Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1932-06-30

built along this road so as to De con-
yeniently accessible to the school.
creamery and stores which should be
in the center of the colony.
In regard to taxes for the support
of the government of the community
a consistent effort should be made in
advance to keep them down. BY all
means the burden of bonded indebted
ness should be kept down and a policy
of pay as you go" should be adhered
to by the colony government. The
colony, would, of course, bear its reg
ular share of state and county taxes.
Commission Government.
Perhaps the best form of govern
ment for such colony would be
commission form of government with
five commissioners and a manager,
which commission could combine all
the functions of government now ex-
ercised by town and school govern
ments.
The five commissioners should be
elected at large from the colony and
these five should choose the manager.
The colony should have a charter
with power vested in the commits
sioners to pass suitable ordinances
from time to time for the govern
ment of the colony. Many things
would have to be determined by this
governing body concerning such gov
eminent functions as maintainence
of roads, schools, health rules and
regulations of the colony.
The families to make up such a
colony would need to be carefully
selected. First, they should be
selected from the standpoint of health
of the head of the family, for there
will be plenty of work and only men
of health and vigor should take their
families into such project. Secondly.
only families who are enthusiastic
for such an undertaking should be
selected and before choosing to come
into such a colony the head of the
family should thoroughly understand
what were the rules and regulations
that he and his family would come
| under. There should also be uniform
| ity in the matters of nationality and
religion. If of one national descent,
so much the better, and if of one re-
| ligion it would be easier to establish
one community church near the COM
munity center. The colony should,
however, be essentially American In
concepts of government and religion
with charity and tolerance toward
| others.
The establishment of the homes in
such a colony would require capital
| from some source, with modest houses
being constructed in advance for the
colonists which the families could
| purchase on easy payments. There
are such agencies as the churches,
| community chests of the large cities,
private individuals or groups or even
the state governments, which might
supply the capital for starting such
colonies, but funds supplied and
placed into the project ought to be
in the nature of revolving fund that
once paid out in the establishment
of the colony would eventually work
back to the fund through the industry
of the members.
1 have in mind the establishment
of colony of 4S families to be located
on eighty acre tracts.
| To Get Out In Open.
Much planning would need to be
done in advance in the matter OF
establishing such a colony and it
would be we'll for those establishing
it to first make survey of the some
what similar ventures which have
been made in the United States, SO
that their successes might be profited
by and their failures avoided. The
object of the colony would be to get
people out of the cities into the open
country where they might enjoy the
wholesome benefits of rural life in
stead of the congestion of large cities
Briefly stated, the essential fea-
lures of colonization necessary for OBJ
tanning the detectives are as follows:
| 1. Building and establishing the
farm homes conveniently located with
respect to each other and a COM
munity center.
z. Selling or the farm homes at an
attractive price and on long terms
A low rate of interest.
3. Keep taxes down to minimum
and avoid long term bond issues.
4. Public ownership and operation
of the essential businesses of the
colony.
5. Cooperative marketing.
6. Restriction of the sale of farms
by the owners once in the colony sc
as to prevent inflated values of the
land or land speculation in the colony
Z. Health service and provision fol
the care of aged persons.
AS a pleasant-faced woman passed
| xha N, tonnhn6 hic