Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-04-29
.xEAsER THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tuesday, April -, 1919.
Are the Politicians Awaksnins?

eoe~0Ses~e
Republican publicity association with
headquarters at Washington. says:
THE trouble with the present auto
scratic administration Is that it tells
the returning soldiers to 80 to the
farms and then does everything pos
:aible to keep them away. Hours of
labor and wages are made as attrac.
tive as possible in cities or on rail.
,roads. while conditions remain prac-
ttically unchanged in tho country. In
fact. conditions are less attractive for
;the farmer who must hire some help,
for he finds increasing difficulty in
tpersuading men to leave the city to
work on a farm.
The whole policy Of this admins
stration has been one of attempted
.ovcrthrow Of economic law-an ef-
,.fOrt to prevent water seeking it's level.
IAN effort to dislocate the center of
gravity. an effort to remake human
mature by lay or executive edict.
..Price-fixing, government operation.
artificial and inequitable wage scales.
.are illustrations OF the determination
.of self.constituted omnipotents to
,pcrform modern miracles. The per-
.formances have taken place-thcir
miraculous character has not become
apparent for tho reason tina. the
eternal law Of compensation Is still
in operation and the country is pay
ing in one form or another~for the at
tempt to set aside natural law.
Whenever the governmental
'"back- to- the-farm" bureaus find
themselves embarrassed by Hood of
designations from employees who are
quitting government jobs to 60 on
the farms. We may expect to find SOL
oilers fiocking to agricultural occupa-
tions. Until then. soldiers will 60 to
the farms when they feel SO disposed.
just as horse will drink when he's
thirsty"
We are glad that at last the Re-
publican party is not only recogniz-
ing the plight of the great average
farmer but Is raising its voice against
some Of the tomfoolery that Is mas
querading as patriotic service-"re-
ward" the soldier. and the like.
Let Republican politicians in nation
and state understand that the farm
er Is paying for the favoritism be-
slowed on organized labor to tie it up
with the present administration: that
farming cannot be attractive to SOL
diers or others in health or prime of
life until v,roJuccro fbep,colxou h,,,o
something to say about the prices at
which their product shall be mar
ketcd; that present silly chatter
about an eighth day for farmers,
can be nothing but chatter while the
farmer has to work II hours a day
under market conditions, to feed his
family and keep his plant from going
to wreck: that the first job ahead Of
statesmen End big business is to Sc
cure for the farmer himself an Or
ganized labor day with fair day pay
for him and his family workers, and
interest on the capital invested in his
plant.
When the political organizations
realize these things and take hold Of
them honestly and determinedly
they will do more for the country's
prosperity and happiness than they
can do in any other way. Unless they
fsaid political organizations) do in
terest themselves. the tendency of
farmers to retrench in their endeav-
ors for surplus will increase, as will
their leaning toward radical organi-
cations. And as farms are deserted,
farmers reduce acreage and prices of
foodstuffs soar. so will the bolshevist
propaganda in congcsted districts
take root and grow.
Give the farmer a fair return for q
fair days work, and the country will
prosper and bolshevism decline.