Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1939-12-07

down the temper of the populace for
a time. When the interest and in
stallments became overdue, dispos-
sessing by foreclosure by Uncle Sam
was begun. The government took
over the defaulted property and or
dered the former owners on relief
or on WPA jobs. The workers struck
for higher wages which in most cases
were granted; cost of production in
creased, prices went up and con-
sumption went down. This process
is still going on and for each round
the rut is worn deeper and there is
no way to get the wheels out of it.
A new road to recovery must be
built in order to save ourselves and
our democratic form of government,
but how?
We are all aware of the fact that
this state of things cannot go on.
We form groups of specialized inter-
est who are trying to find ways and
means that will better their own spe-
cial interest None of us is taking
into consideration the whole scope of
ills under which the whole body
polite is ailing; but it is still true
that if one organ of the body is sick
the whole body is suffering in con-
sequence thereof.
There must be unity of action.
The ailings of the farmers cannot be
cured as long as industry is sick and
the ailings of industry cannot be
cured as long as the workers and
the farmers are suffering. The cure
of all the organs of the body polite
must be going on at the same time
in order to restore normal economic
conditions.
New Kind of Cooperation Needed.
| We are all egoists; we were born
that way; first and foremost we are
thinking of ourselves. So long as
that state of mind prevails, our eff
forts to restore economic life by CO.
we must all act in unison and forget
our own special interest. We must
forget our clannish inclinations and
cultivate a spirit of tolerance and
neighborliness, if we really desire to
effect cure.
There is where we need coopera-
ton; but it should be an all-embrac-
ing kind of cooperation. Not the
kind that is interested only in fight
ing individuals and corporations in
order to get share of the profits
for itself
The cooperators should include the
farmer and the middleman, indus
try and labor, the doctor and the
banker, in short it should include
every branch of production and in
dustry; and its aim should be to vie
with each other in the production
of the best possible goods and to
have it distributed to the consumer
at the least possible price. A system
of that kind may not be able to pro-
duce great fortunes; but it would
open the way for all the people in
the world to do their part to estab-
lish conditions of security and con-
tentedness. The usefulness of great
fortunes are outdated; we do not
need them for building roads, bridges
or factories. The state can build the
roads and the bridges and the masses
can contribute capital for the fac
tories as needed
The millionaire in time past has
done lot of good by investing and
building up our great industries,
making mass-production possible, but
he is not needed any more; the peo-
pie as whole can now take over
his job of financing if they so will.
We do not wish to rob him of his
just reward. Let him keep his mil
lions if he can. In a short time both
he and we shall reach the milestone
where equality is the eternal rule,
where what we call real estate, chat
tells and money become naught as
far as we are concerned.
William Hard has suggested that
the president, whoever he may be,
add one more member to his cabinet,
and name him Secretary of Work
and Wealth.; that he summon repre-
sentative men from everywhere rep
resenting industry, farming, banking,
labor unions and all other branches
of society and that he put the neces-
and urge that resolution somewhat
similar to the following be adopted:
"We are not met here today to
devise any system of coercive ma
tional economic planning. We do not
need unity of arbitrary command.
What we do need is unity of free
will
1--WE have tried combat between
industries. Every industry, under
its MIRA code, was out for itself.
Wages rose. Prices rose even faster.
Production went down. NRA was not
killed by the Supreme Court. 1t had
already killed itself.
1--WE are here today to reverse that
MIRA principle. We are here to see
If we can concertedly move prices
down as efficiency goes up. Nobody
can do it to the maximum all by
himself. We have to do it altogether.
And we had better do it, while we
can, as free men.
Free men can do it much better