Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-02-01
CRISIS AT HAND
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luton had to be fought over again,
and every man In every business in
the United States must know by this
time that his whole future fortune lies
in the balance. Our national life and
our whole economic development will
pass under the sinister influences OF
foreign control if we do not win. We
must win, therefore. and we shall win.
| need not ask you to pledge Your
lives and fortunes with those of the
rest Of the nation to the accomplish
ment Of that great end.
Crisis Has Como
you will realize. as | think states
men on both sides of the water realize.
that the eliminating crisis Of the
struggle has come and that the
achievements of this year on the one
side or the other must determine the
issue 1t has turned out that the for
COS that fight for freedom. the tree
dom of men all over the world as well
as our own, depend upon us in an ex-
traordinary and unexpected degree for
sustenance, for the supply of the ma
tcrials by which men are to live and
to fight and it will be our glory when
the war is over that we have supplied;
those materials and supplied them
abundantly. and it will be all the more
glory because in supplying them we
have made our supreme effort and sac
rificc.
IN the field Of agriculture VIC have
agencies aud instrumcntalities, tortu-
nately, such as no other government
in the world can show. The depart-
ment Of agriculture is undoubtedly the
greatest practical and scientific aSrl-
cultural organization in the world
1.-THE banking legislation Of the last
two or three years has given the farmers
access to the great lendable capital or
the country and it has become the duly
both of the mon in charge of the fedora
reserve banking system and OF the farm
loan system to see to it that the farmers
obtain the credit, both short term and
long term. to which they are entitled, no.
only, but which it is imperatively neces-
cary should be extended ia them If the
present tasks Of the country are to ne
adequately performed. Both by direct
purchase of ntratcS and by the eStab-
lishmcnt of plants 10 produce nltrates
the government Is doing its utmost I"
assist in the problem of icrtilization
The department OF agriculture and other
agencies are actively assisting the farm
ers to locate, safeguard and secure 1t
cost an adequate supply Of sound seed
The department has s2JN0,no available
for this purpose now and has asked the
Congress for s6,nc.0nO more.
Labor Problem Difficult
The tabor problem is one OF great d!tti-
Guilty and some Of the best agencies Of
the nation are addressing themselves u
the task of solving it, so far as it is pos
sble to solve it, Farmers have not been
exempted from the draft. ! know thai
they would not wish to be ] take il for
granted they would not wish TO be put
in class by themselves in this respect.
But the attention OF the war depart
ment has been very seriously centercd
upon the task of interfering with the IA
Dor Of the farmers as little as possible
and under the new draft regulations be-
lieve that the farmers Of the country vii,
find that their supply of labor is very
much less seriously drawn upon then It
was under the first and initial draft,
made before we had our present full eX-
perience in these perpleNing matters. The
supply of labor in all industries is mat
ter We must look to and are looking to
with &ligent care.
Farmers Are Efficient
And let me say, that the Stimulation
of the agencies | have enumerated has
beer responded to by the farmers II
splendid fashion. ] dare say that sou
are aware that the farmers of this coun-
try are as efficient as any other farmers
in the world They do not produce NOR,
per acre than the farmers of Europe It
is not necessary that they should do so.
Il would perhaps be bad economy for
them to attempt j., But they do produce
by two or three or four times more pey
man, per unit of labor and capital thar
the farmers OF any European country.
They are more alert and use more labor
saving devices than any other farmers In
the world. And their response to the de-
mands of the present emergency has
been in every way remarkable. Last
spring their planting exceeded by 1oD0
oW acres the largest planting Of any pre-
Vious year. and the yields from the crops
we're record-breakng yields In the fall,
or 1914 a wheat acreage of 42,l7o,Ooo was
painted, which was 100000 larger than
LOT any preceding year. 100000 greater
than the next largest and 1000 600 greater
than the preceding five-year average.
But | ought to say to YOU that il is
nor only necessary that these achieve
hents should be repeated, but that they
should be exceeded. 1 know what this
aoVice involves. 1t involves not only
ianor' nut sacrifice. the painstaking ap-
pilcation Of every bit of scientific
knowledge and every tested practice
that is available. It means the utmost
economy. even to the point where the
pinch comes. It means the kind of con-
centration and self sacrifice, which i.
involved in the field OF battle itself,
~here the object always looms great
CT than the individual. And vet the
will helm qua S,o1r3a~