Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-12-10

sure. New England men in general do
not take-is the broader outlook upon
the situation taken by Senator Hard
ing in his address at the Minnesota
State fair on Sept. s last In this speech
absolutely basic character Of the agri.
cultural industry in the life of Ameri-
ca and of the world. The American
farmer. he said. had just met. and
successfully met. the crisis Of feeding
the world At the same time that the
farmers had been meeting this crisis,
they had been contributing to the
American army In the field twenty-five
per cent OF its members. The farmers
gave their sons and their helpers. and
fed the world into the bargain. But
following the accomplishment of this
task. the American farmer finds his
industry paralyzed by most disas-
trous fall In the price of his products.
He Is all at once put on the verge of
bankruptcy. The problem that con-
fronts him Is not his own alone. 1t Is
tho eountry's. In this speech at St.
Paul Senator Harding fully recognized
the national character Of the present
crisis. He said:
Anything short OF fair return up
on invested capital. and a fair wage
for tho labor which gorws into the
crops. and enough in addition to en-
able the farmer to maintain the fer
tiiity OF the soil and insure against
natural hazards. will drive large num-
bers of farmers to tho cities. A frank
recognition by all our people Of the
fundamental truth is necessary. IL We
are to work out this great national
problem. 1t 10 a matter OF even great.
or concern to the people OF the cities
than to tho farmer and the farm COM
munity. IL we cannot by painstaking
study and wise craftsmanship arrive
at such an understanding and applica-
tion OF economic laws as will enable
US to bring about a fair balance be-
I tween our urban and rural industries,
bringing prosperity to both and per-
Knitting neither to fatten at the ex-
pense Of the other. we cannot hope for
concord. and without concord there
can be no assurance for the future -
Was industrial New England built up
dustry and Of agricultural industry at
a distance? 1t was not. THE only
thing" said Senator Harding in this
address, that we could do with the
superabuhdance of food produced in
| the United States was to build cities
out of it. and great cities we did build :
He hit the nail on the head here
! Boston. Providence. Lowell, Lawrence,
Fall River. Worcester, Springfield,
Manchester. were all built out of the
! country's agricultural production. What
was Boston before the development of
the agricultural West? What was
the place of Lowell, Lawrence or Fall
| River on the map before the great
agricultural trek to the West took
place?
If the Congress and the Administra-
ton do not take the national view of
this question. and apply a national
remedy in the agricultural paralysis
with which we are threatened, they
will have proved themselves deaf to
the warning which President-elect
Harding uttered in this memorable
Minnesota address. and they will invite
a more serious situation in the manu-
featuring industries than the one in
which these industries now find them
selves. We are, in this country, all
members of one body, and the agri-
cultural industry Is the a!imentary
system Of that body of which the
manufacturing industries are but the
hands and arms.