Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-05-02
Telling George How to Do 1t.

Of the day is telling George how to 90
1t. Some of the brightest and worth
while suggestions come from the Ed
ucational Department" (press agent
corner) of the Perth Amboy Chemical
Works, New York. Here is specimen
that will be appreciated by farmers,
generally:
"AsricuIture is the only business on
earth where it is assumed that the less
a man practices it, the more he knows
about it,"
College professors, lawyers, bankers,
dry goods men, and-yes. editors, lee
ture the farmer and tell him his bust
ness-but they are perfectly willing to
let him shovel the dressing, pick the
rocks, and dig the trenches. Just now
the appeal to the farmers patriotism
is something touching. One prominent
official says: "All that is needed is for
the farmers to get up and hustle a
little. AS lot they are shiftiess, easy
going, improvident. If they would get
into the game as business and profess
sional men get into it, there'd be no
shortage of crops"
1t Is this type of men who have never
known farmers to- make long days or
exert themselves In labor-'as business
and professional men, exert them
selves. This type of ''let George do it,
farmers have never known of a similar
case to one we KNOW about, now. He
is a farmer who works early and late
the year round. Just now he is prepar-
Ing early land for crops, repairing
tools in readiness for the planting and
sowing rush. working up his woodpile
between times, and, he has not had his
clothing of. to get into bed for three
weeks. His lambs are coming along
and he visits them at all times Of night.
He cannot afford a hired man at this
season of the year, even if he could find
one. and quite probably he would not
trust the average helper with the care
Of his sheep.
In the State OF Maine are thousands
OF farmers working just as hard as is
this man, and they are getting a bare
existence out Of it,
And right here we come to the point
Of the extra hustle" demanded by
those who know as much, and no more,
about farming as the average farmer
knows about banking. To do the extra
"hustling" means that the farmer must
not only put in more hours himself.
more hours for his team lat extra
prices for feed), more work of ma
chinery (Which costs more now than
ever), more seed (Which is worth fab
ulous prices), buy more fertilizer Cat
extravagant cost and ASSUME
MORE CHANGES than ever.
Who will share those chances?
We haven't seen any patriotic" vol
unteers from government, financial or
business institution. Instead they stand
off and point the farmers patriotic"
DUTY to hustle"
II the farmer has enough security left
he can get loan, at slightly reduced
interest rates perhaps But the .let
George do it" crowd are not planning
to lose any Of the loans-or the interest
. on them-although an unfavorable sea-
son may cost the farmer all he has mt
into it, of hustle, seed fertilizer and
hired help.
If patriotic duty pointers would Gre
ate fund and provide modern machin
cry that could be used in neighbor
hoods, they could insure greater cult
walton of soil-but that machinery
would be second hand in the fall and
somebody would lose by it.
We believe that the bioaest th;no
this country can do for our alIies-the
thing that should come before re.
eruitins Of men or tho making Of mu-
nitiens-is tho funding a great crop
from American soil this year.
We believe that the first duty of tho
American government is NOT the
furnishing Of billions in money to the
Allies with which to buy supplies Of
food and clothing and munitions of
W, BUT the furnishing Of millions in
ready money to American farmers with
which to provide machinery, seed and
fertilizer for greater crops.
In this State and in others. from one
end Of the country to the other, large
percentage of farmers have gambled
the limit on climatic conditions and
market manipulation. Many of these
would do more If they could. They
could be encouraged by real assistance
In place Of words and dreams of the
orists. We are amazed and disguised
by the exhibited mass Of ignorance and
selfishness disguised as laid and en-
couragement" Of farmers.
1t Is time for government Of State
and Nation to actually HELP farmers
who cannot help themselves-and take
the chances Of losing the money, or
part Of tat least the interest on it
that is thus put out.
Norvo oro x,l,o q "a a blo 1utl1 urdouhtod-