The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1923-11-22

During vast periods so remote that
they make all recorded history seem
like yesterday the horse may be found
taking its place in the Affairs OF pos
terity. We often make the remark
that the horse is mans best friend
without much thought of the force Of
what WEI are saying and without a
true appreciation of what the horse
has done and is doing for us today.
In military and civil progress the
horse has been indispensable to socie-
ty since history began. The influence
is most strikingly shown In the study
of nations, the horseless nations and
'tfioses Wfffcfi have not taken the best
advantage the horse offers have per-
ished from the earth or have remain
ed unprogressive, while the, equis-
trian nations survived or fell before
better horsemen.
Some of the biggest national au-
thorities of the day are wondering II
a horseless nation can actually pros
per, this brings us to the problem OF
horseless transportation and motor
power of today in this country. The
enormous investment in autOmotive
transportation today is staggering to
contemplate Gin face of the facts that
within, 1ew, months nearly every
dollar d fhis Investment will be dis
sipated into rust-ridden junk. The
serious minded may we'll ask II we
are digging enough wealth from the
groundHo meet this loss dollar for dol
lar. ;,
1t wfil take more than confidence,
egotism or patriotism to overcome the
immutable law that no man can spend
more than he makes without suffering
the consequences.
The horse of today and the near flu
ture are farm, draft, milk wagon, lum-
Der woods. mule of the mines, .saddler,
hunter, the Thoroughbred, trotter and
the transport ahdScavalry horse of the
army. q
The fasml horse is now struggling
against the tractor for existence,
against "a nation wide propaganda,
backed by millions of dollars and the
best sellipgySrains available.
The commercial enthusiasm of the
tractor and truck manufacturer would
lead us to believe that the horse is al
ready an obsolete animal U. s. sta
tistics show as however that fewer
trucks and tractors are in use on the
farms today than five years ago.
The comparison is told In the fol-
lowing egenda:
Horses: A farm product; fuel Is
grain raised by the farmer; create
market for grain; last twelve years in
work - dependable under all condi-
tions; provide flexible working unit;
selling value Is high.
Tractors: Heavy cash investment;
fuel bought for cash at retail; de-
stroys grain market; lasts only five
years or less in field work; wet fields
breakdowns cause delay; depreciate
rapidly; selling value nil.
To those who would make you be-
lieve that the horse is about done so
far as usefulness Is concerned let him
know that there are fifty millions of
horses, and four and a half millions
OF mules in the United States today.
The consensus of opinions among
leaders Of agriculture Today is that
the low point of horse displacement
has passed.
The following Is taken FROM verse
by R. H. Elliott In American Forestry:
s"0s.Horse you are wonderful
thing: mo buttons to push, no horn to
honk; you start yourself, no clutch
to slip, no spark to miss, no gears to
strip; no license to buy each year,
with plates to screw on front and
rear; no gas bills climbing up each
day, stealing the Joy of life away; no
speed cops chugging in your rear, yell
ling summons In your ear. Your inner
tubes are all o. K, and thank the Lord
they stay that way; your spark plugs
never miss and fuss; your motor new
err makes us cuss. Your frame is
good for many mile, your body never
changes style. Your wants are few
and easy met; you've something on
the auto yet,
DIR. PAUL r. BAIRD,
W. 10