Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1931-08-20


available for the masses. A reduction
of one hour per day in the principal
Industries would absorb nearly all of
our idle workers. These self-sustain-
ing workers would begin to buy but
ter, eggs and other products of the
farm and factory. Business would
speed up, and the increased demand
would result in the employment of
those who come in from the agricul-
tural districts. Conditions would be-
come normal or at least much better.
Money now hidden away in tin cans or
frozen in savings banks would come
out and pass from hand to hand in
the payment of debts and the purchase
of products. The shift Of population
from the country to the city, and the
ability of the city population to buy
farm products, would bring about the
adjustment which is now so sadly
needed. Life would again be worth
living, not only for the producer, but
for the city consumer as we'll.
The question that pops up in the
minds of people is this: How can the
employers of labor afford to carry the
burden of reduced hours? The an
swer might well be that we have gone
through reductions before to our ad-
vantage, and we can do it again. The
change would be an adjustment in
line with progress and in harmony
with justice. The present situation
is out of tune, and we will not have
good times on the farm or in the city
until this horrible nightmare of I'M
employment has been adjusted upon
a permanent basis.
More WOrkers-Less Charity.
There may be some employers of
labor so situated that they would find
it difficult to Immediately fall in line
upon Z hour basis. But would it
bother Ford, or the Steel Industries,
or the International Harvester Com
pany, or the Meat Industries, or the
Public Utilities Corporations. or STAN
dard Oil, just for illustration, to put
their employees upon reduced hour
basis? BY reducing somewhat the
high salaries paid and the bonuses
allowed, and by being satisfied with
just little smaller profits, they could
carry the increased cost of a larger
payroll. To further offset the ex-
pense of an increased payroll, there
would be a decrease in charity con-
tributions and an increase in business
that would result from having the
entire population upon normal con-
Stunning basis.
If it should be necessary to increase
the cost of the manufactured product
in order to pay the greater number Of
men employed, let the increase be
made. The slight increase that might
be necessary would be small price
to pay in order to place 100000
human beings, including millions of
innocent, helpless children, upon a
plane of Independent, decent self
respecting living. When we stop to
consider that in America milk and
honey flows in abundance, we must
and will take care of all human beings
in some way. 1t is unthinkable that
women and children shall be per-
mitted to starve or freeze in this land
of plenty. When we have reached this
unavoidable conclusion, the inevitable
answer is that it is far better to pro-
vide the necessary support through
the means of labor than to provide a
miserable living handed out in the
form of dole or uncertain charity.
Honest labor, fairly paid, leads to
happy homes and a satisfied people.
The denial of a chance to work leads
to a chain of tragedy, injustice, chaos
and destruction.
Is it not time that we all 60 down