Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-12-31
Names Agricultural Needs.

Our greatest need is In the expansion
of our local market The greatest de-
velopment of the State outside of agri-
| culture is bound to be the development
of our water powers In natural pow
ers Maine is second only to New York
among the states of the Union, the de-
velopment of Niagara forming about one
fourth of the development of New York.
| The natural trend of the movement of
manufacturing plants must be towards
the supply of natural and cheap power,
which we have SO abundantly in our un-
developed streams and rivers. In fact
the increase In value of manufactured
product in rural communities has almost
doubled in 10 years and in 1910 was about
lbs, 900 900. A greater development is
surely coming but whether in the near
or distant future only depends on the
wisdom and liberality of our laws in well
coming and regulating this development.
Situated as we are on the border, and
directly in competition, since the passage
of the new tariff law, with the magnif-
cent farms of that section Immediately
adjoining us in Canada, and of the great
Canadian Northwest now in process of
development, our needs for a local mar
ket will be even greater than in the past.
Our State is awakening to an era of
cooperation among its rural population.
but wider and more liberal cooperation
is needed. The success of banks and
stores in the rural communities is as es-
sential as the success of our farms.
Every laborer is worthy of his hire,
whether he be retailer, wholesaler or
salesman and no corporation can be
effective that is not based on the neeas
of the whole immediate community.
Our largest financial institutions are
for the most part in the cities and
larger towns and far away as they are
in most states from our farming COM
munities, and therefore, the officers
of some of our banks have been I'M
able to supervise and investigate the
conditions of the collateral offered in
a manner satisfactory to themselves.
They, therefore. have declined to loan
money on farms as they know nothing
of the business and have had no
means of judging these credits. Full
insurance is also hard to let on farm
property at reasonable rates.
Our needs are for men trained in
the knowledge Of modern agriculture,
in farm values, in agricultural finance,
who may be employed by the banks,
or by the State. whose judgment can
be relied upon to fix definite values on
| farm property, on which 1t would be
safe to loan money.
We need these or other trained ex-
perts, who will have the confidence of
the financial institutions, who can go
into community and advise with
the men who will listen to them as
to the best crops to grow, trees to
plant and stock to buy, and be so
connected that they can command the
| financial backing to supply the needs
| they advise. This has been done by
]. J. Hill in developing the agrieul-
| tural interests along his railroad lines.
These solutions which we are offer
| ing are ideals, and can only be
brought about when the people of the
| communities have justified themselves
by showing the necessary integrity
and industry and by meeting their
promises to pay when due.
| Our rural communities are listening
attentivedy and profiting by the advice
of men of scientific knowledge who
have taken for their life work the
study of the needs under discussion.