Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-07-14
ABOUT A PROBLEM
William Sidney Rossiter "

William sidney ROSSlter writes Tor
the July Atlantic an interesting arti-
Gle, Three Sentinels of the North,
Maine, New Hampshire and Ver-
mont, 1.-THE highland states of New
England. These with the exception
of New York have "the most varied
and interesting history" of all the
fl ON his point of view.
At the outset he recognizes the now
quite widely accepted conclusion that
north country New England lis pro-
crossing too slowly. Then asking
what may be done to improve on
present conditions he advances sug-
gestions.
Formerly connected with the Fed
eral census he enriches his comment
with data, comprehensively arranged.
But information on this subject
comes not from data alone. "rhe
north country requires for citizens
strong. patient men and women. will
ing to live frugally and, like their
forbears, ready to face hardships", he
tells US. That this is a more impera-
tive requirement in New England
, than in many other thinly populated
agricultural regions would seem to be
the natural inference. the correctness
of which those of us intimately ac-
quainted with all the facilities af-
| forded here would be inclined to
question.
We call to mind an enterprising
tural conditions in different parts of
the country, who nevertheless select
ed land in Maine, in a region of
abandoned farms and has there es-
; tablished lucrative undertaking and
we venture to assume that he has
never considered that he was eX-
] posed to severe hardships in conse-
| quence. He possessed the requisite
capital and enterprise and has found
profit where others had found dis
couragement. With lack of capital
and vision he, too, very likely would
have, found discouragement. But
whether this would obtain in greater
degree in New England than in many
other parts of the country may well
be doubted. But, that a greater
spirit of optimism might be found
elsewhere one may easily conclude.
! Like most sparsely settled COM
munities the need of a country doc
tor is felt, but this condition by no
means is confined to New England
! localities. School facilities are not
always what they should be, but
surely this is not peculiar to our To-
trend to cities or the lure of high
wages elsewhere felt only in this part
of the world. If he is correct in his
assertion that the Grange ard Farm
Bureau are finding the cause a dis
eouraging one it has escaped our mo-
tice. Nor, when we consider what the
eSmall farmers have contributed Of
their effort, the children they have
educated, the earnings they have in
vested, too often outside their COM
munities and often in other states, we
would scarcely accept without quail
| fication the conclusion that he SIS not
a business man.. But that he has
lost somewhat of his confidence
perhaps by reason of difficulty in OBJ
| tanning the help which he has the ex-
ecutive ability to use to advantage
were it procurable when needed. this
we would admit. And in a sense it is
fair to speak of this lack of conf
dence, as does the author, as "the
heart of the north country problem.
He would have a serious attempt
made to allay discomfort among the
youth and keep them at home. He
would have the boys and girls taught
to think: Before 1 decide to abandon
the old home and State which have
given me being, nursed me, and made
me all am, with no cost to me, what
can / do here at home of real value
and service to my native State? If I
cannot find suitable opportunity to
advance. myself and serve the COM
munity then, and then only, l must
go elsewhere. He would have or
CARNATIONS in every community to
promote this spirit, have united effort
, throughout northern New England to
solve this common problem. He
would have. the sons and daughters of
this part of the land, wherever they
may happen to be. encouraged to lend
their assistance, out of loyalty to the
land of their birth and upbringing.