Daily Kennebec journal., 1910-12-21

-
mousiy approved by all present, includ-
ing your own representatives, and |
submit these proposals to you and re
commend that they receive your careful
cons. Iteration. We have been ''resolut-
ing for years on this important matter.
The time for determined and decisive ac-
tion is now here. | want, therefore, each
and every one To fully realize that what
ever action We take here. it will be but
the beginning, and that to make our ac-
ton effective, and enable Maine to do
her pant with honor and credit in this
united movement of the farmers of the
nation. we must see that the whole Or
der in every subordinate Grange is
aroused to action. lie as all realize
fully that if the subordinate oranges do
their part. and more than their part--to
compensate for those who fay and for
the unfortunate unorSanized farmers
who cannot be induced to co-opcrate-we
shall succeed: TO aid Us in this impor-
tant matter is another reason why we
demand 4 farmer to represent MS in the
United States Senate.
Good Roads.
The Grange has an important part to
play in the work of improving our roads,
and. quoting my worthy predecessor in
this office. Its wisdom should be eNer-
cised to sea that only the best means are
employed We must therefore clearly
understand the right relationship of the
people as a whole to Good Roads, as well
as the relationship of the farmers.
This is especially important now that
the rise of the automobile during the last
few years has brought I; new. powerful
and insistcnt influence to bear, not only
to secure government aid, federal and
State, for road Improvement, but to de-
termlne the policy of road Improvement
that shall be adopted. The automobile
has brought in Il new factor also to be
considered in the field of traffic regula-
ton and road maintenance. AUTOMOBILE
lists associations, national State and 10
cal, are active in promoting road i'm
provenent in the interest Of automobile
lists. and it is therefore vitally important
that the farmers. through the Grange
should be alert to safeguard the farmers
interests.
That the federal. state, county and
local governments should all contribute
to road Improvement. is now generally
conceded, and the main point now at
issue is the policy of road Improvement
that should he adopted for the settle
ment of this point will carry with it the
decision as to how the government funds,
federal, State and local, are to be ap-
portionsd and expended.
The purpose for which roads are built
is commerce not pleasure, and the sole
considerations that should have ,weisht
federal, State or local government ap
preparations for road Improvement, are
commercial. The commerce of the ma
ton begins at the farm and the people
as Il whole, not the farmer alone are vi
tally concerned in transporting the pro-
duce of the farm from. the farm to the
consumer as the least possible cost. The
people are also vitally interested in the
secondary problems of facilitating the
transportation of individuals. and the
mails necessary to that commerce. This
is the true basis of the peoples common
interest in road improvements
The right theory Of road Improvement
is to connect the farmer with the final
markets by the cheapest and most direct
way. Roads-in this country at least
We're built solely for this purpose. and
that alone should be the determining fac
tor in their Improvement at the public
expense. 1t also determines what portion
should be graded. for it is manifest that
those parts of the roads that are used
most by farmers generally in transport
ing their produce should be most highly
improved.
The true theory of road improvement
is to. recognize that the railroads and
canals are the main commercial high
ways: that the trolley roads perform an
important secondary function; and that
considered, roads for vehi-
cular traffic are either post roads for
transporting produce from and to the
farm to the nearest railroad shipping
point or nearest market.
\ study of the present road situation
| am convinced will show that we have
theory, but it is time that the farmers
We're alive to the necessity of enforcing
IOdu tDllSllucllDli SoltlN lIOHi llic tOIn-
commerce standpoint If we do this we
will lind that the railroads. the trolley
companies, and even the automoblllstS
who are resident off the main lines of
travel between large cities, have interests
common with the farmers. and the auto
mobile manufacturers who are looking
to the farmers as future customers, must
construction will best serve their inter
DistiIIeries, Industrial Al
cohoI Development,
Fifteen thousand agricultural diStil-
lcries in Germany add immensely to the
prosperity of German agriculture, but al
alcohol laws in force for nearly four
years, we have not yet one agricultural
distilcry in this country. If the denat
Mrcd alcohol laws Of Germany have been
why are not our laws of equal benefit to
the farmers of this country? An eN
ccedinsly illuminating address by State
Master Greasy of Pennsylvania puts the
situation very clearly before us, and
Brother Greasy makes the following def
mite recommendation for instant action
upon the part of farmers
l. "OrSaniZe, or rather re-organiZe. Il
Farmers National Committee on Aeri-
cultural Distilleries and Industrial Alco-
hol Development. to establish central
conduct the necessary educational cam
paign to secure additional legislation by
Congress. and protect farmers every
where in their industrial development.
every farmer through his organization,
should be a contributing member. If the
100000 farmers only paid an average of
five cents each annually. to sustain such
cational fund of $300000.00 a year, ana
with only a sixth of that amount we
could quickly put the country on par
with Germany and save our farmers hum
n1S # ,1,il1i Il n1l