The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-01-16
Farm Values.

The estimates of the shrinkage of farm
values in this State made yesterday by hon.
u. A. Gilbert, Secretary Of the State Board
OF Agriculture, will surprise no one who has
been familiar with the courses of farm val
ues in Maine for the last twenty years. But
those who have not been close observers of
this class of property will be surprised to be
told that In twenty years the money value of
farms has shrunk one half, and that in the
last ten years this shrinkage has been so
rapid that Mr.. Gilbert estimates it at thirty
per cent. of their nominal value twenty
years ago. So far has this depression gone
that, as Mr.. Gilbert states, Farms have
hardly selling value," and when, by death
or otherwise, farm is forced to sale, 'the
public estimate hardly gives it value, and
1t is quite apparent that were any con-
siderable number in ANY locality forced
to sale at any one time they would not
find purchasers" Secretary Gilbert ex-
plains that part Of the fifty per cent. of de-
probation is apparent rather than real, since
twenty years ago we had an inflated cur
rency. OF course for those farmers who
bought on inflated prices without paying at
the time this apparent depreciation is very
real indeed. But 1t is of course not real
depreciation. Yet in the last ten years there
has been no initiation, and the shrinkrge of
thirty per cent In that time is real Unlike
most essayists who treat Of these subjects
Mr.. Gilbert gives the causes and then unhes.
itatingly prescribes the remedies. OF the
causes he assigns leading place to what he
calls public sentiment" Strange as this
cause may seem at first we are inclined to
think that 1t merits the leading place given
10 it. 1t is true as Mr. Gilbert says, that
for generation the young people have had it
impressed upon them that Maine is ''played
out" OF course a generation brought up
with the idea that the only thing to do is to
leave the home farm will emigrate as soon
as they can get the means to get away. OF
course with the farming population leaving
the values of the farms must fall very rapid
ly. Mr.. Gilbert is Of the opinion that there
is no adequate justification, even fr ON pc
cuDiary point of view, for this wholesale
emigration and that by persistently holding
up the West In its true character to the
young people an educational influence may
be put at work to counterfeit the present
tendencies of the farming population. Then
LneIe Is taxhblOH WHICH Undoubtedly pears
unduly upon the farmer, and which is now
subject Of investigation by the state. Mr..
Gilbert's enumeration Of remedies includes
nothing that is very novel or startling; 1t
could not be expected that it would. There
can be no royal way nor any patent way for
making farms desirable when a large pro-
portion of their occupants have come to the
conclusion that they are undesirable. But
By careful investigation and wise legislation
enough burdens may be removed to make
the farms more desirable. Then by remoy-
ing the entirely false idea that the West is
running over with wealth and honors for the
young man who will come and take them,
the general dissatisfaction that is more DO
tent than taxation as bear in the markets
of farm values will be In a measure re-
moved. The whole history Of human en-
deavor shows that 1t is not the people who
are situated In the most fertile places who
are destined alone to succeed. As much de-
ponds upon the spirit of a people as upon
their physical environments, and no people
can have the spirit necessary for success
when their homes are so persistently decried
in comparison with the homes Of people In
another section.