DAIRY AND SEED IMPROVEMENT MEETINGS. 335 



Maine Central but have not succeeded. If they can get it in that 

 section why cannot v/e have it in Maine? 



Ans. The only way to get anything is to get right after it. 

 If there is a demand for the shipment of certain articles by 

 baggage service, that should be brought before the Passenger 

 Department of the railroad over which you wish to operate. 

 I should first consult with the Public Service Commission and 

 get its opinion and advice as to how to get at it. Then if there 

 is demand enough among the people I believe the railroad 

 would grant it of its own free will. If it will not, I am 

 very sure that if there is much demand the Public Utilities Com- 

 mission would decree that it should do it. I think the ques- 

 tion would be, How much service is going over the road? Of 

 course you cannot guarantee what is going; all you can guar- 

 antee is the demand. If you can get a better rate, that will bring 

 out the goods. The question of rates is a great problem. It 

 has been discussed all over the country for a long time. It is 

 almost impossible to get an equitable shipping rate. The rail- 

 road goes on the principle that it cannot furnish service unless 

 that service compensates it for what it costs ; although of 

 course the road takes into consideration that it can afford to 

 lose money for a certain time provided there will be enough 

 increase to make up for the loss at first. That must be con- 

 sidered in a large business of any kind. 



One more point on the selling. I am glad that you are taking 

 up that question here in Maine. Let us take one example. 

 Down in your exhibition hall you have an exhibition of some 

 very nice products and on the other side of the hall there is an 

 exhibition by various dealers of their products. They are down 

 here by their representatives to get in touch with your people 

 who presumably want to buy some of their goods. This thing 

 must be turned around. You must get somebody in touch with 

 the products you have on the table, and I don't believe this will 

 ever be done without a big selling organization made up of little 

 organizations so that you can put a man on the market who 

 knows how to sell. Another success of the Oxford Bears is in 

 getting their apples on to the railroad the same as the western 

 apples. The problem of getting that trade is an art in itself. I 

 have seen some associations that have been loth to pay a man 

 a large amount of money. If a man can earn $5,000 let him 



