Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-01-27


ference
inE il now. The shoe is on the 9TH
er foot and the consumers are ask
ing for government price fixing to
protect them from the big produce
controllers of the west. II we allow
things to be unbalanced so that
large numbers of people are super
f1uous as laborers and strong as vot-
ers we shall have trouble on our
hands. Every man prefers freedom,
but if he can't have it he wants gov
eminent control.
"Laboring people outnumber all
others three or four to one. OF course
must admit that the balancinS-up
program is slow. The same num-
bers that give voting strength also
give fighting strength. Here if men
want thing they take it. They
don't stop to vote. That is the sit
uation in Russia. The voting pro-
gram is also rather slow and they arc
taking what they want without re-
grid to it.
The taancing-up in detail means ed
ucation. the restriction Of immigration.
Establishments in industry and new leg
islation. The biggest idea that has
come out of the war is thrift. 1t is
often called bourgeois notion. one OF
the virtues that high-innded people are
supposed to despise. People say does
the laborins man need capital: NO
more than a dog needs feas. suppose
there were a place where there were
tieas in abundance and another place
where there were no f,eas. What would
any sensible dog do? Do men leave
capital in New England and go back
to Ireland and the Balkans where there
is none: You will find labor always
going from the place where there is
nothing out labor 10 the place where
there is something else-.and. mines,
capital.
What is there in New England but
capital? If you produce more than
you use you leave something. Because
our Puritan ancestors were thrifty they
have left capital to attract labor.
Where there is not much but labor
there is not much else. 1t is a poor
country. an unbalanced situation. Sew
eIci NC ttAhSi' iiito $ofoA'~
Grafton. If YOU have tools arG land,
but no labor, YOU dome produce any
thing.
Thrift is not boarding money. 1t is
spending it for things that last and
produce something. If farmer buys
a tractor he is much better off than f
he buys an expensive automobile. He
will get bigger crops and help more to
feed the world with the tractor than
with the automobile. and that is the
thing the world wants him to do. a
manufacturer who buys an expensive
luxury gives employment to people. but
if he buy: something to improve his
business he gives employment to peo-
pie just the same and he does more for
the world I is time to deny the old
flllacy that lavish spending is good
for the world.
What have we here but capital?"
No mines. no fertile soil, nothing in
comparison to tine rest OF the country.
Without capital we would be worse off
than Russia OF Ireland. for they are
both much more fertile than New Eng
Land. Yet in spite Of her sterile soil
siie is one vi tIe I1Cuesl anu HlOSt
prosperous sections Of the world. Ed
ucation in thrift Will help. to balance
up in New England. Every man can
maintain his freedom to prosper. 1t
Is the best aEtidote for revolution. But
it calls for lead ship that tells people
what to do and doesn't waste time tell
ing them OF thei- wrongs.
DR.. c. Q. Woods of the University
Of Maine next spoke for the agricul-
ture Of Maine. He gave many facts
and figures to refute the statement
often heard that Maine has no agri-
culture. Nnety-two per cei.t. or
Maine farms are operated by native
born farmers. Maine leads the Unit
ed States in ~ per cent. of her farms
being handled by the owners. Sew
cnty-four per cent. are free from
mortgages. Maine produces better