Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1906-11-06
What the Farmer Gets out of Life.


We recently received communication
from a valued reader who asked US a
few questions, commencing by stating
that he had been careful observer of
events in our state for number Of
years, especially in the rural commu-
mites, and he was sorry to state, but the
truth compelled him to believe that the
average farmer was conducting his farm
operations at an expense of from 10 TO
25 per cent more than 90 years ago,
while his net receipts we're but little in
creased. One of the reasons given for
the balance in his favor not being larger
was that taxes were constantly increas-
ing and that he could not see that the
farmers were receiving advantage COM
mensurate with the increase. His con-
clusions were that unless change was
made the average Maine farmer was
doomed to certain bankruptcy. The
question he asked was whether or not
his deductions were correct, and ii so
what was the remedy? AS any one can
see at a glance, our correspondent has
opened up an economic question, that
has absorbed the closest attention Of
thoughtful men all over this country for
a good many years, for conditions in
Maine are not wholly unlike conditions
in various other parts of the country.
And a remedy that will apply in our
state ought to fit conditions all over
New England, at least.
We do not presume that we can in one
single article cover the whole ground
taken by our correspondent, for one
capable of handling the subject in
telligently could fill several issues OF our
entire paper on the various questions
the subject involves. But there are one
or two points we would like to discuss
briefly at this time, and will gladly give
our correspondents and readers general
ly the use of these columns to present
either side of the case, if any there are
who do not think we have done the sub
iect Justice. Now to commence with
there is no one living on Maine farm
to-day but what is getting more out OF
life than it was possible for him to get
under the same conditions in the same
locality % years ago. The state and
these towns do more for every inhabit-
ant indirectly than was done for them
in the past. Naturally these things cost
money, aud some one has to pay for
them. But get down a little nearer
home, there is no class of farmers in
Maine to-day who are satisfied to live as
their fathers lived on the same farm 80
wears ago. We do not believe it will be
disputed that if farmers to-day would
work as long and as hard and put up
with the same privations, denying them
selves the comforts and conveniences
that really come to be the necessities of
life, they would have vastly more to
show at the end of the year than they
have to day. 1t is the old story, and
true as fate, that we cannot keep the
cake and eat it too. We heard con-
tractor and builder say the other day
that when he went into business forty
wears ago there was no piano in his
house, nor none on the street where he
lived, and if it had been known that one
of the men in his employ had purchased
a piano it would have been thought that
there was something crooked in his
financial affairs. To-day he says there
is not a man in his employ, no, not one,
and he employs more than half hun
dred men the year around, but what mas
a piano and the various house furnish
ings that go with it. And still pre-
sumo il one should hear the carpenters
of that town discussing their condition
they would declare that they were not
getting ahead a particle. How an in
telligent man can assert and expect any
one to believe that the farmers in the
state of Maine who are up-to-date and
progressive are not advancing is beyond
our comprehension. There surely can
be no two ways about it.