Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1934-04-19
WE MUST GO FORWARD
Editor Askov American:

Editor ASkOV Amerlcan:
Well, we are back safe and sound
once more and got little different
slant on things how they really are
back there in the States, and how
the new deal is really working. Of
course my general idea has not
changed about the necessity for In
flatiOn, redistribution of wealth, ETC.,
however, | am a little more inclined
to hesitate to criticise what the ad-
ministration is doing. They can not
go faster than the general public can
follow and understand, but l returned
to Alaska with the conviction that
the ground work is being laid derOga-
tory to the selfish interest of about
ten per cent of the people and dis
tinctly beneficial to the other ninety
per cent.
Alaska is the same as ever, every
thing still high up here. Beer is
fifty cents pint and the other neces-
stiles of life are cOrrespondingly high.
But the old sourdoughs don't worry
about the future or money too much,
and after | saw what happened
to some of the old settlers of Mime
sofa, who had saved and scratched
for life time neglected the comfort
and welfare of themselves and their
thing in bank or business failures,
| am inclined to think that too much
stress has been laid on money, on
monetary values and not enough on
human comfort and happiness. Money
is after all just medium of ex-
change, when used as such it is valu-
able, when used otherwise, it is a
curse.
A political campaign is fast ap-
preaching and soon the voters must
decide for themselves whether they
want to revert to the past, with all
its misery and fallacies, or whether
they want to go forward unafraid into
the future where there are pOssibil-
tiles of better things in tangible
sense of the word. Those who expect
to get all the rewards of merit in
the next world, may be resigned, but
those of us who expect to live in a
reasonable degree of comfort in this
world (and why not?) want to go
ahead. The past to us should be
closed, in spite of the fact time soon
dims memory and the unpleasant
things of the past are soon forgotten.
Judging by what l read, hear and
see, the Republican party points to
the past; they want to go back to
the gold standard, they want to go
back to the Good Old Days ca
Yes, where a few live high and the
rest, no matter how deserving, are
consigned to everlasting travail.
Some of the members of the Demo-
cratic party especially from Mime
sofa are no better, they think in the
terms of the past, to them states
the people, and grabbing soft pOlit-
ical jobs for some of their undeserv-
ing henchmen. They should be re-
tired and put out of the limelight
once and for all All a person has
to do is to look up the Congressional
Record and see who the real friends
of the dear people really are. But
don't let them explain, for some peo-
pie can explain everything, even
murder. Now is the time where men
with courage can do good work, just
go after the artificial things OF life,
strip the hypocrisy of the old humbugs
and show them in their true light
as they are-hopeless, deceiving,
hypocritical, Inefficient, and wanton.
A big play will be enacted this
summer when the CWA, MIRA and
other governmental agencies which
were absolutely essential will come
under fire. The old moss backs of
both parties will attempt to show the
terrible waste, etc. They don't realize
that people have to eat every day.
The CWA saved the situation this
winter, if it had not been for this
organization l can't see what would
have happened to most of the unem-
ployed and their families.
Any time, any one has the illusion
that industry will ever be able to
PICK up oil Tic unemployed uC ~
thoroughly deluded, if, generally I'M
employment is to be prevented the
government must carry on all kinds
of public works and I'm this country
there is plenty room for public i'm
provements. Wherever money accum-
ulates it should Immediately be taxed
back into the public treasury. No
one, under any circumstances, should
be allowed to sit and control wealth
which he can not probably utilize.
All wealth belongs to the government
and anyone who holds wealth is mere
ly custodian of same, if it is not
properly used, or the government
needs it, it should be the govern
ment's perfect right to take it. With
| regards.
S. ]. SIMONSEN.
Chitina, Alaska.