St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1915-12-29

L N vail De1OTe the vermont OIdlS
Grange at its last annual meeting in
Burlington. In this issue we are
obliged to confine ourselves to what
he said that directly affects the state
of Vermont, but hope in other issues
to give his ideas on other large sub
jects that concern the country as a
whole as we'll as Vermont. Mr.. Vail
said:-
There are many things which are
disturbing and unsettling our social
and economic conditions, not only
those of Vermont. but of the whole
country. These conditions are gov
erned by inexorable laws which stat
ute laws cannot change. Experience
has shown us what they are. 1t is my
intention tonight to try to indicate
some of these troubles and if possible
some method of improvement.
ITO act intelligently proper I'M
derstanding and knowledge of what is
to be acted upon is necessary.
ITO get the best results in a com
munity, cooperation or team work Is
necessary. Not each man striving for
himself regardless of others. but all
working together for the benefit of all
Team work or cooperation will pro-
duce greater aggregate results for the
community and greater individuals in
the broad sense. Individual work may
evolve greater individuals in mar
row sense, but the advantage to the
community is secondary and there is
a smaller distribution of the benefits
"Au must realize that in life some
give-and-take, some concessions by
each to others, are necessary. Each
man has his rights, but no man has
license to disregard the rights of 9th.
ers in obtaining his own. When each
of US finds our proper place in, and
fulflls all obligations to, the social
organization and to the community
honestly, and to the extent of ones
ability, each will have his full share
of life and prosperity.
VermOnt-POssibiIit
vermont is a state in which pro-
duction is largely from the soil-ag
riculture, mines, quarries and forests
Relatively her industrial development
is small though in lines of special in
dustry and through the development
of her water powers, it may become
more important. New England as
whole is an industrial section of the
country. Agricultural sections pro-
duce a surplus of foodstuffs in excess
of local home consumption. Indus
trial sections consume the surplus.
Vermont has a great market at her
very threshold.
I'VE have passed through an agri
cultural depression, caused by the
cheap production of the West, and
cheap transportation from the West.
While it continued, the new genera
tons of Vermont were obliged to seek
elsewhere for occupation. They flock
ed to the new West, and to the indus
trial and commercial centerS of the
East. Those who chose to remain in
Vermont, to enjoy quietly such life
as could be had here, with the effort
they chose to exert, rather than take
part in the struggles of the world, are
now giving place to new generation
of the same blood and the same aver
age capacity as those who went abroad
and become prominent factors in the
upbuilding and development of the
wealth and industries of our country.
"It is no longer necessary for the
new generations of Vermont to seek
their fortunes in other states. With
fewer opportunities abroad, and those
with greater opportunities at home,
the new generation of Vermont can
stay at home and if they, who stay
use the same energy that made Yer
monters so forceful abroad, we will
soon see a new Vermont.
Farming is now a business, it is
necessary to be conducted on the same
principles as business. 1t is a bust
ness particularly adapted to those who
must work or share in work, for those
whose capital is in their ability to
work. 1t can be made to pay as we'll
per unit of effort or capital as any
other business. 1t will always be
business limited in size, and can never
be made to expand, as can some other
industrial enterprises. 1t is a business
which cannot be done by automatic
machines, with automatic labor. Ma
chinery, while it is a large factor in
farming, must be operated and man
aged by all round intelligence. There
is such variety in farm work, even of
the machine, that it cannot be organ
lied as factory work can be organized.
There must be a continuing oversight
and direction. Farming is not the
nose to the grindstone' work that pop
ular voice likes to call it. 1t is not,
as muCn SO, as OIneF KINDS OIL WOTk
The successful farmer will have sea-
sons of abundant leisure, but be close
ly on his job at other seasons. Farm
ing responds quickly and generously
to efficient work and methods, but the
for waste through inef-
fciency or neglect are large in COM
parison with the opportunities for
profit. 1t is the personal attention
that counts in farming There is no
kind of business at which a man can
make some kind of a living with less
work, or make more with his own
work.
There is no business so open to
your young men without any capital,
except that capital of labor, strength,
vigor, willingness to work, and intelli- |
gence to direct and conserve, as is |
farming in Vermont.
THE business of farming takes but
little more work. thrift and care and
planning, to produce a profitable sur
plus than it does to make a scant liv-