Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1936-04-02
Farmer -LabOrites Get
Ready for the Camgaign
Continued from Page ~

L
A resolution was passed providing
for a special committee to call con-
ferences and explore as to the pos
sibility of establishing a national
Third party.
1t was also decided by the conven-
ton that unicameral legislature
| should be striven for.
The Association will have a con-
vention each year in the future, it
was decided; in the odd years it will
take care of regular business and in
the even or election years it will en-
dorse candidates and adopt its plat
| forms.
Synopsis of Platform.
The platform as adopted by the con-
vention is herewith given in abridged
form:
Advocation of:
A system of planned plenty.
Collectively owned and democrat
| ically controlled and operated nat
ural resources and mOnopolized in
dustries.
Amendment to the United States
constitution so as to permit federal
regulation of working conditions, ag-
ricultural and industrial production.
and to provide security, and for gov
eminent ownership of banking and
monOpolistic industries, except indie
pendent banks not affiliated with
chain banks and are locally owned.
Federal legislation for refinancing
farmers, to aid cooperatives in es-
tablishing processing plants, for US
ing idle plants for unemployed, for
neutrality, for aid of Independent
merchants, for aiding youth, for gov
eminent ownership of munitions
plants, for pensions to widows and
orphans of war veterans, for ratifica-
ton of the st. Lawrence Waterway
treaty, and to give the American mar
ket to the American farmer.
State legislation to conserve re-
sources, to lower interest rates, to
tax butter substitutes, to extend the
mortgage moratorium, to enact unem-
ployment insurance, for a generous
old age pension, for state workmen's
compensation, for minimum wages by
constitutional amendment, to aid
workers in their struggles.
The platform opposes the sales tax,
and favors higher taxes on incomes,
gifts and inheritance in the higher
| brackets, and an increase in gross
earnings, taxes on railroads and tele-
phone lines. farmers cooperatives ex-
copied, an increase in iron ore taxes
and a 20-mill corporate tax.
The platform favors the power pro-
gram of the state planning board
Main Points of Governors Speech.
Governor Olson, in his keynote
speech before the convention, pro-
posed an amendment to the Federal
constitution, designed to make pos
sible attainment of the cooperative
commonwealth"
He stated this would grant congress
the authority to acquire, by right of
eminent domain, any private indus
try, and to own and manage such in
dustries.
1t would grant congress powers to
regulate wages and hours of labor in
industry, to regulate mining, agri-
cultural and industrial production
and distribution, and to provide for
| relief of the aged, sick and unem-
ployed.
He proposed ten years, or less in
stead of life terms for the Supreme
Court judges and attacked the Su-
preme Court for 'usurpation of pow
er to declare acts of congress uncon-
stitutional" and for alleged conserva-
tive bias and contradictory decisions.
The governor called Minnesota's old
age pension act, 'niggardly."
He advocated the passage by Con-
gress of the Frazier-Lemke farm
financing bill, government credit for
farm coOperatives to own and operate
processing plants, and neutrality leg
islation placing a strict embargo on
all trade with warning nations.
Benson Talks.
| Senator Benson in lengthy speech
about 2 a. m. Sunday morning, before
tired audience, declared for a sub
stantial economic change by national
action, spoke for a national third
party and assailed critics of the party.
| ReactionarieS are determined to
ruin the Farmer-Labor movement,
said Mr.. Benson, and said that it is
this party that furnished national in
spiration. There must be fundamental
changes to bring about an equitable
distribution of wealth under an
economy of abundance. Ultimately,
he said, there must be a new national
nesota party might we'll become the
vehicle.