The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1909-12-02
OUR H0N0RED GUESTS, THE MAINE
DA|RYMEKS ASSOCIATION
SPLENDID Addresses Good Attendance
And Very Fine Exhibits

The annual meeting of the State
Dairy Association opened It's sessions
In the Municipal building on Tues
day evening, last. The attendance at
this opening session was not as
large as hoped for. particularly on
the part of the citizens of the town
As the sessions have progressed, how
ever. the citizens have evinced great
err interest as shown by an increasing
attendance.
The session opened Tuesday even
ing with an invocation by Kew. III
r A. Leitch. The presiding officer
Roland T. Patten, one of the members
of the local Grange committee, VINO
has had much to do in making tuli
arrangements for the entertainment
of the visiting dairymen. Later III
The evening. F. L. Adams, OF BOW
doinham. president of the Association
took charge, and has since presioeo
at the different sessions.
Addresses of welcome were CIV
en- by Prof. Roy L. Marston, represent
Ing the Board of Trade and Cltlzehs
of Skowhegan; by Frank T. Penheii'
IN hehalf of the Grange and the agrl-
cultural interests; and response WAS
,node nv Hon. w. G. Hunton, vice
president of the Dairy ASSOCIATION
The address of Mr. Marston's FOL
lows:
Gentlemen of the Maine State DAIRY
mems Association:
am here to extend to you the
welcome of the Board of Trade and
the citizens of Skowhegan We are
vIad to greet you as citizens OF sister
tawns and cities, and as representa-
tives and opponents of the dairy IN
S,,strv which furnishes occupation
and interest to SO many OF our own
people. The Skowhegan Jersey
creamery is one of our most pros
porous and successful enterprises anu
we are proud of the size ana quahty
of its output. 1t has always peeh
farmers enterprise. 1t was s'afteu
and has been maintained as a CO
operative institution for the penene oi
farmers, supported and carried on
with their own capital. we are
proud to hold 1t up as an example OF
what intelligent cooperation can &C.
complish In the handling and sale Oh
the products of the farm.
That this great idea of cooperation
Is the most vital question confronting
the agricultural interests OF TINS
country, can be easily realized when
we consider that in spite of the over
whelming proportion OF farm pro
ducts In the trade of this country, the
farmer himself has nothing to say as
to his prices and seldom Dement'S from
the high prices of unusual demand. The
value of our poultry and eggs is
greater than the combined value of all
the gold and silver mined In TINS
country. Our wheat and corn Is
worth more than all the other min
erals together. Every year we near
of dollar and a half and two dollar
wheat, but did anyone ever hear OF a
farmer getting that much for his
grain? Just such organizations as
the Maine Dairymen's Association are
going to bring about better hanu-
ling of the products because they are
going to bring together farmers VINO
are interested in the same things, and
who realize that cooperation II not
combination will give them greater
proportion of the price the consumer
pays for his food.
All the spare time that | have been
able to devote to the Board OF Trade
has been spent in talking water
power development In Skowhegan,
and 1t is perhaps an unfortunate CO.
incidence that man who has thought
and talked nothing but water morn
ing. noon and night should have been
chosen to welcome the dairymen. Per-
haps | am carrying my theory or CO.
operation and combination too far in
introducing water into this talk.
Which reminds me of Holman Days
verse about the two frogs in the
milkman's can:
And 1t CHANGED one morn In the early
dawn,
When the farmers sight was dim,
He scooped them frogs in the water
he dipped,
Which same was Joke ON him.
The fool frog sank in the smashing
tank,
AS the farmer bumped to town,
But the smart frog flew like tug
boats screw,
And swore he'd not go down.
So he kicked and splashed and
slammed and thrashed,
And he kept on top through all;
And he churned that milk In first
class shape
In a great big butter ball.
So when the milkman got to town
And opened the can. there lay
The fool frog drowned; but hale and
sound,
The kicker he hoped away.
We don't need any more water in
our milk, but the farming industry
does need more kickers like the Maine
Dairymens Association.
Gentlemen, we hope you will make
yourselves at home during your stay
with US, and II you don't see what
you want you will ask for 1t. Our
mills and factories will be open to
you, and we will be glad to show you
around whenever you find the OPP
portunity We want you to have
good time and to like US, because we
want you all to come again. Gentle
men, in behalf of the Skowhegan
Board of Trade and of all our people
/ welcome you to Skowhegan.