Page 1 -- The Minnesota Union Advocate, The Peoples Voice

St. Paul Minnesota. March 29, 1934



“Governor Olson Indorsed [sic] for Third Term As Farmer-Labor Convention Swing to Left”

“700 DELEGATES CLAMOR FOR RADICAL PLATFORM FOR FARMER-LABORITES”



“Without as dissenting vote, Governor Floyd B. Olson was indorsed [sic] for a third term late Wednesday, and a complete state ticket was approved by the Farmer-Labor association convention which convened in the St. Paul Auditorium. …

“A platform with strong leanings toward the left, was adopted without much conflict Wednesday afternoon with a roar of applause which left no question as to the temper of the 700 accredited delegates to the convention.”

FARMER-LABOR PLATFORM

Adopted March 28, 1934 [Saint Paul, Minnesota]



PREAMBLE



The Farmer-Labor party of Minnesota recognizes that the United States has the most wonderful resources, great factories, machinery of production, steam power and electric power and millions of capable workers and farmers ready and able to produce food, clothing and shelter in great abundance for all. At this time when all of us could live in prosperity sad happiness we find that there are millions of working men and women in poverty, want and degradation and that them are also hundreds of thousands of farmers, business and professional people who have become poverty stricken and bankrupt and millions of people in all walks of life are compelled to eat the bread of charity.

Palliative measures will continue to fail. Only a complete reorganization of our social structure into a cooperative commonwealth [emphasis added] will bring economic security and prevent a prolong period of further suffering among the people.

We, therefore, declare that capitalism has failed and immediate steps must be taken by the people to abolish capitalism in a peaceful and lawful manner and that a new sane and just society must be established; a system where all the natural resources, machinery of production, transportation and communication shall be owned by the government and operated democratically for the benefit of all the people and not for the benefit of the few.

In order to bath about this cooperative commonwealth and for the purpose of adopting legislation for the immediate relief of the people, the Farmer-Labor party adopts as its platform the following proposals:



I. Agriculture

Adequate legislation to insure security of tenure on the land for those who farm it. To this end we demand that Congress pass the Frasier Bill for refinancing apicultural loans and the Swank-Thomas Bill or other legislation to exempt from taxation of homesteads in the city and on the farms to the value of $4,000.00.

Legislation extending the Present moratorium two years from the date of expiration and that no action may be brought within the two years on any obligation secured by a mortgage.



II. Marketing

The greatest problem of the farmer being to find markets for their products, we advocate building and maintaining adequate cooperative marketing and purchasing agencies is all the large industrial centers of the state, to be correlated by some state supervised central head.

Ill. Industrial Program

To protect our citizens from exploitation through industrial profits, we demand public ownership of all mines, water power, transportation and communication, banks, packing plants, factories, and all public utilities. However, this shall not apply to bona fide, cooperative enterprises.

The immediate passage of a Minnesota Reconstruction Act with full power to regulate hours and wages and carry on useful public projects.

IV. Re-employment

The state to take over sufficient idle industrial plants to furnish employment for idle citizens and to distribute the products to the needy.

V. Social Insurance

That all insurance including women's compensation [sic] [worker’s compensation ??], unemployment, accident, sickness, maternity, old age pension, fire, cyclone, hail and life Insurance be taken over by the state and operated without profit.

VI. Conservation

An Intelligent and comprehensive plan for the conservation of the natural moisture of the state with arrangements made to retain the greatest possible benefits of the same and rainfall of the state and maturation as far as practicable of the lake and river levels, and the encouragement of similar projects in the adjacent State..

VII. Reforestration

Reforestration to restore and protect the timber wealth and to prevent and retard erosion.

VIII. St. Lawrence Waterway

Ratification of the treaty with Canada affecting the construction of the St. Lawrence-Great Lakes Waterway.

IX. Education

Fullest educational opportunities for all, with security of tenure and freedom of expression to teachers. Textbooks to be published by the state and free to all the students. Military training at all educational institutions supported wholly or in part by state funds to be optional.

X. Taxation

Restoration of unearned wealth to the state and community by graduated taxes effectively administered on large incomes, gifts, and inheritance.

X. Soldiers’ Bonus

Immediate payment of the soldiers’ bonus by treasury notes, and repeal of the National Economy Act.

XII. Tax-Exempt Securities

We oppose the Issuance of tax-exempt securities.

XIII. Elections

All candidates for the state legislature to be elected with party designation.

XIV. Consumers Cooperatives

The powers of government to allow consumers to freely organize on a cooperative basis, unrestricted by discriminatory laws.

XV. Money and Banking

Nationalization of banking with government monopoly of money and credit operated without profit. Nationalization of banking with government monopoly of money and credit operated without profit.

Until we attain nationalization of banking, we advocate the establishment of a Central State Bank of deposit to be wholly owned by the State of Minnesota.

That the bank act as the fiscal agent for the state in all matters;

That it be the only legal depository in Minnesota for state funds or the funds of any subdivision of the state;

That it be permitted to purchase the securities of the U. S. Government, the state of Minnesota, and other securities designated by laws;

That it be permitted to loan money to correspondent state hanks and deposit with correspondent state banks, and that it not be permitted to loan money to private enterprises;

That the deposits or loans to the Minnesota state banks be a preferred claim;

And that the deposits in the bank of Minnesota be guaranteed by the state.

The issue of money is a governmental function and all money should a be issued directly by the government and made a legal tender in payment of all debts.

All money permitted by law to be issued against the gold now In the U.S. Treasury, should be put in circulation by the payment of all government bonds due, or soon to become due, and for all public works constructed.

If given control of the government Of Minnesota we pledge the people of this state to submit to them an amendment to our Constitution, that will permit the introduction of the a Ontario System of development and administration of electric power and light, thus making electricity — the source of power of the future — man's servant and helper, and not his oppressor and master, as is now the case.

We also pledge our farming population and electrical consumers to enact legislation permitting cities, towns and villages now owning power and light plants, to sell current freely to farms, smaller towns and villages.

[as reported in The Minnesota Union Advocate newspaper (“The Peoples Voice”), March 29, 1934. Page 7]