Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1937-04-08
FORMER GOVERNOR
PETERSEN is FARM
DINNER SPEAKER
Continued from Page ~

specters of individual property rights.
| have met and talked with many of
them, rich and poor. in their own
barns or kitchens. They think in
terms of free farmers and of free
farms, privately owned. They are
strong for cOoperatives, but dead
| against Communism"
That was part of the interview as
it appears in The American Magazine
Up to the present time, l see no rea-
son to change these observations. In
view of the very tragic conditions
which have SO long obtained in agri-
culture, it may appear strange to
some people that the farmers in Min
nesOta and in the Northwest are not
more radical than they are or have
BEEN
People Want Legislative Action.
have found farmers to be quite
skeptical of the politicians and toward
this attitude | have much sympathy
Farmers, | believe. are also quite Gym
ical toward legislatures, toward leg
islative debate and delay. They think
that much of legislative political talk
is futile twaddle and toward this at
titude, | have much sympathy
Farmers and citizens generally, are
firing of this continual building of
campaign issues in each legislative
session. 1t is not talk but action they
desire-and quality, not quantity
They expect their elective represent
atives in the Legislature and in Con-
sress and other public officials to use
their brains and best judgment ac-
quired through years of experience,
and not SO much activity with hands,
feet and mouth.
Rampant radicalism springs from
masses of people cOngregate together
in large cities. 1t is a prole tartan
movement and does not much appeal
to farmers who in their own way are
capitalists. owners of property and as
such, are inclined to respect individu-
al property rights. l have found that
farmers are prone to be practical
minded and not much given to theo-
rizing nor to utOpian speculation.
Tenant Farmers Have Increased.
In this connection | would observe
that in this country today there are
several distinctive tyres of farms OPP
Grating. A familiar kind is run by
the owner and his family who make
their home upon the farm.
Another type is operated by the ten
ant with absentee ownership. Partly
| because of the depression, the tenant
farmer has been increasing rapidly
in recent years. Of the 203,3O2 farms
| in Minnesota, 6S,412 were operated
last year by tenants rather than by
owners. In five year period. the
number of tenant farmers in Mime
sofa has increased by 1874.
Then there are the experimental
state farms run in connection with
our agricultural colleges. From these
have come many valuable contribu-
tiOns to the science and art of agri-
| culture and horticulture. There are
| also farms owned and operated by
| large corporations such as insurance
| companies or banks. Some of these
were taken over during the depres-
sion on mortgage foreclosures.
In the nation at large, there are Il
| few cOmmunistic farm experiments of
the type of the Newllano Colony, Lou
| iSiana.
United Front for Farmers.
Even now, between the small and
large family farms and the corpora
ton farms. there is a bitter struggle
| for survival. Of course costs of pro-
duction are reduced on such giant
wheat farms as the Campbell Farm
ing Corporation of Montana with its
100000 acres. At first glance the ad-
vantage of lower costs and higher
yields seems to lie with the larger
farms but in the long run, the small
Ter family farms may prove to have
their advantages.
SOcialiZed farming of some kind
may await us in the future, but it is
safe to say that at the present time.
Americans do not look with favor
upon an increase of tenant farming
and neither do they hold a brief for
wholesale farming by huge corpora
tiOns. The thing in agriculture most
pleasing in the sight of Americans
today is the one family farm pursued
both as livelihood and satisfactory
mode of life.
| could wish for farmers more of a