Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-06-18
We Planted Some Seed.

protection. In the commercial world,
where all others are closely united by
some form Of union, or gentlemen
| agreement, the farmer with here ana
there an exception, stands as unit,
| and naturally and inevitably suffers.
| At the same time, we cannot wink OUT
\ Of sight the fact that while all other
| interests are protected, farm indus
| tries are being tried as never before
| TO claim that the door has been open
| tor the farmer to enter some form OF or
ganization for self-protection, may be
| stating the truth, but one familiar with
| the history of the past can readliy
understand why this has not been
| done. 1t is the misfortune Of the in
| dividuai that he is not SO organized as
to make felt the combined power OF
the whole body but he is not, and be-
cause Of this must suffer until others
are brought to see the certain results OF
the vicious policy of riding the farmer
to death"-Dr. G. NJ. Twitchell, in last
| weeks Maine Farmer.
At another point in his letter DIR.
Twitchell writes:
Plenty Of money is made available
to insure complete food surveys, to
load the country with city boys as
farm laborers, that greater crops may
follow: in fact, to do anything and
everything to help prepare for the car
rying on of the war. except give the
man, who grows the food Of support
for the world. /such limited protection
in the form Of minimum guarantee
as would save from loss in case of
full harvest. With hundreds OF thous-
ands OF acres increase in potatoes,
wheat, beans and corn. a full harvest
would mean low prices and this. in the
face Of extreme high prices for seed,
fertilizer and labor, as we'll as living
expenses. places the individual farmer
at great disadvantage. Meanwhile. as
sistance is being rendered and aid CIV
en- other industries, so that it cannot in
honesty be claimed that this is con-
trary to the policy of the government.
THAT protection, or if not that blind
ness to the greed Of corporations
handling grain. is making the purchase
of same prohibitive. and as q natural
result. live stock has been going out OF
( the state at a rate to startle any OBJ
. servant man. This means that unless
stopped, we shall see a milk shortage
such as has never been known in the
state
And. further on.
DO readers realize that the recent
storm is a dire calamity? Seed cannot
be put into the ground, and there is
grave danger that much already there
may rot. for nothing can grow. This
is practically the last week for plant
ing. because Of danger Of early frosts,
and thousands of acres, ready for seed
last Saturday. have been under water
all the week and must wait several
good days before they can be worked.
Will anyone blame the farmers next
fall for the shortage?
I'm view Of the situation. it is time
to cry. God help the farmers for
others do not seem infested with this
microbe. To stimulate men by every
known means to attempt to grow more,
aid in getting fertilizer, seed, labor
good, bad and indifferent-and loan
money more freely. becomes simply an
additional burden on the farm, unless
1t Is also provided that there be no loss
financially at harvest time in selling
price. Remember the grower must all
the while carry the whole loss from
crop failure. something of Importance
in case Of a bad season."
A New York correspondent of the
Kennebec Journal writes:
That the health, strength and very life
OF every man. woman and child in this
city depends upon the prompt pa ssing Of
the food regulation legislation in Con-
eress, was declared by all the experts
here, who predict serious starvation con-
ditions if the government does not at
once sieze hold of this pressing problem.
With coal almost unobtainable at practi-
cally prohihitive prices and food costs
mounting higher and higher. New York
ers are lust joining in a general demand
on Washington for official reeulat ton
OF the supply sources. Unless Hoover
gress to tackle the food and fuel aues-
tons. every consumer in the country will
suffer, it is admitted"
When the kennebec Journal, on the
! declaration Of war; started an insistent
demand that the government halt the
organized groups of food pirates, it
was challenged from a hundred selfish
sources as radical" beyond federation
or forgiveness. 1t was even denounced
as traitorous to the country because
it dared state the facts. Yet in a few
weeks the truth has spread until the
| ulation, food gamblers and cornerers,
and the booze-making destroyers Of
food are fighting for existence, and are
delaying action of Congress by every
! desperate means known TO unscrupu-
lous greed and money power.
But it will come, for the
| people themselves are beginning to
see a great light The Congress
MUST act, and if it go not for enough
at first it must act again. The govern
ment cannot permit wholesale robbery
Of the masses while collecting over
whelming taxes and loans from the
people for war purposes.
1t is time to put the chain and ball
on gamblers, spectators. commission
swindlers, drones and parasites, and
set them to work. They have been
hanging to the weary backs Of farmers
and helpless consumers far too long. II
the government does NOT interfere,
then so much the worse for the govern
ment.
| When the elements have swept out all
! thai rafriofic 70 rp,ar~ ha1-> ,%+.v,ntod