Daily Kennebec journal., 1911-04-24

can side.
At this point let us guard against
"ohlusion OF thought. am not tfN-
ing to show that farming creates
homes and manufacturers does not.
But in manufacturing the homes are
the incident, not the object. y cor
poration with Il thousand employees
curtails production without RESPONSE
hility as to its effect on the families
OF those employees. The human HE
necessities do not impcl an oVerpro-
duction disastrous " the market. Hut
When We turn to agriculture, the hu-
man life necessities do that very thing.
II IS because of this that We must
vary our accustomed formulas if we
would rot work fearful havoc when
We deal With the agricultural schedule.
Independence of Farm Home.
y century ago the farm home was
mere prc-eminently the unit of civili-
zation than today. 1t was almost in
dependent within itself, The father
and sons titled the fields. cared for the
e2ale. and especially the sheep. while
the mother and daughters kept the
house and spun anl Wovr the cloth
ing. The daughter wcrn tie spirstors.
and to this day an unmarried woman,
whether shc dwell IL hunb;e cottage
o. princelv castle is a spinste"-jiVing
monument of the old Independence of
the farm home. In process of time
the factory has taken over the family
Industries, as we'll IS most of the VIII
lase trades. The farmer and his fam
liz devote themselves to the simpler
.s,1t-
their own food supply is secure must
sell enough surplus to Pay for the
manufactured goods. professional SER
vices, and SO forth. which are needed
to satisfy their wants and tastes. Il
is obvious that f all in the world were
farmers, there would be no people to
buy the surplus. 1t is evident then,
that there must hr other people, NOT
engaged in farming. 10 buy and con-
sumo this surplus of the farmer. else
he will be unable 10 purchase manu-
featured articles. Il seems most con-
siSten; with reason that these other
people who are t. purchase the farm
er,s surplus should DC his own neigh
hors ar, at least. of his own Nation
er region. and especially those of his
ne!5hbors who are engaged in manu-
featuring the very articles which he
needs TO buy. Ana it is evident that
both farmers and artisans will be
most prosperous and the happiest
When there are enough farmers to
take the artisans gods =. = fair nrira
and enough artisans. professional men.
and 50 forth. to take the farmers
surplus at fair price.
Rzf,gaa,,
lures.
Tins brings us to the question of pro-
portion, or equilibrium, of manufac-
tured and agricultural products And
IL Is right here on this point that the
WhoIe situation likely to be created by
tins reciprocity treaty develops Itself.
cur manufacturers. syndcated as they
are by trusts and associations, are
easily controliable and do not tend to
run into an overproductIon. disastrous
I" profits on ranita1 or the WAGES OF
Iahss But the farms. being an ag-
sregatiOn of homes, disorganiZed. and
vaeh impelled BY its own necessities.
tend constantly u ov.rproduce. And
this overpro9dct becomes disas-
tfous unless tie I=z9.tation Of acrea 2.
possible 10 be lua,lvated intervene;
10 prevent Therefore tile element aC
prime Importance il his discussion Is
the relation ef acreage to the capacity
Of the home market furnished by the
u liagri"uitlrM CLASSES.
az this doctrine Of the equilibrium
81 the home mar6et We udyo heard lit
u among Fnglish-speaking peoples.
i~-reuse England ,,ope'ossIy destroyed
the equilibrium OF he- home market
wien. ~ a rssult OF the stimulation
uf Il. Napglt onic wars, she got moro
people into manufacturing than her
aces. IN tie opinion OF dominating
school "f hcr statesmen. could possibly
feed. ev il under a.. highest develop
mont Of her agriculture. Then she felt
forced TO open her markets to the
agricu'turd! products of the world
We, who found our market in her ne-
ce.sities, have not examined her situ-
alton, But England herself is awaken
ing. and in 1906, after exhaustive in
Vestigations. her tariff commission
made a significant report. There mas
been, that report says
a broad contrast between the policy
adopted by foreign countries and that
adopted by the United Kingdom. Cen
orally speaking. all foreign and European
countries accept as the basis OF their
economic policy the necessity for main
tanning tiourishing agriculture This is
partly due to economic reas sons. partly to
considerations of national defense and
security. The result speaking generally,
Is that these countries, instead of pur-
suing an exclusively manufacturing or an
exclusively agrarian policy, have en-
deavored to maintain a balance between
agriculture and manufactures.
"A balance between agriculture and
manufactures" Have any of us
studied it before plunging into this
great departure from the pathway
traced by the instincts of our states
men for a century and a quarter?
Relation to National Power and Social
Life.
"Considcration of national defense
and security" Have any of US studied
the relations Of agriculture to that
great subject We have thought of
ba.tleships and forts and have regis
tered our thoughts in billion-dollar
marks.