The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1910-01-27
THURSDAY, JANUARY %.
And What Will Maine Farm.
ers Do?


England Railroad Club, President
William j. Brown of the New York
Central lines, made the following
statement:
"If the converging lines of produc-
ton and consumption in the United
States continue to approach each 9th
or as they have during the past 10
years, before the middle of the de-
cade upon which we have just enter
ed has been reached, the last vessel
loaded with the agricultural products
Of this country will have left our
shores, the exporting grain elevators
IN our seaboard cities will stand
empty and this great nation, ike
those of the Old World will be look
ing for a place to buy the necessaries
OF life.
"There is no alternative-we must
increase production per acre by more
Intelligent methods, or we must race
the relentless, certain day when we
shall not produce food enough to sup
mort our own necessities.
ais It possible to exaggerate, to
magnify the Importance of this sub
tect?
"In this crisis, as in all the years
of the past the farmer has responded
te the nations need, SO now he Will
respond again"
We are going to assume that MI.
Brown Is right in this; more than
that we think he is right. James j..
Hill. who is reputed to be the best
informed man in the country on eco
nomic questions, has given similar
warnings, and these men who handle
30 much of the country's-yes, OF the
worlds-Sood supply ought to under
stand the conditions as we'll and bet
ter than others who speak on these
subjects. Then we are to understand
that, II some steps are not taken I'M
mediately to increase the food sup
oily, supply and demand will be equal
In America, or there may even be
a shortage of the necessities of life
within FIVE years.
Mr.. Brown believes that the farm
ar will respond to the nations need.
Well, he must! But what will be
done In Maine? Is Maine giving to
the country her share Of produce!
IL she bearing her part of the bur-
DEN Of feeding nation, and bring
ing gold from foreign shores In re-
turn for products of farming indus
try!
We think it more pertinent perhaps
to ask II Maine is self-supporting In
regard to her food supply. Is the
value Of that shipped out of the
State annually equal to the value OF
that shipped in? We ship out of the
State some carloads of hay, some ap-
pies, some potatoes, some butter and
eggs; but is the value of these ship
ments equal In value to the car
loads of grain and -four and beef,
and other food stuffs that we import?
We doubt II it is.
The Maine farmer Is good fellow
an honest man; we are willing to
match him for honesty, intelligence,
and moral worth against any other from
any state in the Union. But we wonder
II he could not improve his methods
and enlarge his operations to an ex-
tent that would greatly aid four i'm
portant factors In this Woodworking
world; namely, himself, Maine, the
United States, and humanity as a
whole. Is 1t right to be satisfied with
raising crops enough to keep ones
own larder we'll supplied and ones
purse we'll fed? Or should one plant
AMI reap as much as the ground will
yield for the sake of State and ma
ton?
More than any other the farmer Is
"In the Public Service" Just as,
more than any other, he is indepen-
dent and truly aristocratic. We be-
lieve that Maine farmers ought to see
70 It that their crops are az large and
GOOD az their farms allow. and we be-
lieye they will. The reward will
therefore be large both In gold and
satisfaction.