Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1935-12-12
FOR INCOME TAX

Editor Askov American:
l have noticed that many people,
even such as having good school
the high figures we read In the papers
really represent. They know that {,
million is ten hundred thousands,
and billion is thousand times that.
We will see what the large figures
really mean.
l have heard somebody claiming
that man can earn a million dollars
and become a millionaire by honest
work. We will give him 40 years to
do it; that is from the time he is 20
until 60 years of age. and during tina.
time he is doing actual work 800 days
every year. Then he will have no
time to be out of work, for sickness or
vacation. Even if he could earn $50
a day every day at that rate during
that time, he would be 81 900 short
of a million. and with the cost CT liy
ing subtracted from it, he would be
very much short. and no one could,
by his work, produce SS3 worth of
wealth in a day and keep that up.
Oh yes! it is said: He could by bust
have saved up. But the question is
what he can earn, but not what he
can figure out of others work.
This drawing profit out of others
work is the real cause of the depres-
sion, and the only remedy to end the
depression must be first to remove
the cause of it, and, as in other sick
ness, nature will help ITSELF but to
keep on practi,ing the same as
brought it on; there is no cure for it.
When l came to this country Sc
years ago, | was told by a man who
| worked for, that every one had an
| opportunity to get rich. The most of
ing and now some of them were good
for a million or more, he said; but
the S12 month that this farmer paid
me for five months in the summer
could not give me start toward get
| ting rich, when | had a wife to sup
port it was only for scant living for
her.
| HC OHC q dl lIldl
time was said to be rich; now they
shall have at least that much profit
in a year to be considered rich, and
it has happened that 500 persons each
had an income of from 81 900 900 up
to S15,O0O,000 in year. Such is
the cause of the depression.
Under normal times, the average
earning of worker is $500 year.
By that. the one with S1,OOO,OOO in
come took all that 1.25O fami les
should have to live on The one
with S15,000,00O income took all that
1880 families should have to live
on for one year. This shows the mean
ing of the large figures). And down
the line from that to what a family
needs for good living and comfort,
was also taken by the profiteers. No
wonder that the result of it was idle
ness. over-production and depression.
That was done legally, except lit
tie graft here and there, so the small
percentage of the people who are the
holders of nearly all the wealth are
the legal owners of it. | have mott G 4
that the taking of profit has been done
with increasing force during the Sc
years | have been i'm this country; so
the depression was not unexI ected for
me.
l have said for years that it was
sure to come. So far. nothing has
been done to get out of it. The only
thing done has been to manage it SO
as to exist in it. and that has been
done by running the people as a whole
into more debt, but what can be
done? The constitution fort ids con
fiscation. and also the passing of a
law to alter contracts already made,