Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-05-09
NOT AN INDUSTRIAL STATE
Census Experts Ideas on the Flu
ture of Vermont.
should be Made Distinctlve1y Agrlcul-
tural In the Best Sense by Furnish
ing Products That Cannot lie
Surpassed.

Ambassador James Bryce Of Great
Britain, In a speech delivered in Burling-
ton on the eth day OF July. 1909, at the
tercentenary celebration OF the discovery
Of Lake Champlain and Vermont, said:
YOU men of northern Vermont and
northern New Hampshire. living among
It's rocks ana mountains in a region which
may be called the Switzerland of America
You are the people here who have had
hearts full OF love Of freedom which,
exists in mountain peoples. and who have
the indomitabe spirit and the unconduer-
able will which We always associate with
the lake and mountain lands of the Alps
and Of Scotland"
This phrase 1.-THE Switzerland Of
America has stuck to Vermont since that
utterance by Mr. Bryce and the awakening
OF now life and enterprise in the State
which has been apparent during the past
few years hls been due to some extent
to the placing before the people of larger
communities seine of the great natural
assets Of Vermont.
Probably no man is better acquainted
with the historical and st.Sstical phases
Of Vermont than is William S. Rosster,
formerly expert special agent and chief
clerk Of the United States census office,
whose statistical study of the State was
reviewed In some of the leading New Eng
land and New York newspapers In a. man
ner not fattering to Vermont These mis-
leading articles were subsequently chal-
enged and the erroneous impressions they
had created We're in some measure dis
spated
Easing his questions on the sentiment
expressed by Ambassador Bryce, c. P.
Cowles Of this city recently put the fol-
lowing queries On suSstance) to Mr.
Rossiter:
Are not Vermont's men and women
and her mountains. the States two great
est assets?"
Should not Vermont be considered the
Switzerland and Scotland Of American"
Mr.. Rossiter's reply to these questions
is interesting because It comprises a terse
summing UP of the whole situation in
Vermont He begins by saying that he
does not believe vermont will ever be-
come an Industrial State and quickly ex-
presses a doubt whether il is wise to
press the Highlands and Swiss idea too
far. The Vermonter OF the future, ac-
cording to Mr.. Rossitcr ought to be a
mountaineer in the best sense. but ac-
lively engaged in making the cities pay
him housekeeping himself alert sane
and progressive. He warns against a ten
dency in Vermont towards discoura sing
newcomers to the State and suggests the
need OF an organization to keep track
Of newcomers and lend them hand In
his communication to Mr.. Cowles, MIR
Rossiter says, in part:
I'VE can, think, both agree in hoping
Vermont will never become an Industrial
State. As matter Of fact that means
SO much by what Is omitted that we need
not go much farther. doubt, however.
II 1t is wise to press the Highlands and
Swiss idea too far. Our conception Of
the Scotch Highlands and Switzerland is
derived from what they stand for in his
tory During all the period that we hear
from them, the men Of both races were
nearly all hunters and warriors. These oc-
equations, whatever their dra wbacks,
develop strength. daring. resourcefulness.
energy, endurance and mental quickness.
These qualities not only mean strong
men and fine human stock breeders, but
a sort of automatic elimination OF weak
ening vices. 1t was just that sort Of stock,
the dwellers on the slopes OF the Appen-
mines. that conquered the world for
Rome. AS long as these races had an
objective which compelled mental and
physical activity they were UNSURPASSED,
out hunting and war have vanished in
Europe. and Scotland's forlorn little
Highland area is overrun by tourists in
motors and trolleys and the settlements
are suffering exactly as ours are from
decrease and deterioration, while Switzer-
land is merely a tourists paradise In
which the inhabitants for the most part
devote themselves to some form of sery
Ice made profitable by tho immense tide
Of travel.
Our high-bred Anglo Saxon stock must
nave compelling, absorbing purpose, one
that Will create mental and physical
strength. They cannot in our time in
vermont be hunters or warriors. To sit
stllI and cultivate a little hillside farm
just 10 exc out meagre existence didn't
SATISFY the yearning Of our stock, and so
IN the early 30s they began to drift away
and our present day problem had its be-
ginning. In short. to our modern High.
lander II We would retain aim and keep
him at highest efficiency. We must sup
ply a strong, profitable. absorbing OBJ
jective. We cannot ind II factory,
and think It would be equally unfortu-
nate to turn our people into hotel keep
ers.-I mean making a business gener.
ally of living on tourists. 1t seems to me,
however. that We can find the highest
and finest objective by making tho State
distnctively agricultural in the best
sense by opening markets.-that is chan
nels to markets.-and by furnishing prod
ucts that cannot be surpassed In 1890
there was practically no outside-of-the-
state market even possible for Vermont
food products. To-day in New England
and the middle States alone nearly A.
100000 people live In cities OF more than
5000 Inhabitants, practically every ono
OF which is within II hours ride of St.
Johnsbury. II the Vermonters OF 1880
had had such a chance, doubt IL they
would have left the state.