Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-06-28
Nearly 1000 Farmers Represented at
Fourth Annual Session Farmers Union

in substantiation of this statement l
| would call your attention to the fact that
| the 50 locals we now have are situated in
| the most favorable sections in central
Maine.
| 1t has been the policy of your manager
| to organize at points where there was q
| railroad connection and endeavor to so
| far as possible connect with this organi-
| cation farmers whose common interests
center at this point, and thus be able to
buy and sell in car lots. The surprising
feature of the years work is that disaster
did not overtake many of our Unions. 1t
must be remembered that the great ma
Jorty Of the men holding membership in
| the locals were men without previous ex-
| perience In the line of business in which
| they are engaged. The development of
the natural ability of our farmers was
| rapid and just as we expected, and the
| result is shown in the reports of this
| meeting. 1t is true that there are few
locals that are inactive, and perhaps this
| is due to the fact that the organizer was
| mistaken as to the ability of the men
chosen to fill the various offices. How
ever. we have but one local that has failed
| after starting business and in my opinion
this failure was brought about by the
negligence of the management in not
keeping proper supervision over the acts
| of the manager. There are three others
that must be reorganized before they will
appreciate the opportunities placed in
! their way.
York and Cumberland County,
Early in the year the attention of your
manager was turned to York and Cum
beriand counties. The most of the farm
ers In that section are active in the dairy
and egg business, and they are facing the
problem of how to sell their dairy pro-
ducts at loss and still be able to meet
| their obligations.
Having in view the orga nizing of a dis
trlbuting house at Portland, work was
started at the foundation by the oreaniz-
ing local unions at Westbrook, White
ROCK, New Gloucester, Yarmouth, Free
port WATERFORD, Biddeford, Eliot and
south Berwick. Believing that we had
taken on sufficient strength to warrant
making a start, we called a meeting Of
these locals at Portland and by unani-
ed to proceed with the work. This we
nave not accomplished as yet as we first
aesire to be assured of sufficient capital
10 properly conduct this business.
we nave also started like movement
IN Lewiston, and we feel sure we will
succeed in both cities and finally in all
marketing centers in the State
In order to carry out this much desired
move, we must equip ourselves to carry
on dairy business besides handling other
product. We must have a milk house a.,
each of these cities and there must h..
trucks, bottles, etc
In portland we expect to sell milk at
~ cents the quart and this will enable us
10 pay the producers six cents the uuart
lnls movement to supply Maine with
Names product is the most important Of
any move we have made. and if carr;ed
to successful conclusion it will result
IN the revolutionizing Of the dairy husi-
ness AFTER investigation we find that
Ilucn OF Names product is shipped to
boston and then returned to Maine To he
consumed This method is wasteful in The
extreme. and it is time that the farmers
regulated their dairy and egg business.
Fertilizer,
one OF the most serious problems con-
irohtlng our farmers in the past has been
the purchasing of their requirements IL,
commercial fertilizer 1t is estimated that
there Is used in the State 100000 tons nj
these goods and nine-tenths of This
amount was bought on what is USUALLY
called December payment This entai1es
the paying of very large rate of interes,
1or the privilege, and robbed the State Of
many thousands of dollars. Last season
as well as that before was, however. a
puzzle. The war in Europe caused a
shortage in potash and 1t became neces-
sary to change the formula thew had hoe,
using. In 1915 the manufacturers notified
the farmers that goods Analysing over ~
potash would not be furnished. You-
Union however, was able to supply the
usual analysis and as high in potash as
1870.
In 1915 the farmers were notified that ao
potash would be the highest in potash
they could supply. Again the Farmers
Union Of Maine came to the rescue and
furnished the following grades and prices: