Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1940-05-02

America, today, offers as many
opportunities as ever. Perhaps not
in the way of free lands or in some
of the old lines but in many new
avenues that were unknown to our
fathers. There is an abundance of
opportunities open to those who have
prepared themselves for definite
work. Employers are generally
agreed that there is an actual scarcity
of trained workers but supernatural
ance of those who are without trade
,or profession.
That America is yet the land of OPP
portunity was forcibly brought home
to me about week ago when young
man who operates small string of
variety stores down in northern Flor
ida appeared before the committee
that is holding hearings on the chain
store tax measure.
The young mans statement sounded
like a tale from the Arabian Nights.
Born on farm he managed to get
enough education to secure teach
er's certificate, but that kind of work
didn't appeal to him so he started a
small bakery in town of 1000 in
habitants. He made a good living
from the bakery but that was about
all.
While on a shopping trip to Savan-
nah in 1926 he noticed that the and
1O-cent stores seemed to be doing a
rushing business and he determined
Of IIlnyo
turning home he sold the bakery for
$4,000, 5000 in cash and the balance
on installments which were never
paid. Renting a building on side
street he and his wife constructed the
necessary counters and shelving out
of plain boards. When these were
up and painted he ordered a $500
bill of merchandise from jobber.
The order came with bill of lading
attached and had it not been for the
local banker, who let him have $500
in cash, the end to his business career
would probably have come then and
there. To hear him describe the
opening day of his first store was
really thrilling event
To make a long story short, he
continued to expand, even through the
depression, and now operates Is
stores. He told us that he has but
begun to grow providing he is not
taxed out of existence. l wish that
every young man and woman in
America could have heard his state
ment to the committee. 1t was an
epic and one that I shall always re-
member. AS he gave us the story
of his comparatively short life / said
to myself, ''that young man persona
fies America"
We have always had and always
will have those who can see nothing
ahead. 1 have enough confidence in
the future of our great country to
belive that we have but scratched
the surface. The thing to do is to
be prepared when the opportunity
comes. l know there are those who
will say, "well, it is all right for him
to talk but we who are up against
it know better" Such an attitude
America the worlds foremost nation.
REIMBURSEMENT Needed.
The first Commissioner of Patents,
Henry L. Ellsworth, stated in his
annual report that ''the advancement
of the arts, from year to year, taxes
our credulity and seems to presage
the arrival of that period when human
Improvements must end" Those re-
marks were made in 1916 years
ago and, strange as it may seem, more
than two million patents have been
granted since that time, and many
of them have opened new outlets for
labor. What so many lose sight of is
that we are living in a state of con-
slant change that requires readjust-
nent. Sometimes, as is the situa-
ton now, we are unable to readjuSt
ourselves to these changes as quickly
as they occur because we are ham
pered by the heavy hand of govern
ment restraint.
Many of us can recall reading of
the dire prophesies as to the effects
that would come from certain i'm
provements-the cotton gin, the sew
ing machine, the reaper, the steam
engine and the automobile. It was
testified to before our committee some
months back that the automobile in
dustry, alone, now gives employment,
directly and indirectly to IA million
people. For all we know we may be
on the threshold of new unheard of
industry that will give employment
TO an equally large number.
Several years ago l met gentle
man on the train who was general
manager of one of the largest in
dustrial concerns in the country.
shall always remember what he told
me. Among other things he said that
if his company were to put an ad
in the papers for a man to dig ditch,
or cut weeds, they would be swamped
with applications, but were they to
advertise for an experienced produc-
ton manager or mechanic they would
probably not receive a single applica-
ton because such types are never
without good job. In other words,
it is the lowest rungs of the ladder