Askov American., 1942-06-18
Federal Pension,
Lien Law Repeal
Campaign Issues
Active Battle is Promised
With Old Age Security
Drive Already Begun.

An active battle for Federal old
age pensions and the repeal of the
Homestead Lien law is pledged for
the coming elections this fall with
plans for a statewide pension cam
paign already under way. The ac-
ton for national security and ma
tional recovery, based on the Town
send plan, is being given impetus by
committee headed by Susie Stage
berg and w. T. Coates of Red Wing
and Hill City, respectively, as CO.
chairmen, and with the following
members: Thomas Fraser, Rochester;
A. T. Mallinger, Barnesville; Madge
Hawkins, Minneapolis; Herbert Mil
lington, White Bear Lake; c. w.
Shelter, South st. Paul; w. l..
Hemmingson, Red Wing; Martin
Strom, Grand Rapids; and Sig Wahl-
strom, Fosston.
Plan Mass Meeting.
A mass meeting at the Nicollet
hotel, Minneapolis, is planned for
June 26 at 10 a. m, the day previous
to the Farmer-Labor Association
convention, for the purpose of or
ganizing the campaign. John A.
johnson of Minneapolis, state repre-
sentative of the Townsend move
ment, will be one of the speakers and
an effort will be made to secure some
nationally known speaker who may
be in attendance at the Regional
Townsend convention then in ses-
sion in st. Paul.
The committee mass meeting call
states that Gin these trying times,
we must not allow the dreadful war
spectre to obscure entirely the Wis
ion of a better tomorrow in the
world that is in the making. AS
truehearted progressives, we must
search the horizons for promising
signs of brighter days ahead. AS
never before, we must hold on to our
basic principles of service to the
common man. One of the earliest
principles emphasized by the Farmer
Labor party was old age pensions and
the right of senior citizens, who had
to the building of the nation, to re-
tire in economic security for the
rest of their sunset days."
Much Needed Reform.
The call continues: "Since that
time, many different types of effort
have been made to bring about this
much-needed reform in our nation
and at this particular time, it is more
than ever the right and duty of the
Minnesota progressives to mobolize
our forces for the promotion of this
cause when many worthy people are
in want and when the nation needs
the economic recovery that a genu-
inc federal old age pension would
assure. We would indeed be dere-
lict in our duty if we did not organ
ize to push this issue to a success
full completion with all the force
and vigor at our command.
SIN Minnesota, we also have the
odious Homestead Lien to wipe off
the statute books and no effort must
be spared to elect only those legis-
lative candidates whose influence
and vote is pledged to the repeal OF
the Homestead Lien law. This will
of necessity take the most intensive
coordination of effort and organiza-
ton.
May Draft Pension Plank.
Because we feel the need of such
effort so keenly, we have decided
to call a mass meeting of all pension
minded liberals on the day before
the regular convention of the Farm
er-Labor Association on Friday, June
26, at 10 a. m, at the Nicollet hotel
for the purpose of organizing state
pension campaign that shall reach
every village and hamlet and keep
all reactionary opponents of old age
pensions out of the next state leg
islature. Also we can be of material
aid in forcing the issue of federal
pension in the present congress. And
another essential privilege of our
group should be to submit to the
state convention draft of the pen
sion plank to be Incorporated in the
Farmer-Labor platform"