Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1938-09-22
State Capitol News
BY A. I. HARRIS

/
When the Governor addressed the
State Federation of Labor convention
at Mankato, he effectively disposed
of the fake progressivism of the new
tribe of eyes, but" liberals in his
analysis of today's economic disturb
anceS.
"a simple set of startling figures tell
the story" he said. "In 1929, our
$4,000 wealthiest families received as
much income as did our 100000
poorest families. The $4,000 families
at the top had the buying power, but
obviously they did not have the mass
consuming power to keep production
going. The 100000 poorest fam
lilies at the bottom had the mass con-
Stunning power, but not the buying
power AS a result, the economic ma
chine wouldn't work any more"
The only way to remedy this prob
lem, Governor Benson declared, is to
alter the way in which this income
is distributed in our country. With
his conclusion that "any attempt to
offer the people a different solution
for this problem is merely an attempt
to turn them off the right track and
send them off on false path" the
Minnesota Chief Executive went
straight to the heart of our problem.
The extent to which machinery is
replacing men in industry is demon
strated in a recent report which shows
that the iron ore industry in 1886
employed less men on Minnesota
iron range than at any time in this
century-at the same time shipping
three times as much ore as in 1900.
While the iron ore industry in 1900
hired 5000 men to take 10 million
tons of ore from the iron mines of
this state, in 1886 it employed only
5000 men to dig out 81 million tons
of ore. In seven years-from 1929 to
1885,, 900 men were dropped from
the payroll, cutting production 80 per
cent and payrolls SO per cent. None
of the tremendous profits of 1929 were
used to sustain employment on the
range.
Independent business and profess
Sional men of Minnesota rallied be-
hind Governor Benson with formation
of volunteer committee seeking his
reelection Harold w. Hanson, own
er and operator of a drugstore at
Mora, is chairman. Other officers are
John Sheady, Minneapolis, secretary;
Dr. Ehmke, Willow River, vice
chairman; Chester Greenly, Sand
stone, vice chairman, and George
Boggs, st. Paul, vice chairman. Mem
bers of the executive committee are
Martin Tangen, Taylors Falls, H. A.
Kasper, Remer, and DR.. John Esser,
Perham.
Mr. Sheady and Mr.. Tangen are
druggists; Mr.. Greenley and Mr.
Boggs are grocers and Mr.. Kasper is
a general merchant.
i Paul A. Rasmussen, state budget
commissioner, told the Federated
Trades Assembly in Duluth that ga
permanent, healthy prosperity in
America will never be realized until
agriculture is established on sound
economic basis" and industrialists de-
velop "a human complex rather than
a dollar and dividend complex"
All labor in Minnesota is now be-
hind Governor Benson and President
Roosevelt in their fight to raise farm
prices.
At the Mankato convention, the
Minnesota Federation of Labor urged
that the Federal government act i'm
mediately to bolster farm income by
purchase of surplus commodities, and
by higher pegged grain prices. The
Federation also condemned the AsSo-
ciated Farmers as ''the rural mouth
piece for big business"
Earlier the Transfers Joint council
of Minneapolis sponsored a petition
to President Roosevelt and Secretary
of Agriculture Henry Wallace asking
that the price of wheat be pegged at
$1.50 a bushel.
The farmer and the laborer are
completely dependent upon each 9TH
er for their standard of living.
This was the conclusion reached
by a council of 81 members of CO.
operatives, farm organizations and
labor unions in Minnesota.
| The council was formed to bring
closer understanding between the
groups involved. John H. Bosch,
identified with the Farmers Union
and Farmers Holiday, was elected