Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-03-29
Farmer and High Cost of Living.

meeting of the State Board of Trade,
and especially in the admirable adj
dresses delivered there, concerning the
resources of the Pine Tree State. Hav-
ing resided in the far West the most of
my mature years, have often ponder
ed on the subject of Names great re-
sources and possibilities, and the I'LL
ira conservative presentment and de-
velopment of the same
Names great lumber industry was
once her principal resource" and with
the allied business of shpbuilding has
largely exhausted itself. Together With
the pulp business, myriadS of portable
saWmills scattered over the state, and
the consequent manufacture of the
smaller growths, it will be no far cry
to the time when our forests win have
been denuded. Truly, the lumber bust
ness has been of great wealth, but it
will soon have had its day.
Another of her greater resources has
been that which has designated the
State as the playground of New Eng
land" Twenty-Five years ago the rev.
enue derived from summer travel
sporting, etc. was given as ten mil
lions annually. What it is today do
thing proposition, and bids fair to
grow with the coming years in spite
of all else. 5tt.ft .trt
One of these natural and great re-
sources having been practically dis
posed of. and the etller capable of taxi
ing care of itself. If vii, soon devolyc.
upon the State to develop other re-
sources which require much capital and
the future for results. The first two
mentioned especially natural re-
sources have not required great faith
in the future of the State in order to
raise large sums of money for derel-
opment; but now comes the time when
such will generally be the case.
To properly develop the state and its
resources, railroads are always a ne
cessity. and since my absence in the
West there have been added to the
State many miles of excellent electric
railways, and my friend Heath says
there yet will be more of them. This
has required energy, enterprise and
capital. 1t will eventually pay the pro-
moters: but the greater value ut pres
emf is to the people of the State who
make use of the "electrics."
In line with the electric roads nat
urailv will follow the development of
the vast water powers of the state.
giving power for further roads, and
cheaper power for the farmer and
nanufacturer-meani more manu-
facturers
It is hardly to be expected that
Maine will furnish all the capital re-
CURED for development of the States
industries-few states do that. and it
is an axiom that distance gives en-
ehantment to the view" for the capt.
talist as we'll as to the idealist.
Washington state was builded up with
Eastern capital and when the panic OF
'93 occurred, much of that capital was
called home, and the state nearly went
broke. That state now loans money to
vastly productive farms. 80 u,,
This leads me to dgress a bit. When
went West, in 1857. | observed that u
capitalists to invest or loan their money
to the West Possibly there would have
been no West had the money OF the East
been used for the upbuilding of the East,
instead of erecting its great rival OF the
West.
When l returned to the. state three
years ago l found that the farmers OF
Maine were buying Western grain and
meat, and when / went into their homes
found tables Uttered with great mall
family wearing mail-order clothes ana
using other mail-order purchases. DO
Western people build up their cities and
communities in that manner? Well
hardly They are especially loyal to
their home cities, and if one is heard
deerying his home town. he is kindly
told there are other places which may
suit him better.
Western cities label their manufac-
lures, Made in Seattle, or as the case
may be. and the people are urged to en-
20 pl nDne
made goods. They are loyal believers
in the axiom of self preservation" as
applied to their place OF re sa0s a ,,i
nobody even dares to be a kicker. then
things look bright and that city grows
booms, if you please. faq
ern ways instiiIed into her system. She
has all the essentials and but needs the
push, the spirit or whatever you
that commands capital by the power OF
enthusiastic suggestion; that says, see
ing is believng-come and look. when
development. She must favor foreign
capital, and yet always safeguard the
states interests.
Maine needs promotion" as the West
promotes-by experts who make a bust
ness of informing our people OF what
they have or want, and capitalists OF
what opportunities here await them. But
whatever is to be done first got rid of
the chronic kickers even If law must
be passed to put them under bonds. A
busy kicker can do more harm in conf
munity than 10 wealthy men might RENE
dy were the kicker in jail.
But if farming is the foundation OF all
development, even the capitalist ana
state builders generally have duty TO
perform, in the behalf of all producers
of the necessares of life as well as OF
the consumers thereof. The farmer has
much to learn-as / have learned in my
three years experience at an attempt at
farming.
The man is a biased idiot who pro-
claims that the farmer is the cause of
the high cost of living. The average
farmer is the hardest working man on
the globe, and gets less. generally, for
his hours of labor But, through his
perversity and Ignorance. an army of
non-producers wax fat and reap the pro
producer and the consumer-then the
first would get more for his produce, and
the latter would pay less therefor.
There must be n-producerS--middle-
men. etc.-But the trouble is there are
too many of them. Then, too, the farmer
generally buys and sells independent oil
his neighbors, when he should know as a
thrifty man in most things. that large
or combined purchases are always
cheapest and large consignments cost
less for freight and other handling. He
is afraid to trust his neighbor, and his
neighbor won't trust him. consequently.
The farmer is handicapped for help. and
cannot always make enough off the farm
to pay for help. Help is poor and expen-