Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1935-03-14
Harold Peterson Speaks Before
Recent PIT. A. Meeting
in ASkOv.
BY Osborne
q Western Newspaper Union

At a joint meeting of the Askov
Adult Education classes and the Par
ent-Teachers Association Harold Pc
terson of the State Agricultural De-
partment, was present and talked on
the subject, (which Way American"
Mr.. Peterson pointed out that the
only way out is through producers
and consumers cooperation. In point
ing out the methods used in getting
the country out of this depression
Mr.. Peterson told a story of four men
in stalled car. One man thought
their trouble was in the gas, another
thought it was in the ignition and a
third thought the car would surely
start if they would fix the transmits
sion, but the fourth one, who had
listened to the argument for some
time, suggested that they might get
out and lift the hood and see what
the trouble was. The others called
him a radical. What is the trouble
with the present system? asked the
speaker and then answered by saying
that we should lift up the hood and
see.
Age of Profit.
In his discussion the speaker took
his audience back to the early days
of this country when the people pro-
duced for their own use and for their
own use only. They made their own
instruments and soon there came a
time when one man could make a
wagon better than any one else and
finally he was secured to make wagons
for others. This was the start of
the exchange system and from then
on, factories started. The system
gradually grew into a machine and
industrial age and today is an age
of specialists. The system has been
changed, said the speaker, from that
when every one produced for himself
to what we have today-production
for profit.
There are 200 corporations in
America owning or controlling 60 per
cent of all the wealth OF the nation.
Why is it people are going without?
Some one should lift up the hood to
see what the trouble is.
No Production Trouble.
We can produce in quantity but
there is not enough purchasing pow
er, said Mr.. Peterson. People cannot
buy, therefore people are turned out
of factories. The speaker called at
tention to two surveys having been
made. One found that with the pres
ent production machinery and under
the present system 10 per cent more
could have been produced in 1929 than
was produced. and the other found
that there could have been produced
As per cent more for use of the peo-
pie If it were not for profit. In other
words the needs of the people we're
sighted because there was no pur-
chasing power to buy capacity of pro-
Guction machinery.
Can't Borrow Prosperity.
In talking on the present plight of
agriculture, the speaker said that
when the farmers income will not
equal his expenses, then he must
borrow to make up the difference.
This has been going on and will go
on year after year. unless the system
is changed and cannot bring anything
but disaster.
The government prints money for
banks and then bonds to borrow it
back at interest: then prints some
more for the banks and borrow again,
etc. Prosperity can't be borrowed,
said the speaker in talking of this
policy. nor can we expect the people
to keep on producing unless they are
given purchasing power.
Scores Money Changers.
Mr.. Peterson told of the beginning
of the Roosevelt administration when
the banks were closed. This was an
opportunity to drive the money