Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-11-08

Although this act was passed five
years ago, the response has not cen
what has been hoped. No doubt M
applicants for loans In Maine ave
applied directly to the Federal Land
Bank for a federal loan, Of which
some 1857 have been made In this
State. amounting TO $3OS5, O5O. co.
Our own Loan Commission is a small
affair in contrast. but at present
there appears to be more interest IN
the matter than at any time since
the act was passed. OF thirty in.
quiries ! received in June OF this
year Z came from Penobscot County
u from Washington. from Waico
(, 4 from Kennebec. 3 from Piscata-
quis. from Somerset and one each
from Androscoggin, Cumberlan, and
Hancock. Two of there needed cap
ital to repair their buildings, to pCr-
| chase livestock and farm machinery
and improve their land. Three de-
sired to refund al, existing mortgage.
! Three had just bargained for farms
| and needed money to pay balance OF
purchase price. Two were ankle /;
to purchase additional land. viii! ,
three did not even own land, bat
wished to buy IL they could procure
| mortgage.
| am impressed with the very evi
dent earnestness of these men and
women. One has Is acres of pcta-
toes, four acres of Grain, two &C: es
OF corn and large number Of e.
stock. He needs additional working
capital. Another, a resident o. or ?
OF our largest cities, hopes to pur-
chase fine farm which he has II
mind. and Is anxious to mortgage lis
! city property to secure it. One thri :
ty farmer, residing in prosperous
village, owns q number of farms.
which tenants are carrying on and
| in some cases are purchasing .om
! him. lie admits that the money paid
him for interest is procured It =
great sacrifice to these struggling
/ farmers and frankly states thai this
money should be going for Sit j.
livestock and better buildings.
You all know what Il vast acrea,. g
! of unimproved farm land we nave
in Maine. When l assert that ar l.
| ing is in a backward state here III
Maine and in many parts Of New
! England. am not dccryinC cur
, home State. Agriculture at this time
\ is in depressed condition thu
world over. Twenty five years ago
+ Mulhail, the statistician. stated tina.
q /,r l,n
was cngaced in farming and ii pc:
cent OF the worlds capital was EN-
ploNed in it. lat its SHIRE @. the
worlds profits was Cnly 20 per cent.
Thanks to our farmers unions, our
farm bureaus and to cooperation n
/ Luyin1 and selling that condition has
somewhat bcttercd itself. but &C ndl
tions are still far from satisfactory.
| believe a better day is coming Ill
Maine in the farming industry. Tie
manufacturing OF TIE emitted States
is moving toward the interior OF the
country. where fuel aad the bu.1 G.
raw materials are found.
In 1920 Ohio was producing even
fold the manufactured goods 1t mad
produccd 20 years before; Michigan
ten fold; California eight fold.
Under the reclamation law OF l!O-
the Federal Government has IL ne
west. in lands subject to irrigation,
an investment of $I;O.O00,OO0 %,
This has created value OF TOUR
times that amount for the iocali,lts
whore these projects are found, or
5000 900. 10000. Within Federal re
c,.mation projects there are
towns - $50 irrigated ferns with a
total population of 4JO,03O. mere
are SO schools, CD churchcS ana
n.7 banks. with deposits OF me e
than Sl4".C0o, O0OG0. But after all
the area Of land that may be itri-
stated in TIE great west is compare
tivelN small Increasing population
there will call for more and more
OF the food they produce. Low
freight rates seem to be thing o.
the past and the East must mr'e
and more depend upon Itself loi
food. This is the opportunity oi the
Maine farmer.
other states and nations are doing
all they can to assist agriculture. The
British government has put IN lrri-
cation works in India for over "
million acres at cost of III million
dollars.
The ministry OF public wor s.
Ecypt. has placed Il dam across the
Nile which cost 5 .nillion pounds.
but it makes possible the production
of crops valued It more than that
amount each year. In a generation
the population of Egypt grew from
1000 900 to 13,O0O.OOO. the cultivated
area increasing by 40 per cent ana
the amount Of crops by w per mt.
In the delta of the EuphrafeJ and
Tigris the English have planned r.
rigation projects that will cost 3D.
000. 10000.
Peru has engaged in an irrigation
project which will cost $6O.OOO,OOJ.'I
and will restore the broken acql e
ducts which were the wonder Of the
Spanish invaders.
When world conditions are e.
stored there will be a market for
we can produce.
The world is preparing for an un-
precedented agricultural expansion.
The United States will not be -lina
in this movement Let us see that
Maine falls into Gtcp and moves r
ward to do it's share.
Today's Program
The convention program for to-
day will open at $50 A. NJ. at the