The Republican journal., 1897-07-29
How to Create Markets.
Turf. Farm and Home. |

Turf, Farm and Home.
| have read with interest several COM
munications published in your paper for
the last few weeks, giving the views of
different correspondents as to the griev
ances under which, at the present time,
the farmers of Maine are laboring-some
devoting their time in depicting their ills,
and others suggesting the better ways of
working their way out of the pond of des-
pair into which some seem to have fallen.
Although. personally, | have been, for
the last eight years, out of active farming
having given the management and con-
troll of the farm up to my son, | never
have been, and hope never to be, out of
sympathy with all people who earn their
bread by the work of their hands or
brains, and l retain in my heart an espec-
ial soft spot for the farmers of Maine. |
do not know that l can say anything to
assist them, but possibly my line of
thought may aid to encourage some one,
and if so | shall feel repaid for my labor.
do not deem myself expert enough to
teach how to make more or better butter
out of a given amount of cream, nor how
to grow two blades of grass where only
one now grows, beyond what is now fully
taught by much ADLER men than myself;
nor do | deem it necessary, as in all the
plants | read or hear none claim that the
earth has ceased her fruitf illness, but the
great cry that goes forth land with truth)
that there Is not sufficient outlet for the
present production-that everything that
the land can yield to tempt a buyer is
produced in SO great an abundance that
the markets are overstOcked.
In this condition, what would seem to
be the logical remedy? Surely not more
marketable material, but more markets,
and the great question is where to find
them? How to foster them? To my
mind there is but one answer. 1t is by
the encouragement OF the employment of
labor at the highest wages possible out
side of farming. And should such de-
mands arise that it would tempt more
men from that class of farms that never
should have been wIested from the nm
disputed sway of the foxes and wood
chucks. and turn them into consumers,
so much the better. Give our laboring
men employment at suitable wages, so
that they may be enabled to buy what
they need to buy and what they would
buy had they the means, and there will be
no lack of market, as a disposition to buy
is not lacking. As to the methods of ar
irving at this desired result men honestly
differ. and it would be out of place for me
to discuss ii heIe-Only be sure it will be
found in the END. ii one method does
not bring it another Will be demanded,
and will be found.
The virtue OF economy, to my mind, is
only true to a limited extent. 1t is one
OF the greatest OF virtues to the limit of
"a, al.
income beyond that it is a sin, for who
ever boards from his income beyond his
present wants and possible future neces-
sites. is no benefit to community.
Every expenditure. however lavish, by
those who can afford it, is blessing, for
it creates new lines of employment and
aids to enlarge the daily market purse
that can be drawn upon TO purchase the
products OF labor and therefore should
be encouraged instead OF being anathe-
matzed, as it Scatters benefits along its
path. In the meantime the farmers of
Maine are not suffering beyond precedent.
They are infinitely better fed, better cloth
ed and better housed than the most opti-
mistic vision conld foresee fifty years ago.
Their horses and carriages, the furnish
ings of their homes, as well as all their
surroundings and manner of living, show
a degree of comfort and elegance not
dreamed of at that time; but this should
not satisfy as long as better is yet attain
able, for the line of march is towards i'm
provement. We are living to-day in an
age of sharp competition, and the only
way to succeed is to excel therefore what
ever one undertakes to do, let him strive
to do it better than his neighbor, and go
at it with a cheerful face and hopeful
heart, for hopeful man, full OF courage,
will succeed where a Respondent one will
fail.
The old State of Maine has many excel
lencies. In many things she can hold her
own with the best, and it should be the
pride of her active and intelligent farmers
to develop all her resources and bring them
to the front ranks. Many of them are al
ready being pushed, and some which
| think might be brought forward to the
profit of the farmers have not yet been
started, one of bich, at least l may pre-
sent in a future article
OTIS d. WILSON
oearsmont, July j., 1897.