Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-01-18
Pres. Adams

President SilaS r. Adams Of the
league, of Portland, was introduced by
Mr.. Macomber. He expressed the
qualification Of the Portland delegation
in the promptness of the response OF
the Kennebec valley men and praised
the executive ability of Mr.. Macomber
in calling together such a body of
men after SO short a notice. He said
that the aid Of the kennebec men was
asked and needed for if they could
not secure this aid then they could not
secure the aid of any other part OF
the State and the work would be a
failure. He recalled when two years
ago, some of Portland's leading men
went to Massachusetts and there inau =
gurated the work of the Eastern States
Agricultural and Industrial Exposition
Seeking for the best agency for the bet
terment of the State they We're struck
by the signal success of this plan
He spoke in particular of the great IN
crease in the value OF the county OF
Hampden. which contains the cities OF
Springfield and North Hampton, due to
this work. A decrease in the cultivation
Of New England has been noted and these
states produce p per cent of what they
eat. AS an example of a problem which
confronts the farmer Mr. Adams told of a
farmer who was selling his laying pullets
because he could not get the grain with
which to feed them. He spoke OF one time
there was no grain for the fire horses i'm
Portland and the difficulty with which il
was secured. Maine is dependent upoa
the railroad for larger part of the food
and times have been seen when the rail-
roads were not reliable. II buying out
of the State is continued the opera tiy ,
in the State cannot compete with the OPP
eratve of other states. In 1912 il was
found that in Ohio the laborer was able to
purchase his food AZ per cent. less than
could the wage Garner in Maine VIVA,
chance of competition has a wage Garner
against such odds? New England is wide
awake to the opportunity and this is he
ing now manifested. In Massachusetts
the league workers met with marked sue
cess and the Maine men in taking such a
step are treadng along safe and we'll
trod lines and should not he negiectful
OF duties. Massachusetts was handicap
fNu ~ NpAi4ts w SdiiiEd lIuUS ana me prob
lem Of knitting together the organization
confronted them. Mr.. Adams said that
at the conbina ton of bankers and farm
ers in the work the bankers smile. think,
ing the farmers disregard to ethics ar
business, but the farmers are hecoo,inr
business men. He cited many instances
in which the leading men Of the BAY sta q
showed their strong approval Of the move
ment. Returning to the farming is being
done and they are regarding the work
as conservation and they are putting r
over The farmer when he goes 10 tho
banker for loan does not want 10 fnet
that he is pawninc his wifes weddfnp
ring In Brockton the agreement p,s
made that each boy and girl who wanted
one was given pig and tho only securi,,-
was their personal note, which was "a ba
pad at the end OF the year after tho MO
had been marketed. Out Of 1s7 pics given
out lse were pair for The child went -
me bank 10 ask for the DIG and made
three other visits TO that place before
me transaction was finally closed. The
advantage of having the children become
,amlEar with the bank was explained I'm
that they were the future holders and tho
I'm preston made by the visits was MOI
without gain for all. Mr. Adams said
tina. the very first step in the work was