Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-01-03

ana serious effort SHOULD be made
to carry to rural communities the
advantages Of electric light and
power now enjoy cd by the cities and
the larger towns
hare nc legislative pnnacea to
propose, but the aaine war eza.erg0noy
which intensified the neel No. pre-
vided. at least, a useful hint toward
the solution 'of the problem. The
answer. IN one wvtd, il ''eo .epera.
ton IN the frst instance between
Farmers themselves, ana aAse between
all organizations and aesssciss which
touch rural lie at any point. will
not ehumerate the forms Of co-opcra-
ton which developed during the
stress Of war conditions whlah should
be continued to meet the problems Of
reconstruction: but the most funda-
mental need Of all is the encourage
f,lent Of frequent conferences at which
all state departments ami ether Or
sanizations dealing with rural welfare
shall be represented. Such CONFER
encss would make possible d united
policy with reference to agriculture,
avoiding duplication OF effort and
planning the activities Of each de-
pa-tment Or organization in harmony
with the central policy thus agreed
upon.
The 50 called Farm Lands Loan
Act passed by the last Legislature
should be made somewha. more lib
eral and should especially be called to
the attention Of returning soldiers
who desire to establish themselves
upon farms. You should give careful
attention TO recommendations which
viii he made to the legislatures Of all
New England states regarding such
important matters as the packing Of
of milk.
The increasing Importance Of the
sheep industry revives the ancient
controversy between the freedom OF
the dog on the one hand and the well
fare Of the sheep on the otLer. The
law regarding the licensing or dogs
should he strictly enforced. and ask
YOU to consider whether, without in
justice 10 the owner Of tho dog, some
more adequate protection Of sheep
cannot be devised. The fayages of
disease are much more serious, how
ever, than the depfedat ions Of dogs
and wild animals among tho sheep.
The Stale and Federal Guturnmci,te
together have sought to meet This
situation by providing trained EXPERTS
whose services have been made avail
able TO tn" farmers without charge.
This program should ne Continued
and enlarged and the spread of dis
ease should I've further checked by
giving the live stock sanitary ccm-
missioner anu the commissioner of
agriculture authority tn pronuigate
regulations forbidding the saie Of dts
eased Gait tie CT sheep
Social Insurance
cur 4Gickened impulse toward the
ideals If human brotherhood COM
hircs with TIE economic stress OF
the war itself to show US vita IN
ci'ea sin:- ,iearness the complete inter-
dependence Of all the elements OF
human society UPON one another.
The ancient truth that mo man
ivetn unto himself. and no man
diCth unte himself is more evident
than eyer before. An accident to
working man is not merely a mis-
fortune for tae individual: il IL a
definite loss t" the State. The same
is true OF sickness Not only DO
these actual misfortunes cause SUI
ferng and toss to working men and
their families. but the fear of either
Of them lessons the efficiency Of he
tnlor while he is actively employed.
The relation between employer and
employee Is not simply a dual con-
tract. both parties to the agreement
ARE accountable to society for. the
proper discharge 81 their mutual OBJ
legations. Society. therefore, through
organized forms ~ government, has
the right 10 protact itself against
any conditions which tend to impair
III" efficiency Of the toller OF 10
Great" friction between the worker
and his employer.
The an-caliad wcfkinen's cnf,pnn-
sat'on law. fur example. Is an at
tempt ~ assess up.n each industry
as Il Whole The economic loss result
ing from accident. Instead of leav-
ing these losses 10 he borne by The
families OF the individual sufferers
alleNiute0 only hy public or private
charity. our Maine law has made a
coed beginning but requires some
~ risicn III order to bring it up to
The i.'eai standards. suggest es-
pech,y that the maximum limit If
weekly Compensation be incrca sed by
ut least fifty per cent. hat the com
pcrsnt;on be made .wu-thirds NJ
steaf uf nnr-hnif the average
k.Nt a,.rf iissar
period be reduced from fourteen days
to seven days. or else reduced or n
sliding scale depending Upon the d,i-
ration rf disability. ana that the pro-
vision for payment Of doctors, nurses
and hospital fees he made tnore liber-
al. The above mentioned changes;
viii others thar may occ,ir 10 you
VIII make the amount of cOmpeHs;,-
ton mora adequate. but il is import
ant also that payments he certain and
that they I've made with the utmost
possible prcmp,ness. To hasten the
i,ronIi ness anu certainty Of pay
inen.s. I suggest that the chairman
Gf t.,n tridustr ini Accident Commits
sion hr authorized to receive de-
positions: also that in eases m
vnlVirS Questions of law he be lu-
;norize,, 10 certify the facts directly
"a he Law Court by some procedure
similar to that followed in contested
election cases.
\ complete social insurance pro-
gram would concern itself with fle
sickncs~ If industrial workers. as
well ar with accidents resulting from
1Sniy. ftNnt go rstA