Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1932-05-19


type. Mr.. Newman, think, was about
SIS years old. He told me he was not in
debt, his farm was clear, and that
he maintained this beautiful home
with no other income than that from
his 500 acres of land.
visited q medium sized farm owned
by a Mr.. Larsen. 1t contained 80
acres. He had a beautiful place. His
house was we'll arranged and had 10
rooms, We visited a number of what
are called the small farmers. They
consisted of farms from 10 = to 80
acres. All of these farms were well
kept. The yards and gardens looked
like they were professionally land
scaped. There were no dilapidated or
rundown buildings. In fact, practi-
cally all buildings in Denmark are of
stone, brick, or tile, and all roofs are
either tile, slate. or matched. |
thought a matched roof would be
short-lived, but to my surprise l found
that they last from 30 to SO years;
much longer than shingles in this
country.
For Cooperation.
The State furnishes an abundance
of schools but farmers add to these
many cooperative institutions Of
learning that they own and operate
just like they do their cheese fac
tories or creameries. They told me
nj Stn Of
ton. They started to practice CO.
operation about rs years ago. When
they started just Is per cent of the
farmers owned the farms on which
they lived; S5 per cent were tenants.
After rs years of cooperation, that
situation has been reversed. Today
IS per cent of the farmers of Den
mark own the farms on which they
live; just Is per cent are tenants. In
this country Is years ago more than
IS per cent of our farmers owned
their homes; today less than half of
the farmers of this nation own their
homes. In Denmark 50 per cent of
the farm homes have electricity, tele-
phone, radio, running water. In fact,
they are modern. In this country less
than 10 per cent have these things.
In some of the Southern States less
than 1 per cent of the farm homes are
modern. In Denmark dairy farmer
sells all his products to some farmers
cooperative. He can not sell any
other place because there is no other
place to sell. The hog raisers do not
take their hogs to some private dealer.
They sell them to some farmers CO.
operative packing plant, because there
is no other place to sell to. The
farmers are nearly 100 per cent in
their farmers union class Organiza-
ton and practically 100 per cent in
their farmers cooperative marketing
organizations. The farmer who pro-
duces hogs in Denmark knows before
the pigs are born what he is to get
for them when they are ready for the
market.
L. S. Farmer Should Organize.
The population of Denmark is about
three millions, one million of which
live in the city of Copenhagen, an
other million in the towns and small
er cities, and one million out on the
farms. The farmers of Denmark are
about the same percentage of the
total population of that country as the
farmers are of this country. In this
country, through lack of organization,
farmers have very little to say about
the affairs of our State and National
Governments. In Denmark, through
100 per cent organization, they dOmi
nate all governmental affairs. They
have king in Denmark, but Mr..
Staining, prime minister, who is an
eX-president of their Farmers Union,
writes the messages of the king and
tells him where to sign. Those farm
ers are only one-third of the popula-
ton of their country, but, through
organization, control all legislation.
The farmers here are one-third of the
population of the country, but through
lack of organization we are about the
weakest group in national legislation.
Denmark should be a lesson to the
farmers of this country We should
get into our class organization 100
per cent, and then market all of our
products through our own co-opera-
tive business institutions.
When we do this, our just part in
the affairs of government will follow
as night the day. If we were organ
lied 100 per cent, as are the farmers
of Denmark, no president would write
message to Congress without con-
sulting the farmers of the nation; no
Congressman or Senator would pro-
pose "a bill for agriculture that did
not have the Endorsement of the farm
ers of the nation. 1t is up to you
farmers listening in to join your class
organization, the Farmers Union. 1t
is up to you listening in who are
members to get those who are not
members into the organization.
We farmers must not blame the
bankers. the merchants. the LAWYERS