Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1935-01-24
FARM HOLIDAY NEWS
BY H. SANDELL, Secretary.

We have been asked why we as a
farm organization, should support
measures for unemployment insurance.
will try to give you few pointers
on this issue. We should first realize
that the breadline and soup kitchens
are very poor market places for farm
produce, and for that reason the in
dustrial worker must be provided with
the means whereby he will be able to
buy. Whether it be work, which of
course is best by far, or it must be
unemployment and social insurance.
Subsistence homesteads are not going
to help conditions very much if any,
and furthermore, in our point of view
it is competing with the actual farm
err, where instead the worker should
have steady employment or be taken
care of by industry when laid off, as
he is the one that produced the goods.
Why is he not entitled to make use
of his own maerial that he has pro-
duced? The last four years of de-
preston together with the fact that
all efforts at recovery have left US
win an army of ten millions without
regular work, has convinced us that
We face the need of managing indus
try and government in the interest of
common good and welfare instead of
permitting a few under the plea of
individual initiative to exploit all of
us for their own benefit and greed for
profit.
1t is about time that workers and
farmers learn to know the fundamen-
tai principles of economies and band
themselves together to prevent ex-
ploitation and demand not only cost
of production but full profit from their
toll.
We have appealed to you farmers
to join us. Why do you stand back?
Has not the CHASTITY experience of
1933-34 behind us made known the
need? With thousands of barns and
granaries empty of forage and grain,
with millions of head of cattle, hogs
and sheep prematurely slaughtered,
shot and buried or dumped in the riv-
ers and sewers with more thousands
of cattle and horses and poultry
doomed to die of starvation, with mil
lions upon millions of pounds of farm
products being imported into this
country; with millions of people living
on pitiful rations of food and with
the nation standing on the very brink
of food shortage, it is time we need
to do something. The cry of Henry
Wallace is reduce, there is still over
productions! The 1885 hog contracts
will be here. and Henry is buying
more cattle, paying the American
farmer the price for a cow about the
same as what they pay the Canadian
farmer for ton Of hay, and we have
been told that we can not get feed
unless we borrow money and buy feed.
Now then, if there is feed to buy, why
then buy the cattle, why not buy the
feed and feed the, cattle?
l just read the Presidents message
to Congress, wherein he, in the budget
for the coming fiscal year, asks for
$500, 100000 to take care of our lux
ury, the army and navy. as quoted in
the Pathfinder; an increase of $780,
100000, largest amount in peace time
history. l wonder if he really thinks
of the suffering that prevails in the
industrial centers caused by unem-
ployment. Why such huge sums to be
spent for only one purpose? To de-
stroy. In case of war, of course, but
do people really want war to end the
If a a x q
things and conditions better? No. We
should demand that there be no money
spent for the building of warships or
any other war machines as long as
people are in need and want Of food
and clothing and drouth stricken
farmers cattle are in need of feed.
Write to our senators and congress
men and demand this.
The struggle that we have to face
in the future is not a pathway of
roses, it means work, to get the farm
er and worker to stick and stay or
ganized together. There is no place in
the battle that lies ahead for coward
ly Indifference. There is a place for
every man, woman and youth who be-
GeveS in honesty and fair treatment,
and again l am asking, have the cour-
age to stand up and be counted as a
member of an organization that stands
free from political prejudice; an or
ganization that has, and will fight
the battle for the small farmer, as
Pine county concerns at least. Will
you help US? We need you. and you
need US.