The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1921-11-10
VERMONT NOT
RETROCRADING
SAYS CROCKETT
Its Agricultural Achieve
ments Lead Many West
ern States

The following letter which first
made its appearance in the Bur-
lington Free Press was written by
Walter H. Crockett Of the Yer
mont Publicity Bureau as a reply
to the address of w. S. Rossiter of
Concord, N. H., l have read with
intel est the address of w. S. Ross
tier delivered at the recent meet
ing Of the Greater Vermont asso-
citation held at Rutland. 1t repre-
sents much research and while the
story of the decline in population
of our rural towns is not a pleas
ant one, it sets forth a condition
that we must face. While the CEN
sus was taken at the worst possible
time of year for Vermont we can
not excuse away all of our loss in
population. We must admit that
the condition is not healthy one
and it is our business as loyal
Vermonters to find remedy if
possible.
Some of Mr.. Rossiter's conclus-
ions, however, seem to me alto
gether warranted by the facts and
hardly fair to Vermont. In one
portion of his speech he is report
ed as saying:
"The average Vermont farm is
small, generally. hilly, pertains
rocky, often rather inaccessible.
The climate is severe, restricting
products. The average Vermont
farm is not able to compete with
the average farm even in New
York and Pennsylvania as to most
products.
The Vermont farmer has a pre-
carious market or none at all in
most cases. He has no conven-
fences of transportation. He has
no certainty of a good living any
year.
Life on typical Vermont farm
is hard-due to climate, irregular
contour and general lack of adj
vanced farm machinery available
elsewhere on large acreages. These
hardships emphasize and increase
the shortage Of farm help, and that
in turn aggravates the farmers
trials.
vermont farm homes, like those
in Maine, New Hampshire and
many in Massachusetts, are gener-
ally old and primitive. They fire.
ouentlv impose considerable hard
ship for at least half of each year.
These hardships of living, such as
lack of simple toilet and bathing
facilities are fully realized by
every son and daughter sent away
to school and are remembered by
them in their final reckoning.
"There are no openings worth
while for the young people as they
come along. How can there be if
hard work brings as much chance
of loss as of profit? If life is a
hard or a precarious grind, or both
why not go to more favored re-
gions, or city,"
These statements, made before
an association organized to pro-
mote the welfare of the State,
carry with them an added author
ity and if warranted by conditions
represent a very deplorable state
of affairs. l have great respect
for Mr.. Rossiter, and hesitate to
call in question any of his conclus-
ions, but it seems to me that a
further examination of the recent
census figures might lead him to
change his opinions, and | know
that he is thoroughly in earnest in
his desire to bring about better
conditions in Vermont.
For many years we have had
to combat the idea, exploited in
comic papers and stage jokes, that
the people of Vermont were able
with difficulty to earn a precar-
ious living from a stony and bar
rem soil; that Vermonters were an
uncouth, illiterate, poverty strick-
en- people; and surprising large
number of persons only few hun
bred miles away look upon jour
ney to Vermont in winter as one
involving almost as great discom-
for as trip to the Arctic Circle.
Anything that tends to strength
on such erroneous ideas is dan'a@-
ing to the reputation of the State.
The average acreage of United
States farms, according to the last
census is 1882, and the Vermont
average is 1857. The Vermont
average is larger than that of any
other State in New England, and
larger than any State in the Mid
die Atle/ic. East North Central,