Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-12-07

ward movement in agriculture, the re-
suits of which in the past 10 years
could hardly be fathomed.
The closing address of the evening
Was by Prof. Robert j. Sprague of the
University of Maine. His subject was
What Can Maine DO for Herself Dur
ing This Decade?" He said in opening:
ut is mighty interesting at times for
the consumer to sit by and listen to
the story ot the prosperity Of the
dairymen. | am glad the men who pro-
duce something from the original are
the men that get something for it. One
of the most difficult problems that we
have to. solve is how when prices rise
they may rise in the pockets of the
| producers
| Prof. Sprague devoted the remainder
| of his speech to what he called some
! of his hobbies. He alluded to the motto
| of the State "Dirigo," Il guide and
! said that although it was a pretty
ambitious motto. it was well deserved.
| Our State University" he continued,
"is the only fully equipped and clean
type Of state university east Of the
Allegheny mountains. Massachusetts
! is waking up and developing that sys-
tenn of a state school and Vermont and
| New Hampshire are also following
more in the lead of Maine
The Speaker alluded to the strong
| Maine representation in Congress,
| which had given the Statesso great an
! influence, as another point in which
Maine led. The initiative and referen-
| dunn was measure indicative Of pro-
| sress He alluded to Good Will Farm,
| as charity which was not to be equal
led anywhere and the State prison
| methods of administration. although it
was not reformatory, were in adj
vance of those in other states.
| Prof. SpraSue spoke of roads and
rural schools as two matters in which
| the State was somewhat behind IN
! touching upon the betterment Of
| country homesteads he suggested the
use of the distinctively Maine trees,
the pines. spr,ices and cedars, Which
he declared, would greatly increase
their value.
He spoke of the barren appearance of
some church yards and advocated their
improvement. remarking that the church
needed revising downward into the world.
He advocated suitable Fairgrounds fos
the schools and commended the work of
village Improvement societies.
He made plea for better taxation and
advocated the assessment of vacant lots,
which he said would force them upon
the market and people would buy them
who would improve.
He directed some attention to the vice
of apple stealing by boys, which he said
was handicap to orcharding and he
declared that this disregard of law by
the boys was. what helped to make
America the worst criminal country in
the world.
1t was not good business he de-
clared. mot to get at the source of the
crimes which filled the jails, prisons and
insane hospitals" You milk,hen," he
said, ARE taxed to support hundreds of
idle men in Jail" He advocated a sys-
tenn of registration for every inmate in
our jailS and prisons SO that we can find
out who the men are that are filling
these institutions He declared that as
a general thing the jails were too nice
and comfortable He advocated l. hours
of outdoor work, winter and summer, as
q solution, which would do away with
30 per cent. of the loafers and stragglers
that get into the jails. He also advo-
Gated surgical treatment fof the helpless
degenerate in order that he might not
perpetuate his kind He favored the in
determnatc sentence for all serious
crimes as the only practical and ration
al method.
Prof. Sprague devoted some attention
to tuberculosis and typhoid fever and
their prevention. He caused a ripple Of |
laughter when he remarked that Maine |
was very particular to have its inhabi- |
tants drink water. but took no pains to |
legislate in regard to the quality of wa
ter We should drink. hence the great !
prevalence Of typhoid fever He declared |
that the bad air of the average school |
room was responsible for great deal |
of tuberculosis.
The wild lands of the state also came |
in for a share Of attention. "If Maine |
had held onto its wild land. when she |
sold it for five cents an acre, and sold |
stumpage instead, there isn't anything |
for her people but what she could do" |
he remarked with emphasis. l
He declared that the development Of |
water power was another question to be |
considered by the State during the pres |
ent decade and that the State should al |
low corporations who desired to come in |
and develop its water powers.
Maine has a future he declared in /
conclusion, land the boy who leaves his |
home in Maine and goes West will find |
that if he had invested the same capital |
at home in a farm he would have done |
better. But there are some things which |
I have outlined tonight in which Maine |
can make great improvements in the |
next 10 years
Wednesdays Program.
Following will be the program for the |
sessions of Wednesday.
go A. M,--Busness meeting of the Asso- |
citation.
Annual Address of the President, by /
tor,