Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-02-20


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lcnennns1 - ~ paQ.1
= ~ Ineasas N ksse 1ssei = ssse H.
pessmenfs d err sxsscassnssJ iaseyxss. Int
enined II 0shee deyagtnseets encaxh no.
maAe - Iass eesd- Uhss - fARmess sFs
ss4ssng froA nsss i khe dspgesiyr 81
faem wslnes. ennsed ~ tle uosey laaze-sI
ssn1ln9 th<iT naney ira fhs western
s1nfes sd isseAfsg = "a uessesr fzyni
usfiEsess. Nsny yeaex man has ronr
~ ~ veaf srd mi1s;eseef dollars fnz1nsr7
lin. We wish sh<n saecrsp. b1s II = cur
o0r sacred an.y 10 ssseer ons ON fuaesesss
- env esn pcpu1nsion. L~sSsse uhAs IL
aG1enlknsnl Indnssy 10 FsfN, ve End tnss
- agtsen,eueal issssssss 81 This essae rsp<s-
- In fasns the vsIss Of osts elc0 0e0. i
coo. 6eeesd. " 1nd shaa The snnssl MO-
due1s Of shee tnrm aDe1neso ~. OQ0, 0oo
Thist. ne 6zd shas Be hsye 90 600 0f0
inseseed In live seeek. Fourth. We
4 ana thas - hare e1.e00 900 worth II
HnpJessenss upoe fhsss fssms. Fifth. 90
- cent Of the eaiire pspuiatssn Of this
- = srgsgsd IN this Industry, occupy
~ tsdsy mo noss besnthal hnmssseais
- ~ bess FARMS q say seSis 10 this
cssnsry donr except epe. MOS gentle
nsn, skas sss these institutes AMI whas 10
IL money raised fsss These instisutss are
The fasneYs schools. Under the 4is1o
speeepsisfisn that re have bad Ia the Fast
" havs heia one institute. ore sckoel for
faxnssS In ZACH county. The board OF
Agsicslturs t;ss y<sr r~esmnsndeA that
5000, n incssass Of tis0C b. appsopri-
SID for the pafpose Of fostering this i'm
pestans industry and in order to expend
this money advAn1ngeo1siy il va nsces-
sasy 10 faiSs the salary Of The secretary and
make his csupenas1iou fair. II IL NOT N
iacrsase 1t ssIasy. Is is - increase Of
labor demanded q the board Of agyfcul-
suss. At he snnnal meeting Of ths board
Of agriculture II following REGULATIONS
vsse sdopeed
whereas, II IL provided BY lav that this
board shall prescribe the duties Of it, sec
Rotary.
Resolved, That Il 10 the sense Of this
board that the SECRETARY give his entire
time to the duties and lshoss Of his oilee
and that the Legislature be fsqrested to 90
increase the compensation therefor - will
enable him 70 comply with this rule"
Nov. gentlemen, when co per cent. Of the
people Of this State come here before the
Legislature and SIX you through their rep
resentasive. who has been sent here to in
crease this appropriation, In order that they
msy foster their industry, 10 il jast, 10 II
fair to deny their request2
Mr.. Peaks OF Dover-I represent largely
farming community, though am not
farmer. The only particular interest !
have in farming 10 that consume what the
farmer raises, and what little living get.
get from the farmers largely. object
to raising salaries when they are raised
beyond what think 10 . proper limit. l
shall have to explain TO you why l an in
favor Of this bill ~ it 10. The secretary of
the Board Of Agriculture has had in the
past an has ct the present time $500 per
year. He 10 Yeqaired, as | understand it,
TO hold one farmers institute In each
county Of the State, aad understand that
ia some OF the counties more than that, in
all 80. think, during the past year.
1t 10 proposed that when his salary
is raised he snail hold two, max
log his duties in relation to farmers
Institutes twice what they are now, and
It Is also proposed that he shall have An
nfiice open 1t all times OF the day. Nov,
gentlemen, we meet here and vote q large
UNI Of money for education. We have
lpon our table resolves for large number
Of academies in this State. and these l am
strongly in favor Of for do not believe
that this Legislature will ever do better
thing than to appropriate money for the
education Of the people. I believe thst the
education OF the farmer is Whist iie most
| needs. believe that the report which has
gore out from the labor commissioner that
there are 5000 abandoned farms in this State
| is occABioned by . Misunderstanding on the
part Of somebody - TO what an abandoned
farm is. live in town that is not more
than ordinarily fertile and successful so
far as farming interests are concerned,
and yet as chairman of the board of mum.
cipal officers was obliged to report that
there was an abandoned farm ia the tom
of Dover. l am not in sympathy with
| this cry that 10 going out that the farming
districts Of this state are being abandoned
aud the farmers becoming mendicants.
The farmers Of this State are thrifty,
ard-workiDg. intelligent set Of people.
DO not rise here to pose IS q farmers
friend nor for any purpose Of vain glory,
but do know that the farmers of my Sec
ton are - thrifty, intelligent ard eccnom-
ical set OF people - any. IL it is true, as
has been stated by my friend from Saco-
and understand it to be t,ue---thss more
than half the property in this State IL
owned by the farmers, in other words that
the farm, its products and live stock are worth
more than all the rest Of the property in
this State, and il it il true, ~ believe,
that 60 per cent. OF the people Of this State
are interested in agricultural pursuits, is it
TOO much for them to ask for departing mt
Of the State government, and that they
may have man who will keep their records
and do their business for salary that will
compensate him for it, as well as the rest
Of the departments The gentleman from
Sssrsport cites the sslsryof the attorney
general, The duties of the attorney gen.
ersl are not very onerous. While he gets
$1,000 year, he takes but little of his time
and ii doesn't prevent him from doing >
better and more lucrative practice than
DO. There sre many officers in the State
Who get this amount of salary, who
do not do half the work that this secYe
| tary Of the board of Agriculture will be
| required to do, as ! understand it. That
man who makes two blades Of grass grow
where only one grew before is benefac-
tor. These farmers institutes in one part
Of the State have been q success. The
president of the board of agriculture hap
pens 70 live in my class and know that he
took . farm that only q few years ago cut
10 tons Of hsy. aud last year he cut 800
tons Of hay, and he tells me as . matter of
fact that he got his inspiration for the bust
ness o: farming from these farmers iosti-
tu.es. Nov, | say that the farmers want
education. They need it, and if this will
give 1t to them. and it is ail they ask, let Us
rot deprive them Of this poor little thing
shst they request.
Mr.. Gushee of Appleton-I feel 1t in
cumbent upon me at this time to speak in
behalf of the farmers il my community.
don't think much Of their Judgment in
sending me here to repreeelt their inter
ests, but do think great deal Of their
Judgment when they say to me. curtail the
expenditures Of the State of Maine as fsr
IS possible. While have the highest re.
gard for our secretary Of the board Of As-
ricul.ure, don't believe that the efficiency
| of his office will be greatly enhanced by
the enormous increase Of his salary. Does
the gentleman from Dover believe that be
will cause two blades Of grsss to grow
where there is one now? don't. He
says il will double the amount Of his labor
in that department. Suppose II does. We
more thaa double his salary. and believe
the people OF the State of Maine demand
| Of you, gentlemen that you curtaii these
salaries. believe If you should go around
and ask the men Of your town to
| sign petition to cut your throat, two-thirds
= A. II