been made since. the War.
From 191S-192O to 1926-1927, the
number of workers in agriculture fell
from 100000 to 1O,500,O00, de-
crease of per cent. In mining, the
number of workers employed re-
manned stationery, with the workers
output increasing in the 10 years by