Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1933-10-05
By OSWALD GARRISON WILLARD

If a liberal looks at Washington
with his mind free of prejudice, he
sees much to marvel at and be CRATE
full for. He sees that a wholly new
spirit has entered the government
buildings; that whether all the meas
ures being undertaken are wise or
unwise, just or unjust, at least gen.
uine effort is being made to serve the
interests of the whole of the people
and to make every possible effort to
rescue the country from the slough
of economic despond. One has only
to contrast the Roosevelt administra-
tion with that which preceded it to
measure the change. One single in
cident will, l think, illustrate the
complete change in orientation which
has taken place: Not long ago our
steel kings, or their representatives,
were called down to Washington,
herded into room, and there lee
tured like so many school boys by
General Johnson, the head of the
NRA 1t was something that has not
happened before in our economic his
tory. These are the men who have
been in the habit of giving orders
to the United States government, ex-
cept during brief intervals. They
have dictated the tariffs, put up the
money for the Republican and Demo
cratic campaign funds, and have
called the governments tune-they
and their prototypes in other lines
of industry. But this time they were
told what they had to dO-to use a
slang phrase-where they got off. If
anything spells a revolution in our
life, this does! And all along the
line to similar powerful groups OF
capitalists the Roosevelt administra-
ton has been ready to fling down the
gauntlet.
Wiping Out Abuses.
Then l want to take off my hat to
the administrations courage and de-
termination in undertaking on shot
notice, the most gigantic peace-time
undertaking in our history-the max
ing over of our entire industry. The
president has flung overheard the
antitrust law, and has wrung from
Congress, the power whether he ap-
plies it or MOTTO wipe out the worst
abuses of our industrial system, cut
throat competition, underhand a.C
unfair practices of every kind and de
scription Whether by accident OF
design, l believe the former, he has
abolished child labor. He has nov
regulated the hours and wages o
labor in all the industries in the lane
not always properly--but that is fal
less important for the moment thar
the fact that the great government
of the United States has definitel!
interviewed in the relationship between
capital and labor, not because of
threatening strike or single indus
trial emergency, but all along TIT
line.
Yesterday we saw the aston1shin,
spectacle of a government ofnc1a
handing in his resignation to Genera
johnson because the general woul'
not scrap all the existing unions ant
build new unions in each 1ndustr,
vertically. General Johnson himsel
has officially declared In Boston tina
rugged individualiSm is dead II
America. Doesn't that make you ru
your eyes? Isn't that proof of revo
luton? This week l received lette
from a well-known liberal writer, jus
back from a careful study in Wash
fngton of the NRA, declaring tina
believe it or not" we are actuall
seeing the government at work build
ing up great labor organization Il
the United States. Already the union
report an access of millions of ne,
members. Most important of all, II
the National Recovery Act itself, tn
government has laid down the prin
ciple that the workers have the RICH
to organize in any way that they sc
At, and that their employers mus
deal with them, whether they wis
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