Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1911-10-24
Help the Farmers.

Help the Farmers.
The Maine State Board of Trade ha:
recently held it's annual convention il
Portland. The slogan of the meeting
was "Help the Farmers" and they pro
ceeded to do so in their own way. Now,
l wouldn't cast any reflections on this
organization or upon any Of its members
1t is doing grand work for the state
aud it numbers among its membership
many of our ablest and most philan'
thropic men, some of whom know per-
sopslly. Their point Of view from which
they look at the farmer, however, IL
somewhat like that Of many other well
meaning organizations and individuals,
not in line with the farmers real needs
or one that makes them cognizant OF the
best methods for helping them. In fact,
| am constrained to say that the farmers
do not need help, anyway; all they want
10 an opportunity to help themselves. |
commend this sentiment to our Board of
Trade. Among the interesting papers
read at this meeting was one from
most successful drygoods merchant and
hotel proprietor in the city OF Portland,
who runs a farm ION the side," on "The
Future of Maine Agriculture" 1t was
an able paper, filled with many items OF
information that are we'll worth know
ing. II is also apparent that the mans
farm operations are carried on at a prot
it. There are three reasons for this:
First, he has ability; second, he disposes
of his products without the intervention
of middlemen or the extortions OF the
carrier; third, he has unlimited capital
aud credit.
How different the conditions of the
rank and file of the farmers all over
Maine. They are on the farms, they lack
capital, they lack opportunity for the
free moving and disposing of their prod
ucts. They know their limitations and
are wise and patriotic enough to stick
and do the best they can. They know
better than they do. Given the oppor-
tunity, and they will bring their work up
to the level of their knowledge. | look
cd carefully over the report OF the pro
ceedings of the Board, trying to find
some grain of practical suggestion, but
il was lacking. Generalities may be
beautiful, but they are not nourishing
During a discussion, one member did
have the boldness to intimate that the
farmer needed money, that his credit
was good aud that there should be an
effort made to turn the large amount OF
money deposited in the Maine savings
banks toward farm loans rather than
Western securities. Another man, who
for many years has been closely connect,
ed with Names greatest railroad and
who has the admiration and respect OF
everybody, said that certain kinds OF
agriculture cannot live without the aid
of banks. But the words of these men
fell on unwilling ears and didn't cause a
ripple in the even course Of the proceed
ings. Not a word was said about the
injustice of the railroads carrying the
products of the Millinocket pulp mills
clear across the country at Hat carry
ing rate which enables these mills to
place their products in the bands of their
customers as cheaply as similar mills
within short distances, and at the same
time exacting the last possible cent OF
blood money by way of freight from the
Aroostook potato growers. Not a wore
was said about the rapid jump in the
prices of various food products since the
failure of reciprocity with Canada De
came known, although 1t must be ap-
parent to every one that this rise is en-
tirely fictitious and that not one dollar
of the eight cents a bushel more for
wheat, or of the increase in the already
high prices for -four, or the increased
prices of oats, which threaten to harass
the housekeeper with higher prices for
cereals aud all breakfast foods, will ever
reach the Golfers of the grower OF these
staple food crops. The state board dio
one thing, however, and that was TO
unanimously adopt resolution asking
for the abolition of the duty on lemons,
so as to resurrect the lemon shook busi-
ness, which was formerly successfully
carried on by at least one firm in Maine.
Consistency, etc.-B. Walker Mckeen
in Tribune Farmer.