Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1933-03-09
A CALL TO ARMS

Governor Floyd B. Olson gave
much food for thought in his let
ter to President Franklin ID.
Roosevelt at the conference OF
Governors Monday. The governor
in his characteristic manner hit
straight from the shoulder at our
industrial and financial leaders
and invited the country's eco
nomists to come out in the open
with their thoughts and SuggeS-
tions to cure the country's ills.
Let them forget they have jobs
to safeguard said the governor
What Governor Olson urged is
logical and we'll thought out and
we offer the entire letter to our
readers as follows:
My dear President:
Permit me to congratulate you on
your most excellent inaugural address
and your keen grasp of the serious
ness of our economic crisis. l am
sorry that banking conditions in Min
nesOta made it necessary for me to
return home after having started out
to attend the conference of governors.
am strongly inclined to the belief
that what we are suffering from today
is not a depression at ALL in the gen.
orally accepted use of the term, not
one of the customary ups and downs
of business, but a condition brought
about, and naturally SO. by an essen
TALLY faulty social and economic
order.
Our method of distributing wealth
is wrong, as witness our inability to
utilize the products of the machine
for the benefit of the great masses of
our people. To say the industrial and
business paralysis is caused by over
production, by the creation of too
much wealth. is an admission that
our entire economic structure rests
on an error, house built on foun-
dation laid in quicksand.
In this crisis the absence of con-
structive thought from our leaders in
industry would present an element of
humor, in view of their previous at
tacks upon congress, were it not for
the tragedy of having heretofore in
trusted our material destinies to
them. While it is obvious that the
standard of living of the average man
and woman must be raised If we are
to consume the products of the ma
chine, these leaders have further ag-
gravated conditions by slashing wages
and beating down our living STAN
dards. And now, with failure so
plainly writ for them, they are pray
ing to that same congress to show
them the way out.
Would Scrap Leaders.
1t is time we scrap our Industrial
and financial leaders. No salvation
to the country can come from them.
1t is time our economists, who should
speak out frankly. Let them forget
they have jobs to safeguard. The
country should be more important to
them than their jobs. Let them say
some Of the things out loud that they
are now saying i'm subdued whispers
or merely thinking.
If the so-called depression deepens,
StioHSly " yOus 3'AA
President, that the government take
over and operate the key industries
of this country. Put the people back
to work. If necessary to relieve pub
lie suffering, the government should
not hesitate to go as far as to con-
script wealth. The welfare Of the
public is paramount to all considera-
tions.
Urges Rescue Of Depositors.
Banks have not been operated for
the benefit of depositors. The inter-
ests of speculative borrowers have
been of greater Importance. The
financial structure of the private
money-changers became paralyzed on
March 4. In fact, If not in law, we
are now off the gold standard, which
constituted their financial religion.
The country is under no obligation
to the money-changers. Let us rescue
the depositors. Stricter regulation,
confinement to a regular banking bus
mess and full or partial guarantee Of
the deposits by the government will
accomplish this.
You will pardon me for departing
from the outline of your letter. l
was inspired to do so by the fearless,