Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1930-10-30
FROM OUR EXCHANGES
Editorial Comment From Other News
papers, Which May or May Not
Conform With the Opinions
of the AskOv American.)
WHY FARMERS LOSE OUT

Farm organizations declare that
boards of trade and other big inter-
ests are hard at work in an attempt
to discredit the federal farm board
because it is encouraging co-operat-
ing farm organizations, which give
the farmers better marketing results.
If the farmers of the country were as
effectually organized in teamwork as
are the big interests and the boards
of trade, they would come nearer get
ting a square DEAL st. Cloud Times
Journal
(Replying to the above Editor Fay
Cravens of the Mile Laos County
Times, writes as follows:)
1t is easy enough to say that farm
ers should organize to protect their
interests from big business, but it
is another thing to organize them eff
fectively when it comes to competing
with the wealth controlled and con-
solidated by the spectators in farm
products. What chance have the
farmers to do anything in CONNER
cial way with their scanty means
against the accumulated wealth that
has been skinned off from the hand
ling of their products? And the spec
ulators control the making of the
laws through their political power
firmly entrenched in the old political
parties to which they contribute large
sums of money as an investment"
Many farmers realize that without
political control so that favorable
laws can be made. they can do little
with controlling the marketing of
their products. Until they do use
their political power >solidly they
will always find their efforts to con-
troll the marketing of their products
checkmated by big business, which
not only has the wealth necessary to
control the markets, but have the
political power to prevent real legis-
lation for farm relief.
The farmers tried to consolidate
their political power by forming the
Populist party forty years ago. And
also by organizing the Nonpartisan
League in later years. That these
movements meant a whole lot to the
interest of the farmers is proven by
the strenuous fight made against
them all by the minions of organized
greed and wealth in this nation that
has profited in the past by exploit
ing their products. These move
ments brought out a solid and I'M
broken opposition from the big in
terests and their tremendous wealth
and political power was used unstint-
eddy to destroy the farmers efforts to
gain some political control
And all of the newspapers, with
very few exceptions, joined in the hue
and cry against farmers organizing
to exercise their political power the
same as had been done by big bust
ness ever since the nation had come
into existence. The big interests
knew what political solidarity among
the farmers would mean. 1t would
mean the loss of huge profits to
be made in specializing in farmers
products if the farmers could get
power enough to control the hand
ling and marketing of their products
so they could sell their stuff as fin
ished goods instead of as raw ma
terial
Urging farmers to organize to fight
the big and powerful interests that
are in complete political control of
the nation, by merely forming sell
ing corporations for disposing of
their raw material, will accomplish
little for farm relief. That is the
thing big business wants, is for the
farmers to organize a lot of little
cooperative organizations to do bust