Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1938-07-28
State Capitol News
BY A. I. HARRIS

by "A. ]. k1<Akt1SAS
The Swedish royalty which visited
Minnesota are on their way home
and the bond of friendship between
the democracies of Sweden and
America are unquestionably warmer.
We generally associate titled nobil-
ity with the kind of society which is
the antithesis of democracy. 1t calls
to mind blue-bloodism, caste, i'm
perialism, oppression. 1t makes us
think of people as subjects and not
as citizens-a decaying civilization
a dead past.
The Swedish royal visitors gave
rise to none of these thoughts. Why?
Because the country from which
these visitors hail, together with the
other Scandinavian countries) is
playing today an altogether different
and most important role in the
current affairs of nations. Scandi-
navia does more than talk democ-
racy; Scandinavia practices democ-
racy-and Scandinavia is showing a
distracted world that democracy
works.
Nothing succeeds like success. The
example which Scandinavia offers of
a practical working democracy is
certain to shape the future course of
the world. When the masses who
have surrendered their liberties to
dictators and to industrial baronS in
other lands in the false hope that
only thereby can they be provided
with the necessities of life, begin to
chafe in their bondage, they will
cast longing eyes in the direction of
the Scandinavian peninsula -. and
there will they find the necessary in
spiration to throw off their shackles
and become free men and free wom-
en- in a free, democratic society.
Governor Benson, in his recent
radio reply answering ALT Landon's
attack on the New Deal, delivered a
most serious indictment of Repub-
ican tactics today calculated to en-
barass President Roosevelt.
'They (meaning the Republicans)
are doing more than sabotaging the
New Deal" the Governor said. They
are trying to sabotage recovery itself
They do not want recovery under
President Roosevelt; they are salts
fed to ride back into office on the
miseries of the American people"
The Governor pointed out that the
new Zine" being followed by the
Republicans nationally is identical
with the line pursued by Republic
cans in attacking liberal state admin
istrations This line is posing as lib
erals themselves, even though this
is a mere guise an subterfuge, and
attacking true liberal administrations
as wasteful and corrupt.
It is bit strange, to say the least,
to hear Landon (and in Minnesota
Stassen) talking of adequate relief,
social security, collective bargaining
and similar progressive measures put
over despite bitter Republican opposi-
ton, when it is recalled that just
year or so ago they said these meas
ures were imported from Moscow
and branded as communists all those
who espoused them.
One of the first duties of the Con-
gressional monopoly investigating
committee should be an inquiry into
the milling and packing trusts, Gov
ernor Benson told Chairman Joseph
c. O'Mahoney in telegram this
week. O'Mahoney, United States Sem
ator from Wyoming, has said that
the committee will commence its
probe at once.
The Governor pointed out that the
Investigators have fine opportun-
ity to check the new grain harvest.
through to the consumer, he said,
with the committee turning its pub
licity spotlight on every operation.
1t is recalled that a recent report
of the Federal Trade commission re-
vealed that profits of millers and
large bread concerns have risen 100
percent, while the baking trust gained
a 1000 percent increase in profits in
1887 over 1885. Benson asks probe
of the Big Four packing trust which
holds a virtual monopoly on meat
processing.
The state real estate tax was dras-
tically reduced in every county in
Minnesota for 1887 (taxes payable
in 1889 with some counties showing
reductions greater than 40 percent,
says the state tax commission.
In no county has the reduction of
the state tax been less than II per-
cent. The average reduction for the
entire state is 24.1 percent. In dol
lars, this means savings to state
property taxpayers of S3,588,644.
The property tax reduction-won
by Governor Benson and the liberals
in the Legislature last year-will
likely be even greater next year, as