Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-03-21
FARMERS NEED
M0NEY---bANKS
DEFEND COURSE


committee on rural cooperation of the
Maine State Board Of Trade, which
was in session at the Colonial in Ban
gor, Tuesday, c. o. Purington of
Bowdoinham, lecturer of the Maine
State grange, voiced a criticism of
the method in which the State High
way Commission is to expend the pro-
ceeds of the 100000 bond issue on
Maine roads.
The State board of trade committee
met here to gain from the farming
interests of this section practical sug-
gestions of the manner in which the
business men of the state can best aid
the farmers of Maine through Coop
GRAFTON. The committee plans to lay
before the state board at the meeting
of March "a, recommendations along
this line and the session here Tues
day was the third that had been held
by the state. An account of the pro-
ceedings up to $50 o'clock were print
ed in the Commercial OF Tuesday.
1t was on the subject of the distri-
button and marketing OF the farm
products that MIR. Purington was
speaking. You cannot separate the
question of distribution from that of
good roads," said ne. THE farmer
of Maine needs good gravel roads from
his farm to the nearest railroad or
city.
1T is all right to extend his credit,
To aid him financially, but there is lit
tie use in letting him have money to
raise his crops if he cannot move them
TO an advantage.
A. n 10
tax is not paying altogether for the
81, 100000 bond issue. The state tax
itself is held for that. The automobile
tax is used as far as it will go, and
the balance has to be made up from
the state treasury.
I'VE know of places in this state
they are on record-where the roads
have been deliberately laid around by
longer way for the benefit of the
road from purely scenic standpoint.
Laid out the other way they would
have accommodated a large farming
district and aided the farmer to get his
product to market I suppose it is too
late to try to change that and the
best we can insist on now is having
good roads as possible branching into
these highways and leading into the
cities"
Mr. Purington suggested that the
cities might aid the farmer in provid-
ing suita BILE marketing places, and
thirdly by helping to organize cooper
alive selling organizations.
E f. Page of Corinth, prominent
orchar6list of this section of the state,
talked on the subject of good roads
from a different standpoint, that of
the town itself in the selection of its
men TO take charge of the building
of such highways. He suggested that
all roads built in the towns should be
under competent supervision. He
agreed that the proceeds of the bond
issue ought to be expended in order
that the farmer might be benefited.
E. \. Bartlett of Winterport, an
Other large erehardfst of the section,
agreed with the two previous speakers
that good roads are fundamental re-
auirements for the prosperity of the
Maine farmers.
Pres. Percy r. Todd of the Bangor
& Aroostook r. r. whose remarks
were reported Tuesday, had a sugges-
ton that the money from the bond is
sue he divided pro rata according to
the number of automobilists in Sec
ton. He maintained that the farmers
own automobiles in eastern Maine in
large numbers and would benefit from
such an arrangement l.. A. Goudy of
| Portland replied TO Mr.. Todd with the
answer that he understood that this
is the idea of Chairman Nelson of
the highway commission.
While the entire discussion before
the committee on Rural cooperation
was not devoted to the subject of good
roads, its Importance to the farmer
could not be overlooked as it cropped
out frequently in the discussion. and
anything that was said along this line
created immediate interest, which
shows that the subject is near to the
farmers of Maine.
The question of aiding the farmers
of the state through cooperation was
taken up from four different view
points, that of finance, production,
distribution, and rural organization
and life.
Mayor John G. Utterback had
something to say to the committee
relative to rural organization and life,
when he suggested the interesting of
children in farming and farm life. In
the middle west, he said. the children
take part in stock Judging contests
and in corn growing contests. The
agricultural work is carried into the
schools and the children are interest
ed.
The mayor said that he believed
that the Maine fairs should be con-
Quoted by the business men along the
old-fashioned lines. I'VE see very lit
tic stock at our fairs or anything to
attract the farmers or interest the
young man in the farm. They are US
ually society and horse shows
He said that condition exists in
Bangor that should be remedied.
There is no place at present where the
farmers wife can leave her team,
when she comes in to do shopping,
where the conditions are such as they
should be. There isn't place in the
city where they take 'hitch-ins' where
,.ro,,;Sio,, ic m a he for tho women