Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-03-02

| Prices to the small town dealers
would be less, by the amount of
freight paid and selling charges, than
the prices to the big city dweller, but
both would win, as all unnecessary
middlemen would be cut out and the
farmer would get an increased price
for his goods.
| When our local boards Of trade and
dealers will join with us in some such
plan, well be glad to be classed with
them as pillars of the community, not
| as standing on each others heads, but
| shoulder to shoulder for home commu-
| nifty, State and nation. c. J.R.
Bureaus Of Markets and Supplies.
Editor Kennebec Journal:
| The first so-called Bureau of Mar
kets and Supplies" was organized in
connection with the Agricultural De-
partment Of Maine. Officially there is
no such department in Maine TODAY.
TOR 1t was never officially established.
In January. 1913, when the Legislature
made an appropriation to assist the
farmers in establishing a business or
ganlzation through which they were to
market the product of the farm and
buy the farmers supplies. it was es-
pec1ally understood that in making an
appropriation they were not establish
ing a new department.
After the appropriation was made
Commissioners Roberts appointed C. E.
Embree with instructions to bring
about condition whereby the farmers
could be brought together for the pur
poses above n1n1pd
learned that if a strict Interpretation
of the law was insisted upon Mr.. EN-
bree would be seriously handicapped
and in fact could not accomplish the
work which Commissioner John p.
Buckley intended should be done.
Mr.. Embree gave the matter serious
consideration and had it not been for
the fact that money could not be Sc
cured from any other source he would
have severed all connection with the
State department. for his only object
in coming to Maine was to build a
federation of farmers for farmers and
he had no liking or desire to hold an
official position in any State depart
ment. In order for him to be of the
greatest good to the farmers of the
State he found it necessary to have
himself elected manager of the Farm
ers' Union of Maine AS manager of
the Farmers Union of Maine he made
contracts for fertilizer, poisons, flour
and various other articles and in fact
transacted the whole of the business in
connection with the Farmers Union
as Its manager and without reference
to his position as "Chief of the Bureau
OF Markets and Supplies"
The Bureau of Markets and Supplies
in connection with the Department of
Agriculture has no official standing
and never did have such. II was sim
ply name designated by Mr.. Embree
to distinguish his work from that of
other branches of the department
AS long as the attorney general and
the commissioner of agriculture did not
insist upon a strict Interpretation of
the law. Mr.. Embree was able to make
great progress and in fact never be
fore in the history of farmers business
enterprises has such great success
been brought about.
Mr.. Roberts term as commissioner
terminated in January, 1915, and when
the new commissioner took over the
department while he did not under
StciHtl LiiC SlluitlOll anu uOCS
not to this day, he did insist upon a
strict Interpretation of the law and i'm
mediately the Bureau of Markets and
Supplies ceased to be a factor, so far
as the Farmers Union of Maine was
concerned. Mr.. Embree was under fire
but refused to resign preferring to
make Commissioner Guptil shoulder
the responsibility. Mr.. Guptil went so
far as to cause Mr.. Embree to be sited
to appear before the Governor and
Council and answer to the charge of
INSTRUMENTATION. At this hearing Mr..
Embree purposely took q course hav-
ing in view forcing the commissioner
to discharge him, and expected that his
discharge would take place Immediate
ly. To Mr. Embree's regret his SER
vices did not terminate for about two
months thereafter.
The experience Mr. Embree had in
connection with the State convinced
him that bureaus of markets had no
value as a factor in solving the
problems of the farm. That this is
true the experience of other states has
proven, and in fact state supervision
over the American farmer will never
solve one single problem with which
the farmer has to contend. In proof of
this it is only necessary to point out to
the people of Maine that as soon as the
Farmers Union of Maine severed all
connections with the Department the
Bureau of Markets and Supplies ceased
to become a factor and the $4,000 ap-
propriated was absolutely wasted as
no results were obtained
The starting of the so-called bureau
Of markets in Maine attracted the at
tention of other states. Soon North
Carolina organized a bureau, next the
National Department came into the
field and now there are Is of these bu-
reaus in as many states. If these bu-
reaus have brought about a single Or
ganiZation it is not generally known.
In fact no state bureau, if the law is
strictly lived up to, can be of any great
benefit to the farmer. 1t is true that
they can investigate and investigate,
but as rule the men placed at the
head of these departments are not
fitted for the work and if they are,
the very nature~ of the class of work
which the State will permit makes it
impossible for the man to accomplish
good work.
Out of the IS bureaus now estab-
lished none of the chiefs of these de-
ma rtmeDtS has pjyon tho farmers