Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1933-05-18
OTHERS HAVE STRUCK

T.
A good cOmmon-Sensed editorial
from the Capital Times of Madi-
son, Wis.,, i'm their issue of May
18th, has been sent to the AskOy
American by Pine county farm
er with the request that it be
published here. The editorial
which is headed, What the
Farmers Must Face" brings out
that other groups of American
citizens have stood up for their
rights and went on strike or
threatened to strike when they
felt the economic pinch and with
far less reasons for striking than
the farmers. The article follows:
the farmers who are going on strike
in order to enforce the cost of pro-
ductiOn i'm the price of milk will be
numerically pounded by the news
papers. Already the newspapers are
beginning to heap criticism upon the
farmers for undertaking such a revo-
lutiOnary plan. 1t is obvious that this
attack will meet with a sympathetic
respond from public that will view
with alarm any plan to deny a basic
food to the people. We shall hear
plenty of propaganda about the denial
of milk to babies, invalids, hospitals,
and the infirm.
The Capital Times is not altogether
satisfied that the farmers are follow
ing the proper course in achieving
their ends. But neither are we sat
isfied that other group interests in
the United States have followed the
proper course in achieving THEIR
ends. What The Capital Times is in
terested in at the moment is that
different yardstick shall not be ap-
piled to farmers than that applied
to other groups who have sought
in questionable ways to meet the
problems brought on by the depres-
sion.
The Capital Times would be the
first to denOunce any proposal to deny
milk or food to babies. the sick, the
intirm, and those must have the great
est of all foods. But we do not under
stand that the farmers themselves are
subscribing to any such proposal and
il is known that they are making
preparations to see to it that no such
eventuality will come.
But why are the newspapers and
the selfish interests that have been
exploiting the farmer for 10 years
now so quick on the trigger in de-
nouncing the farmer? We wish it
were possible to get the number of
families in Wisconsin whose homes
were arbitrarily cut off without gas
and light when they were unable
longer to pay their utility bills. Is
there anyone who will deny that thou
sands in Wisconsin, including babies,
the sick, and the infirm. suffered pri-
vatiOns during the past winter when
their gas and light was cut off be-
cause they couldn't pay the gas and
electric bills? Figures on file at the
capitol show that many of these util-
tiles are making profits almost equal
to the pre-depression period. Was
any furOre raised when the utilities
visited these hardships upon Wiscon-
sins unfortunates? Did public Of
ficials rush into the press and get on
the radio to denounce utilities that
had gone on strike against sick
babies and unfortunate people whose
homes were broken?
Examine, too, the cases of other
group interests.
The railroads, waterlogged and
begged down by the stock market
manipulations of Wall street. couldn't
keep things going. They went to
with the threat that
transportation in the country would
be paralyzed unless the government
came across with millions of dollars.
In order to avoid a transportation
strike, the Reconstruction Finance
poured millions of dollars
into the railroad Golfers.
Take the banks:
They went on strike. They re-
fused to give the depositors the money
which belonged to the depos itors. The
bankers went to the government with
the threat that the entire financial
structure of the country would come
down unless Uncle Sam
came to their rescue to the tune of
billions of dollars.
Take the insurance companies. |
They went on strike. They refused
to meet their contractual obligations
which provided that the holders of
their policies could borrow money on
these policies. The federal and state
governments quickly interviewed to
grant THEIR demands.
And so on and on.
Whenever the big interests have