Oxford Democrat., 1904-02-02
Maine Misrepresented.

Material injustice seems to be done to
the state of Maine by regarding it aud
treating it as chiefly wilderness region,
given up to hunting, trapping and fish
| ing. Thus at the st. Louis fair this year
the Maine State Building is to be log
cabin, filled with hunters and fisher
mems trophies. 1t is also complained
| that the laws for the protection of game,
| chiefly in the interest of nonresident
sportsmen. are so unjust and oppressive
to farmers that the agricultural develop
ment of the state is seriously retarded
and in some parts of the state growth of
population has entirely ceased. There
can be no doubt that the forests, mount
aims and lakes of Maine present to the
sportsman one of the most attractive
hunting grounds in the world; and the
shame. Yet, on the other hand, the
superb. agricultural and manufacturing
RESOURCES of the state deserve recognition
and safeguarding, and there can be little
hesitation in saying that the subordina-
ton of these latter to the sportsmen's
pleasure would be an intolerable hard
ship, while to set up hunters log cabin
as representative of Maine is so grossly
unjust as to be grotesque.
Maine is not one of the most pOpulous
states, yet it considerably outranks Col
orado, Florida, Washington and Oregon,
and has more inhabitants than the three
States of Utah, Montana and Idaho COM
bined. In value of real estate it out
ranks Georgia, the Empire State OF
the South, and in total valuation it sur
L CarO-
lima, Tennessee, West Virginia, Wash
ington and Oregon. Its debt is smaller
than that of Rhode Island or Mississippi
or the territory of Arizona. Its tax rate
is one of the lowest. 1t has more capi-
tai invested in manufactures than has
Georgia, or Alabama, or either of the
Virginias, or either of the Carolinas, or
Louisiana, or Kentucky, or Iowa.
While in population it stands thirtieth,
in amount of bank deposits it stands
eighteenth, almost equalling Texas, sur
passing Kansas, Nebraska, Kentucky,
Tennessee and Louisiana, and more than
twice exceeding Georgia, or the two
Carolinas combined. Its millions of
acres of farming land rank in fertility
and value of products almost if not quite
as high as any on the continent. 1t is
true that its lakes are productive of
many fish, and many more fish stories;
and that receipts of "big game" at Ban
COR amount to about TO moose and
!, 900 deer a season. But what are these
compared with more than S2O,0OO,OOO a
wear from three agricultural products,
and Sl9,0OO,0OO worth of domestic ami
mails?
The fact is, Maine is state of except
ionally varied natural characteristics.
A considerable part of it is best suited
for hunting, fishing and the like; and it
would be we'll to have it maintained as
such, forming, along with the mountain
region of New Hampshire, an unsurpass-
ed forest preserve. But that region
should be so administered as rot to
interfere with the larger and far more
important part which is adapted to the
high development of agriculture, manu-
features and commerce; and the repre-
sentation of the state which is made at
ST. Louis should be one that would show
it to be a state of varied resources, rich
in farms and factories and ocean-going
fleets, and not be confined to the sub
ordinate and Incidental features of log
cabins and deer hides.-Tribune Farm
er.