Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-09-07
WITH REGARD TO A0RI.
CULTURE

CULTURE
The rival candidates for Governor
do not agree in their estimates Of
the agricultural situation in Maine.
While neither is satisfied with con-
ditionA a. they are, Governor Brew
ster regards the prospect encourag-
ing, whereas Mr.. Mclean appears
much depressed and would call the
doctor for a survey. diagnosis
Of the patient.
Governor Brewster finds himself
in accord with statisticians. who re-
port remarkable progress in the
agriculture of New England, and
evidently is assured that Maine is
getting her share.
People have q way Of believing
that which they wish to believe, not
always being properly mindful Of the
facts. There are farmers in Maine
as elsewhere who would be confused
II they were not to hear about the
poor farmer. Mr.. Mclean is not
tSAlllS tlSlli, Wlldt dhy 6OOu SiSbit
agency could tell, that business is
not all pelf; that the terms under
which business is done are very ex-
acting and becoming daily more so;
that in other vocations than that OF
agriculture he who would succeed
meets with imperative demands. II
is not enough that he be of good
character, also his forbears, not
enough that his intentions be Of the
best and that he is strictly honest
He must be capable, he must be
more than merely industrious. he
must give himself unstintedly to the
| enterprise If he would win. Doubt
less there are many farmers who
would soon weary trying to follow
in the footsteps Of such.
Now this doesn't mean that agri-
culture is all that it should be: that
it is easy to hire labor for the farm
and find the cash with which to pay
for that labor; it does not mean that
attention should not be given from
intelligent sources to the need OF
| more effective cooperation, of bet
ter storage facilities for farm prod
ucts, of better marketing facilities
Nothing of the sort. With the best
markets in the world not far dis
! tant from Names cultivated fields
| and waiting for what we have to sell
there is much which may and should
be done to bring about improved re-
lations between producers and con-
| sumers.
| But "a survey, why. agriculture
has been diagnosed to the threshold
of extinction by political surveys. II
isn't so much that we don't know
/ what to do as that we don't get to-
| gether and stick out prognathous
| chips and resolve then and there tC
do it. Here we are listening to tall
about surveys, listening to nationa
| conversation about subsidies fol
wheat growers already planning fol
| a bigger acreage next year. Did il
| ever occur to us that those growers
of grain on western farms have al
ready been subsidized largely at thu
expense of eastern agriculture, wher
lands were given or cheaply sold t
/ them? Now, after half a century
after the wheat lands have beer
! bled and sold over and over agar
! at excessively increased price, WI
are asked to subsidize the present
owners so they may farm these at {
profit and without heed to suppl!
| and demand. And those who favol
that scheme talk noticeably like Mr.
Mclean, when he is expressing hi!
sympathy for the down-trodder
farmer. AS we see it the farmel
does need help, but not from poll
tics He needs it from the mos
| practical. widest visioned minds
concerned with constructive affairs
and we are Of the opinion that h
knows 1t as well as anybody. lie
| them approach the problem withou
any Interior purpose of political ad
vantage, but because 1t is develop
ment needing their attention ant
we'll worth while to all concerned
But don't let anybody get away will
the impression that Maine farmers
are on the road to the poorhouse o.
waiting for a hand-out of COLI
| yictuals