Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1935-03-14
INVESTIGATORS
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State Senate Liberal Reads
Letter Offering Dough-
for Testimony.
Governor Scores AAA Pro-
gram in His Talk to Visit
ing Farmers.

ing Farmers.
By Hjalmar Petersen, Lieutenant Gov
ernor of Minnesota
Week of March 3 to 81
The tempo of the Legislature was
speeded during the week.
The chief sensation, probably, was
the introduction in the Senate OF a
letter limiting that the Senate investi-
eating committee is paying witnesses
for testimony in its inquiry into var
ious governmental departments In the
state.
Also occupying place in the spot
Light were the demonstration at the
capitol by farmers from all over the
state and the action by the Leg1sla-
ture in passing two major relief bills.
Investigation "Bombshell."
Senator Charles A. Hausler, st.
Paul liberal, startled the Senate out
of it's accustomed calm by producing
a letter written to Philip Williams,
Nashwauk, Mimi, telling him he
could make a little dough out OF it,
if he would give testimony before the
investigating committee headed by
Senator James A. Carley-
The purported writer of the letter
was former Senator Harold j. Peck
of Deer River. Senator Hausler de-
manded that Peck be summoned be-
fore the investigators.
Senator Carley arose and shouted
that he did not know Peck and de-
MED that any money had been Of
fered for testimony before the COM
mittee. He said he supported Sena-
tor Hausler's demand that Peck be
summoned.
The investigation itself has been
dragging along monotonously of late.
Whole evenings have been occupied
with the questioning of witnesses on
trivial details of the State Emergency
Relief administration.
Farmers Face SOlOns.
Two Thousand farmers led by John
Bosch, president of the Minnesota
Farm Holiday Association, descended
on the capitol in the middle of the
week to present demands to the leg
islators for higher taxes on incomes,
gifts and inheritances, a graduated
land tax and other agricultural relief.
Among those who spoke were Gov
ernor Olson, Milo Reno of Des Moines.
Iowa, president of the National Farm
Holiday Association; former Congress
man Magnus Johnson, and Gilbert
Brattland of Ada
Governor Raps AAA.
Governor Olson attacked the pol
icies of the Agricultural Adjustment
tion OF farm production, pointing out
that if all the people of the country
had enough to eat there would be no
surplus of agricultural produce such
as the AAA is trying to eliminate.
The governor asserted that the most
important action required of the leg
islature now is amendment Of the
Minnesota mortgage moratorium act
to permit farmers to pay mortgage
holders in kind, instead of cash. This,
he said. would make a partner Of the
man who holds your mortgages"
Governor Olson praised the farmers
for marching on the capitol, saying:
81 am glad we have here in Mime
sofa a militant farm movement, one
that is not talking about taking the
tariff off cocoanut oil. but about leg
islation to preserve and protect their
homes" He attacked conservative
members of the legislature for their
obstruction of progressive measures.
Sees Olson as President.
Mr.. Reno referred to Governor Oh
son as the man who will be the
next President of the United States"
He charged that President Roosevelt
had broken his pledge to the people
of the United States and attacked the
AAA crop reduction program.
eff all the people of the United
States were consuming as much as
those in the $4,000 year income
class" he said. I'VE wouldn't have
enough land in production now"
Concluding his message to the leg
islators Mr. Reno said: 81 hope that
Legislators are commencing to think.
because if you don't think somebody
might do your thinking for you. and
the result might not be so happy"
A number Of legislators were put
ON the spot" by the visiting farmers.
who demanded to know how their rep
resentatives stood on pending farm
legislation.
The turnout o. farmers was much
smaller than had been expected. and
the leader, Mr.. Bosch. explained that
he believed this was due largely to
the fact that stormy weather in many
parts OF the state had made roads
impossible.
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