Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-09-24
LONGS FOR THE WEST.
One Who Has Been There Defends
Vastness of Country and Broad
Mindedness of People.

YEARS III the vest washington SIate),
| am interested in statements occa-
sionally published here concerning
that country, in contrast generally.
with the New England States. Your
leading editorial of the 20th inst. is
before me. There are some truths in
the letters quoted, and some half
truths, but not the whole truth-"so
help me-
The Oregon woman says For peo-
| pie with means it offers fine invest
ments and opportunities, but for the
great majority of working people it
is a hard, long pull"
Had she said that working people
have no call to go there, especially if
they have no promise of employment,
she would have told almost the whole
story.
The railroads and Chambers of Com
merce do advertise, largely; but they
are not looking for laborers, and a
man who takes advantage of the cheap
rates to the West and goes there with
out promise of employment, is little
less than a fool. Would he go to any
state. far or near, looking for work.
without even enough money to bring
him back?
The Oregon lady NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
that members of Chambers of Com
merce induce laborfng men there in
order that they may obtain cheaper
help! Let me assure the lady that
few employers of labor in the West
as | know it-have much, if any.
choice in the fixing OF their own wage
scale. The Unions look we'll to that
feature. While there l paid out thou
sands of dollars for worlmen and
never for once had the privilege of
deciding what wages any one of them
was to receive,
A laboring mani care not what his
trade-who goes there must first join
the union, and if he secures job, his
wages are assured, and whether he be
an expert, old or young at the bust
ness, he gets the same rate of wages
as dc all others doing the same class
of work-whether he do double or half
the amount of labor that his co-labor-
ers receive.
Speaking CT conditions in Maine for
orcharding the lady says THE mar
ket and the Western spirit are only
lacking"
The New Englander has every adj
vantage of the market-3o00 miles
nearer the market than his western
competitor. But she says true. 1.-THE
Western spirit is lacking" Let me
add that it is the great and practically
the only drawback which l have dis
covered since my return to Maine
and is one reason why, at the age of
81, I am expecting TO return to the
Pacific coast soon, for the remainder
of my days.
| went to the west coast % years
ago, securing job at my trade before
l left the Middle West. This l held
till a better position offered, all the
while studying the country and look
ing for an opening lin my profession.
After year or two the opening ar
riNed-for the establishment of
new spaper. I was "out of funds An
establishment to which l was a total
stranger furnished me with an outfit
without any payment whatever, and
gave me a long time in which to pay
for it. l paid a hundred dollars a
month, or better, till it was paid. If
I needed ready money, did not need
to ask the second man for a loan and,
instead of mortgaging my soul for the
loan, the lender scorned even a note or
memorandum
That was typical of the Western
country. Does the reader think of
airy possible contrast to such LIBERAL
ity?
believe that herein lies the secret
of the West VS.. the East.
Your other friend, from California.
fsrf,I.
good old East in anything except size
and enthusiasm. That's what ails the
eastern agriculturist'' remember, /
am still quoting) ''he's deadt" M
Yes-dead to his own best interests.
He should learn of the West and it's
ways of doing business. The Western
farmer is too broad minded-and, per-
haps by reason of being so far from
the Eastern markets-to undertake to
ego it alone" He combines with his
neighbor and employs an agent to
handle the business of the organiza-
ton, instead of distrusting his neigh
bors and trying to market his stuff in
small quantities and "go it alone"
The Western farmer is not COM
PEELED to sell for what he is offered
his agent fixes the price-and gets it.
1t bodies well for my native State
that the farmers are organizing along
these lines, and | trust it will not be
many months-not years before the
State is thoroughly Crganized-and
every member under 800 bonds to
stick by the organization. 1t may re-
quire a few failures before the willy
middlemen are ousted and the farmer
and consumer brought closely together
and, take it from me-the high cost
of living problem viii not have been
solved until these things are done.
One hundred farmers, standing to-
gether. and employing an agent, can
pay him a good salary and then make
larger profits than in "the good old
way" and the consumer also profit
thereby.
But the West is not as bad as it is
painted. No successful person ever
derides that country, and few of them
come back to New England when their
feet are well placed in the Far West
except to return there again.
Excuse me if / confide to YOU that
the majority of the % years / spent in
the West We're of the most strenuous