Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-11-15
GRANGE e.
CONTINUED from Page One.)

cure lea 10 Sucn CONCLUSION ana that
only in a few localities had conditions
been developed TO insure maximum re-
turns.
Secretary Houston touched upon ru-
raj credits, marketing methods, en-
tension of agricultural education, and
the cost of living. He spoke Of ''manip-
lilations of these middlemen who per-
form no useful or necessary SERVICE.
as one of the causes Of soaring prices
Il do not entertain the thought for
a second that we have Appropriated
the limit of our output from the soil,'
said he. We have not even reached
the end of the pioneering stage. We
have been so bent on building UP great
industrial centers that we have had
little time to think of the very foun-
dation of our industrial existence.
I'VE had better frankly face the
| fact that we are relatively inefficient,
take sock Of our shortcomings and
earnestly seek the remedy. That we
have practically reached the stage
where we have ceased to be an ex-
porting nation of food products and
are becoming dependent on foreign Ma.
lions for the necessaries of life, is
a sad commentary upon our use Of
| the opportunities bestowed upon us"
Speaking of what the agricultural
department hopes to do t. solve the
problem of the increasing cost of liv-
! ing. Secretary Houson expressed the
opinion that 1.-The existing chaos and
consequent wastes. result from faults
on the part of the farmer in the grow
| in and handling of his products; from
the machinery of distribution inclld-
| ing physical equipment and physical
handling; from the manipulation or
those middlemen who perform oausc
full and necessary Service; and from
ignorance on the part of the consam
er and of the producer of the eharac-
| ter of the product which is placed
upon the market"
Secretary Houston urged co-ordina-
ton of federal and state agricultural
agencies as essential to success, de-
plered the jealousy which. he declar-
ed, exists in many states between state
agricultural commissions and the ag
lricultural commissions and the agri-
cultural colleges, and decried aupiiea-
ton of work in many localities.
In the field of marketing, he declar-
u
would be brought to bear to force the
| department to act everywhere before
lit was intelligently prepared to act
anywhere He explained that his de-
partment which started, last summer
to make careful study of the mar
keting problem, vas studying it from
every angle.
| There was the same danger in regard
i to rural credits. II am not impressed, "
i he said with the wisdom and justice
of proposals that would take the money
| of all the people through bonds or other
/ devices and lend it to the farmers or to
| any other class at a rate of interest
| lower than the economic conditions
would normally require and at rate
| of interest lower than that at which
| other classes are securing their capital
/ This would be legislation of particu-
| larly odious type. and no new excursions
| in this direction would be paiatable
when we are engaged in the gigantic
task of restoring the, simple rule of
equity
Before the problems OF rural credit and
| marketing, the secretary declared the
| individual farmer acting alone was help
less. Nothing less than concerted action
| would SUFFICE" he said and the same
| business sense and the same organIz-
ing genius which have placed this ma
| ton in the front rank of industry must
| be involved in agriculture
| The problem of the Individual farm
er, said the secretary, had received scant
\ systematic attention and the problem
of rural life as q whole had until re-
| Gently been practically ignored. From
every section of the country, he declared.
| came the story of increasing tenancy
| and absentee ownership. of soils depict
| ed and exploited, of inadequate business
| methods. of chaotic marketing and dis
| tribution, of inferior roads, of lack of
| supervision of public health and sani-
| tation, of isolated and ill-organized So
cial activities and of inferior intellectual
provision He added, however, that he
was not of the pessimists and expressed
his belief that out of the chaos would
come order, better and bigger crops, I'm
proved living conditions in. the country
/ and relief to the city dweller through
greater productivity of the soil and a
| business-like overhanling OF marketing
| methods,
Speaking of the need of better
1 ~N.N~'siVHai oPpoI III tilt cOutl
try, Secretary Houston declared that
II more enlightened attention were de-
voted to the conservation and de-
velopment of the people 1--WE shall be
relieved of much of the concern about
the conservation and development of
our natural resources"
| The approach to the problem of the
organization of rural life, he declared,
was clearly economic. The great
need, he said, was to give the rural
population at least, approximately
the primary advantages which the
| town enjoys.
Extension Work.
Grange extension work was carried
| on in accordance with the resolution
| adopted by the last session of this
body. whereby the executive commit
| tee was authorized to allow states
money for organizing work not to
| excel $1,000. provided it did not reduce
the funds in our treasury below $780,
900. After a few months of extern