Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1921-01-19
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE
Stay in Vermont, Advises Westener
Mr. Editor:


1t is with deep regret that Ver-
mont has lost in population during
the last ten years. The last census
shows that only two other states of
the Union show like results. Those
as Mississippi and Nevada; one. the
land OF bogs and bayous, alligators
and mosquitoes, the other nothing but
howling desert. Vermont has no
reasonable excuse and it is to her dis
credit to be found in such company.
In TACT, during the last half century
vermont has increased but very little
IN population, and but for the immi-
grafton of Canadian farmers and Ital-
ian stone cutters, the decrease of pop-
uIatlon would be much greater.
many OF the smaller towns show even
less e; population than sixty years ago.
ms is deplorable and foretells dis
aSCeT TO the dear old state unless it is
checked. What are the causes? One
does not have to go far for an answer.
Ihree may be given: First, the Young
men and women of Vermont leave
nome to seek greater opportunities in
the big cities and in the West. where
thousands only meet disappointment.
1here is as great per cent of poor
people throughout the West and on
the Pacific coast as could ever be
found IN Vermont, and much greater
poverty in the large cities. Energy
thrlft, perseverance and industry will
accomplish it. Secondly, they leave
to escape the rigors of Vermont win
ters, >and that is more of a delusion
than otherwise. The likes and dis
likes of climatic conditions are large
ly matter of choice. On the biz
zard swept plains of Kansas and
throughout the Northwest there is
even greater suffering in winter than
ever experienced in Vermont. The
third reason, and the most serious of
all, is that the boys and girls of Yer
mont are not sufficiently encouraged
to remain at home, and in that loss.
the responsibility rests with the par
ents. Keep the home fires burning"
make the home attractive and sur
round it with all the home comforts
possible, to your children let it be the
dearest spot on earth, make your
regard to the home and farm affairs
and study the ways and means of i'm
proving the productiveness of the soil.
Send your boys, as far as possible, to
the agricultural schools. Vermont
is capable, under improved husbandry,
OF easily sustaining a population of
a million. Vermont has easy access
to large markets with short hauls for
all her products and can thus take
advantage of good markets, while i'm
the West and on the Pacific coast
farmers and ranchers have long hauls
Tor their products with no assurance
OF good markets when reached, as it
takes a month to get there.
California oranges in carload lots
nave been sold in New York mar
kets In times past for not enough to
pay the freight, and today. California
lemons will not sell for-,enougb to
pay for shipping, and the growers are
appealing to congress for tariff re-
lief.
Now for a glimpse through the
Middle West, where a full crop of corn
once in five years is considered doing
we'll, often promising prospect has
been totally ruined in three DAYS by
hot wind. Many discouragements
may be found everywhere. The plant
ers of the South, the farmers of the
Middle West, and the ranchers of the
Pacific coast face as many failures,
as many uncertainties and as many
as ever confronted
the farmers of Vermont. &
To the boys and girls of Vermont l
would say: Don't leave home expect
ing to find elsewhere soft jobs or easy
roads to success. You will never be
able to pick silver dollars from the
bushes. Success can only be obtained
by hard, honest, persistent, effort,
and that can be realized in Vermont
as well as anywhere else, and perhaps
better. No other ten thousand
square miles of territory anywhere
within the bounds of our civilization
has such an abundance of available
water power as Vermont, now run
ming idly to the sea. And there is
enough Vermont money now loaned
on farms in the West or invested
otherwise outside of the state, or lay
ing idle in our banks, to install a
manufacturing plant of large capa-
city in every county in Vermont, thus
giving employment to thousands Of
Vermont boys and girls. Why can
shoes for the world as we'll as Lynn,
Lowell and Brockton? Why cannot
St. Johnsbury and Barton manufac-
'ure plows and all kinds of farm
machinery as we'll as Moline and
Rockford, Illinois? Why cannot Bur
ington make automobiles as well as
Detroit? Location, climatic condi-
ions and transportation facilities are
equally as good in one as in the other,
while water power, the cheapest pro-
oelling power in the world, can there =
,e utilized almost without limit. Har-
less the Winooski at the very door of
Burlington and electric energy can
,e generated sufficient to propel ev-
ry enterprise and determination are
tai, enterprise and determination are
III that is needed to accomplish all
# this, and Vermont possesses them
ii if the proper effort is put forth.
1ermont can make a Greater Ver-
nont," if she WILL
Can it be that Vermont, the land Of
omance, the land of fascinating his
ory, the home of the Green Mountain
oys, the birthplace of men and wom-
n who have made the state famous.
tatesmen, poets, sculptors, invent
RS, writer's and divines, is deterior-
ting? God forbid! She has untold
'ealth in her developed and undevel-
ped quarries and mines of granite.
larble, slate, asbestos and tale. Yet
lany hill farms turned into back pas
Tres or abandoned and the buildings
1T to decay, give the state a bad
anne. l can only say, get busy, i'm
rove your farms, develop your MANY
esources, utilize your water power,
nd your boys and girls will not want ~
, leave home.