The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1908-09-10
Abandoned Farms.

On6 OF Inc main 1oaU ureb OF Une
forthcoming report of Hon. Thomas
]. Lyons, Commissioner of labor and
industrial statistics, will be the re-
suits of an investigation which has
been conducted by the bureau with a
view to ascertaining the number of
abandoned farms in the State, and al
SO for the purpose of adopting some
means whereby pc ople from other
states may be induced to come into
Maine and take up those farms, not
only for farming purposes, but for
summer homes. This advertising of
farming properties has been extern
sively carried on in the other New
England states, with benefici results,
and it is the belief of Commissions r
LYONS that it can also be done in
Maine.
1t will be remembered that early in
the current year Commissioner Lyons
sent out to representative citizens of
the various Maine towns circular
relative to farming conditions in
their respective towns rs we'll as in
dustrial conditions in general, the
MANY inquiries which had been re =
ceived at the bureau from people re-
siding in other places who wrote for
the purpose of finding place in
which they could purchase a farm or
secure temporary or permanent en-
ployment, with view of establishing
a home for themselves and families
and becoming residents and citizens
of the State.
In order to put the bureau in pos
session of the facts as to the needs
and opportunities of the several towns
the above circular was sent out, there
being embodied in it a series of 80
questions, relative to the number of
farms for sale in the several towns,
the number of acres, the distance
from the railroad or the center of the
village, the estimated number OF
farm laborers who could find contin-
uous or temporary employment in the
town, wages, demand for additional
female help on the farms or at other
occupations, wages, also wages paid
in the different mechanical trades,
the question of rents, the rate of tax
alton for 1907, etc. From the replies
received in this way a great deal of
valuable information has been Sc J.
CuTtu III lDc way vi bbdGtbblSS, WulCIl
will be included in the report.
Commissioner Lyons is thoroughly
in sympathy in the movement of adj
vertising the State of Maine with a
view of getting people to come here
and take up the farms which have
been abandoned There is not rural
town IN the State, he said, that has
not its quota OF abandoned farms, and
there is no reason why these farms
should not be sold and put to some
good use, so that they should be a
source of profit to the owner and to
the town.
That the work has been done in
Maine is shown by the town of Isles
borough. In 1890 the valuation of the
estates in the town, all resident, was
S266, 72l, while the valuation in 1907
was s1s1,8l9 in resident estates and
1921, 491 in nonresident estates, the
latter figures showing she results of
inducing people from other places to
come there and build their summer
homes. The town now maintains it's
public schools for 80 weeks in the
year, has built fine public library,
and is in a condition of prosperity
that it could not have otherwise real
lied. And the same is true of other
places, not only among the coast re-
sorts, but inland as well. 1t is the de-
sire OF the bureau to advance the in
terests of Maine by advertising her
attractions in such a way that those
who are looking for farm or a place
in which to build a summer home may
be induced to come here and do so.