Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-05-17
To Lower Living Cost.

lift, educate and aid him. The aver
age farmer is the most independent
man on earth. He does not need the
uplft and advise so freely rendered
him. He knows that all this anxiety
to help him out is prompted by de-
sire on the part of the enthusiasts to
help themselves. He knows that in
the last analysis their solicitude for
the farmer is solicitude for their own
pocketbooks, for a lower cost of living
and for an opportunity to shine as
philanthrOpists.
Two schemes have recently come to
light which are of more than usual
by the governor of Maryland of a
commission charged with investigat-
ing agricultural conditions in that
state and finding some practical means
of making the state produce more and
get more out of it. The other is the
suggestion of W. C. Brown of the New
York Central Railroad that a syndi-
cate be formed for the purpose of re-
claiming the abandoned farms in New
York state. to the end that they may
be settled upon by men from the cities
and thus be made to produce their
share of the nations food stuffs. Both
plans have much of merit in them.
The scheme suggested by Mr. Brown
of the New York Central is broad
one, as it includes the reimbursement of
the distribution system through which
the product of the farm reaches the
consumer. We have too many mer-
chants" he says Each must have a
profit, which in the end must come out
of the pocket of the consumer. Sew
eral days ago saw IA grocery
wagons backed up at the rear of an
apartment house. This made it evil
dent that the occupants of this one
tenement house obtained their food
stuffs from Ia different sources An
examination showed that any one of
these grocery wagons could have cart
ed all the produce in sight. In one
city block | found Is grocery stores.
Every one of these stores has to make
a profit above rent. clerk hire, insur-
ance and delivery charges. l would
have at least II of these shopkeepers
take their II teams. II drivers and -
clerks to the country and become pro-
ducers. They would then add to the
wealth of the country instead of plac-
ing an extra and unnecessary expense
upon the consumer"
There are students of the economic
conditions of this country who claim
that he real secret of the high cost of
living is contained i'm the conditions
Mr. Brown cites. While it is hardly
likely that all the unnecessary increase
in price is chargeable to that source it
is certain that at least a part of it is.
There are now 10000 square miles of
tpdHu'Iitu idlIilS III New England,
New York, the Southeast and the Mid
die Central states. These farms were
abandoned wher the tide of travel and
immigration was toward the West.
Some of them in fact We're on the road.
were settled and were later abandoned
for lands further toward the Pacific.
The tide of immigration must now be
northward into another land and I'M
der another flag, or it must be back to
the farms which were left. Many of
them can easily be made as productive
as any which will be found in the new
country. Thousands of them were
abandoned in periods of rush and ex-
element when the owners went rain
bow chasing. There is no doubt that
they can be reclaimed at a profit
Mr.. Brown proposes to form a cor
the purpose of buying up some of these
farms and selling them to city dwell
of speculation, but in a philanthropic
effort to decrease the cost of food sup
ply Such movement is worthy of a
trial at least and If successful should
not be confined to New York state.
The commission proposed by Gov
ernor Crothers of Maryland will be ex-
pected to inject new life into the latent
farm interests of that state in order
that it may take the place which
rightly belongs to it. 1t is believed
that by such concentration of effort as
is possible under the direction of a
competent commission. this result will
be accomplished.
Keep Flag Day.
The American FLAG Association