Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1937-04-08
FARM HOLIDAY NEWS |

lie 1cOpIt . LOOOy Vi SaHAISN ociiS
time ago. met at st. Paul Monday,
April 5 in a mass demonstration.
A large delegation from Pine county
went down in cars, busses and trucks
and about 1000 people crowded the
Capitol, and it seemed as if every
corner and county of the state was
represented.
Speakers were Governor Benson,
who received three cheers SO strong
that l thought the dome would burst;
John Bosch, Dan Collins and Oscar
Brecke for the Holiday Association;
and Fred LaQueir from the Lumber
mans Union, Duluth. The latter put
the Legislators ION the spot" by ask
ing those in favor of the Governors
program to rise, and after that, those
against, to rise. Only one stood up;
whereby Mr.. LaQueir stated that the
one who stood up was a gentleman,
but those who remained seated were
yellow" Chester Watson, president
of the Workers Alliance, spoke for
that group, Mrs. Susie Stegeberg spoke
also, stating that in South Dakota
during the drouth farmer had to
drive his cattle four or five miles to
water and that they always beloved
and howled for water, so he could not
stand it. One day he committed sui
eide. Mrs. Stegeberg said she did not
want the senators to commit suicide
when they hear the voice of the peO-
pie. She wanted them to sit right
down and enact laws that will remedy
conditions.
Harold Peterson, secretary of the
Farmer-LabOr party, also welcomed
the Lobbyists, and there were several
other speakers. Every Senator and
tionaire and crowded until he said
yes or no to the questions on bills
introduced.
Some members of the Peoples Lob
by felt that the Senators have been
on a Shutdown" strike long enough,
so group of about 200 or 300 de-
cided to sit down with them. When
this is written we do not know the
outcome. The Shutdown" strike is
surely bringing results to the labor
down twice a day, at milking time,
but on account of that we fail to bar
gain collectively, and rather prefer
to stay as rugged individualists. Our
pay schedule remains, that is what
we pay you," and that is what we
charge you," and if you do not get
out to help change it you have no
complaint to make.
Many farmers have been waiting
for a chance to secure a state seed
loan, with the preference to pay lin
kind cash, or work it off later. This
is the Holiday principal We have been
fighting to get into law; yes, even
the reactionary Senate passed the bill
and now many counties refuse to
handle it, including Pine county. The
commissioners here have told us time
and again that they are doing all
they can for the farmers of this
county. One would think that the
state seed loan is the most preferable
and economical with the different pro-
visions for paying it back embodied
in the law. Every Holiday member
who has no seed and is in need of
a loan will surely feel disguised to
see that our near-victory met a death
blow in the different counties. What
will happen to the farmers who cam
not get seed for their farms? Would
they not be public charges? How
about all the unfinished WPA pro-
jects n roads that are n w impossible?
Would it not be practical to do some
thing in order to have them finished?
Perhaps the farmers who have no
seed to plant can work on the road,
but when will we eat if fields lie
idle?
/ think it is rather silly that the
farmers who are really the cream of
the nation, have to be anything but
what they should be-the most thought
of and most important family groups
in the land.
AN,DfSrr