Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-12-27
STATE HOUSE.
Short Talk With Commissioner
A. W. Gilman.
Gives His Reasons for the Establish.
men: Of a State Dairy Bureau.
Another Contested Election Case for
the House to Settle.

DAY, and was busy closing ID the odds
ana ends of this years business in his
department. In conversation with the
journal man, Mr.. Gilman said that the
| farmers of Maine We're thankful for
the Dountiful crops of the year and
We're not by any means finding fault
with their condition.
The farmers of the state,' said Mr..
Gilman. ARE in better shape at the
present time than in any other period
In the past 10 years. Every farm crop
except corn, was bountiful, this year,
ana the prices of the farmers products
as a whole were never so high in re-
| cent years as now. Butter, eggs, poul-
try, and other commodities are selling
at good prices. Potatoes command an
| unusually high figure this winter. The
farmers of Maine are a good deal bet
| ter off thar they We're 10 or II years
| ago when their taxes appeared heavy
because they weren't getting anything
for what they raised. But things are
different now; they don't complain Of
high taxation. and they are as a rule
perfectly satisfied with what is coming
to them.
I'VE are going to ask for the approx
al of two propositions by the Legisla-
ture. this winter, and so far as l know
will ask for nothing ese,'' continued
commissioner Gilman.
"Onc of these propositions is a plea
for q dairy commissioner. The matter
was taken up at the last legislature,
but no legislation followed for there
were other matters which occupied the
attention Of the agricultural represent
a hny no
| the time has come for the Legislature
to grant us what we ask, and we
anticipate that the Legislature will re-
| ceive our proposal in a kindly spirit.
The passage of a law giving Maine a
dairy commissioner would be of the
greatest possible value to Names
| farming interests, and the expense to
| the State would be comparatively
| small. While l believe no exact esti-
| mates have been made, the general
idea seems to be that the dairy COM
missioner should be paid a salary of
| $500, the same as n great many other
| State officials and he would be ex-
| pected to put in all his time for the
| State. He would need a thousand or
| fifteen hundred dollars per year for ex-
| penses. as he would be travelling a
| greater part of the time. He would
| probably be attached to this depart
| ment. though his work would in a way
be connected with the State board of
| health. One of his duties would be to
keep the board of health informed as
to, any cases of tainted butter and
| cream which come under his notice.
| When he finds that n man is market
ing cream or butter which is not what
it should be for cleanliness. he notifies
| the board of health, which proceeds to
investigate the matter. If he finds
that the water which is being used in
the dairy is receiving the drainage of
the barn, and the man who operates
the dairy refuses to accept the COM
missioners recommendation for a
change the board of health will take
up the question and settle with the
dairyman. A man may say that he
gueSSes his butter is made in as cleanly
a manner as his neighbours up the road
and that he isn't going to fix up. just
cause someone comes along and tells
him he'd better. He may say that he
can make his butter as he pleases. but
while this is so in regard 10 the but
ter which he makes for bis own con-
|
Ito market that butter. The laws
lagainst the sale Of impure food stuffs
lare stringent, ard we are certain that
under the eye of a practical dairyman.
serving as a State official. a great
lmany cases OF neglect which are almost
criminal will be brought to light and
lremedied.
But this is only one phase of the
proposition. and not the most impor-
liant. The greatest value of the dairy
commissioner will come in the aid he
furnishes to the farmers who are hon
estly trying to furnish the best butter
they can. These men are doing the
very best they know how. and yet
Maine butter does not take so high
standing i'm the market as it might and
as ii should.
These men are anxious that they
nav so improve the Maine article that
| il will stand at the head of the mar
ket list. They believe that it can be
done, if the state will appoint dairy
| commissioner whose sole business IL
;baIl be to go about the State adj
dressing the farmers of the different
localities at convenient times ana
placcs and giving his advice to the in
| 1ividual dairymen. The dairy inter-
asts of other states have been greatly
| advanced by the establishment of dairy
bureaus. and in, some states where the
dairy interests IRE very large. they
have not one. but three and four COM
| missiorers who are at work among the
farmers all the time. Maine does not
at present need more than one COM
missioner. but do not think l am too
| optimistic in saying that if proper en-
| couragement is given the dairy inter-
ests they will become so important that
,he State can well afford to have sew
| eral men engaged in this work.
"Tbe difference of a cent or two per
Mound in the market price Of butter
NAV seem like small thing to the per-
son who is not in the dairy business
but I will tell you that if we can make
Maine butter worth one cent more per
mound in the Boston market, Name
will be the richer by many, many
thousands of dollars. The dairying IN
,erests of Maine are but in their pc
ginning and during the next few years
1