Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1934-10-18
Beautiful Aut umn Day
Draws People for Miles
to Event.
Governor Olson and High
way Commissioner Els
berg are Speakers.

ABOUT IOUU duLOmODlleS, trucks ana
buses carrying approximately 5000
men, women and children gathered
at the new Kettle river bridge and
park west of AskOv Saturday after
noon. The object of this fine gather
ing was the dedication of the new
three-mile stretch of highway and
270-foot bridge which spans Kettle
river affording an outlet to the pave
ment for hundreds of people in the
northeastern section of Pine county.
State Dignitaries Officiate.
Svend Petersen of Askov, was chair
man of the committee in charge of
the dedication ceremonies and ad-
dressed the large gathering from a
platform in the center of the bridge
which was equipped with amplifiers.
Mr.. Petersen told of the purpose of
the event and in the absence of L. P.
Zimmerman, deputy state administra-
tor of the State Emergency Relief
Administration, officially dedicated
the Kettle river park which has al
ready made name for itself "in the
sun" by affcrding hundreds a happy
recreation ground in the late summer.
ElSberg Speaks.
The chairman introduced N. w. Els
berg, state highway commissioner,
who gave a few remarks as to the
conduct of the highway department
and gave hope to the people in this
section by saying that during the
first part of November contract will
be let for four more miles of highway
leading from mile west of Askov to
three miles north. Mr.. Elsberg also
laid stress on the Importance of vot-
ing in the affirmative on Amendment
No. 1, which ratifies the action taken
by the last legislature in adding to
the trunk highway system. The i'm
portance of this being ratified by
majority of the votes cast in the
November 9Th election is seen because
then Is per cent of the system must
be improved before more additions
are made and it would keep the addi-
tions already made intact in the
system.
Governor Dedicates Bridge.
Representative Hjalmar Petersen
introduced Governor Floyd B. Olson
who, after a few pertinent remarks
clipped the ribbon as shown by the
accompanying picture, thus officially
opening the new bridge to traffic.
Governor Olson said he thought of
the road and bridge not as a project
of dirt, gravel and steel, but as a
mark of progress of the human
race. He launched into a discussion
as to how wealth had gradually con-
centrated into the hands of the few
saying that the few gradually had
garnered more and more while the
many received less and less for their
labors and thus had slowly lost their
buying power until the depression was
inevitable. Foreclosures had multi
piled and bread lines had increased
in size and numbers until the only
prosperity which existed was enjoyed
by very few at the top while the
many at the bottom were gradually
eating up what equities they had
saved.
He stated that the progressives are
trying to pass legislation which will
equalize the situation and keep the
masses from want.
The speaker said that farmer does
not turn out his horses in the slack
season without food just because he
has no work for them to do, but that
has been and is happening to workers
in industry today. After the services
of the workers can be dispensed with
they are let go and either find them
selves in bread lines or are forced to
use up what little resources they have
saved because there is not work for
them.
I'VE say this is wrong" said the
governor, and stated that there was
introduced in the 1888 session of the
legislature the Unemployment Insur-
ance bill which would set aside funds
in normal times to take care of the
employees in time of stress. This bill
was defeated by big business" with
the insinuation that it was just an
other scheme of Olson's to put the
iron heel on industry. Roosevelt is
favorable toward such insurance and
Secretary of Labor Francis Perkins
has said that it would put cushion
on a depression.
Called Communism.
Governor Olson stated that he and
the Farmer-Laborites have been
called communists just because they
would make old people comfortable
and would take care of the sick. To
keep people off the bread lines and
to help the downtrodden is program
of communism the daily press and OPP
ponents would have the public be-
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