Daily Kennebec journal., 1918-01-11
Editors Letter Box
Continued from PAGE Ski

LUIlUl , LcllcT DUA
Continued from Page six)
creased land value, high transporta-
tion, shortage of help at any price.
The big automobile plants are taking
q great many men from the farms be-
sides many other city attractions, IN
the West.
The days of cheap consumption have
gone. Labor Is combating this by
greatly increased wages and strong
organizations. What Of the Maine
farmer? His prices have increased
(though relatively less than what he
buys) but not his production. He is
no better of. His only remedy Is
greater production. The time has
come when New England can no longer
stand the high cost OF the larger part
Of her consumption. The great auto
mobile industries of the Middle West
have taken millions from US and given
in return only temporary pleasure
The advance in prices have taken
another big slice. The war Will cut
still deeper. This thing cannot go on
forever. We have about reached the
reached it will be felt and it will leave
its mark which cannot be erased In our
time. 1t will not be perceptibie TO the
man Of small means because wages
will be good and he will have plenty OF
opportunity in other places all over the
world where they are alive and gong
some. He has only to pull up and go
while the going is good. want TO
suggest as to whom it will affect. IL
will affect the Maine Central X. H.
who have always maintained loooS
in our State House during Legislature
to head off remedial legislation anu
have been interested only IL tue
stockholders of the road. IT Will al
feet the trolley roads. They are
already up against it now. 1t VIII az
feet big real estate owners. me ="
gusta Real Estate Assn. for instance
they will have vacant houses anu
stores as the small man who pays tne
most of the taxes goes. it VIII then De
ND TO property owners to dig down. II
will affect the banking institutions
whose investments are on wafer
street in houses and blocks that VIII
he vacated leaving no one to pay taxes
and INTEREST,"; in farm property
fwhose tenant has given up the hsht
and gone to ripper tields) and IN "ai
stocks and bonds. The war Stocks
will be subject to shrinkage. II Will
affect orr shoe and cotton manuIac-
tlrers who are located at long haul
from raw material and the point OF
distribution. Raw materials are go
,r,I
time to come. The hiG concerns near
the central points will get them, oe-
sides the scarcity OF help VINO prefer
IN he in larger places, where wages are
better and something to see. lt VIII
afrect tho small fellow, but he VIII hold
his own as he had nothing to start
with. The war will END IN leasoii
.h,v short time Our boys Will, most
oe them. come back. They will be giao
to see the folks and the Old places
once more. A., g.,
After a little they begin to face the III
tnre in a reality. Things are going u
look different to them. They nave seen
some of the world; they have oeen
abroad: they have seen other fellows
Things have changed since Reuneh oleu'
DO YOU know there is only one thlng 10
hold the boys, life and prospects, II VIII
look tame to them if they rnd US 1ust
where they left US or little worse OIL
which we may be. They will shake the
a,st of Maine off their feet and we old
fellows can run the farm and keep the
store as we can not get away from ~ we
are glued here. The fellow with ohiy d
hand bag is the Independent fellow You
cannot touch him with minnie pan.
Now we fellows that have worked hke
Troians to get something together do NOT
like to have it go that way. We may not
h, so foolish after all, but we have got
to prove 1t. Nothing is taken for granted
in these days. We have got to show the
bows we are still game and In the race
and have great possibilities ahead Tor
them. The girls will never look prettier
or give them a more cordial welcome, pu'
those old farms, that monotonous store.
that factory closed half of the time, MOTH
ing doing.
Now we are not dead ones, at least the
boys in the Rotary Club are not, espec-
tally when they get together under the
pTlSnl eleCltIt l!S ttL tiiS ]heSe
and partake of one of those feeds the
House is so famous for and blow smoke
into each others eyes. 1t IS eXhilarating.
the world looks bright and cheerful. l
couldn't help getting enthused after read
ing Mayor Swift's talk to the boys. Ii
was refreshing and very much to the
point. but it was a good deal like that
family circle, ME, my wife, my son John
and his wife" The mayor forgot he was
living in a country village where the buss-
ness was mostly farming or should be.
Those granolithic walks are good, but
they are a good deal like big house
when you cannot get servants to run II
OF coal to heat It with prudent mer-
chant first reckons upon his net income
before he elaborates upon decorations.
We are hearing a lot about home patron
age A lot of valuable space in the X. J.
has been devoted to it. Too bad, it won t
get anybody anything. Did you ever
realize what a one-sided game it is. 1t Is
a good deal like buiSing a high tariff wall
around our country and then invite tn"
other fellow to buy our goods. Tommy
rot. There is hardly grocer in Augusta
who hasn't gone out of his way to buy
anything he sells from outside his com
T@fR