Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1933-10-05
FARMERS UNION
LEADER DWELLS
ON ECONOMICS
Robert Miller, Socialist, Says Pro-
posed Farm Strike Must be Against
Speculative Market.

Robert Miller of Underwood, presi-
dent of the Minnesota Farmers Union,
speaking before a Farmers Holiday
unit meeting at the D. B. S. hall in
Askov last night, said that the eco
nomic conditions are serious and it
is up to the masses with their leaders
to correct the situation. Each day
last year 500 farmers lost their farms
and homes through foreclosure and
the country is drifting toward peas
antry.
The speaker said that the Farmers
ton and where there are strong
Farmers Union organizations the Hol-
iday movement is also strong. He
told of the farm sale at Milbank, S.
D., where about $4,000 worth of chat
tells sold for $6.4O through the inter-
ceding of the Holiday workers, this
being brought about on account of
the unfair method in which the farm
err was being foreclosed. Only a few
men bid and others were politely but
definitely told not to bid or they we're
removed from the crowd.
But getting sales deferred where
the farmer is not getting just deal
is not solving the economic problem.
said the speaker. Proper legislation
must be secured. The Peoples party
years ago had good program but the
Democrats swallowed it. There must
be organizing on economic grounds,
continued Mr. Miller, and said that
Ford will not ship a carload of autos
here to have the dealers accept what
the buyer will pay. The manufac-
get his remuneration from the job
Der, from there the hand goes into
the pocket of the wholesaler, then to
the retailer and finally to the farmer
who is the shock absorber. The circle
should be completed so the farmer
can put his hand into the pocket of
the manufacturer and thus it would
percolate all around. If there is no
use for the industrial worker he is
discarded like worn out glove.
The money system was dwelt upon
briefly by the speaker. He said that
gold is not a useful article and eX-
planned the trade check system by the
American Trade Exchange where
farm products are exchanged for work
clothes, the farmers getting from 20
to 80 per cent above market price for
their products. 1t has had a begin
ming at st. Paul and Underwood and
is perfectly legal manner of issuing
trade checks.
Dwelling on cooperation Mr.. Miller
scored that type where farmers CO.
operative elevators sell to the old
gang and where cooperative filling
stations sell Phillips sc gasoline when
they can go right down the line and
trade with their own cooperative or.
CARNATIONS. A cooperative packing
plant has been in existence at Fergus
Falls for 25 years and better prices
for butter have prevailed where there
are cooperative creameries.
| The pitiful condition of coal miners
in West Virginia, their small wages
buying at company stores, not per
mitted to belong to unions for theil
own. protection, not to gather II
crowds, completely whipped and sur
rendered to the system, was pictured
by the speaker. He also described
the slums of New York and Philadel
phia-the city of brotherly love-an(
said that if we wait till these folk!
rise to change conditions it will b.
revolution with bloodshed. Folks ART
geniuses at production but illiterate'
at economy. Monkeys do not starv'
when there are nuts on the trees
A cooperative commonwealth must b.
built.
ARRANGEMENTS Must be Complete.
Mr.. Miller said that the Farmer
Union is with the Farmers HOlida.
Association in the proposed farm
strike, but the strike must be agains
the speculative market. Great car
must be exercised that folks in tn
cities do not starve and that all ar
rangements are complete for If not
will be working right into the hand
of the predatory interests to set al
army against the farmers.
The Farmers Union is backing tn
Holiday Association in their effort
to bring about some test cases Il
court to cut farm mortgages in pro
portion to the value of farms today
Mr.. Miller suggested several time
that he would be glad to answer ques