No. 123.] REPORT OF COMMISSIONER. 53 



the best industrial minds in the Commonwealth, to make a 

 careful study of the entire situation and to see wherein indus- 

 try and agriculture may be of greater mutual assistance in de- 

 veloping the entire resources of the State. 



Advertising Massachusetts Farms in the West. 



The current price of land in the West during the war and 

 the many opportunities in the East are causing a large number 

 of young men in the West to look eastward again to agricul- 

 tural advantages. Inasmuch as there are a considerable num- 

 ber of farms for sale in this State, it seems advisable to make 

 this fact known to the better type of western young men and 

 to give them an opportunity to purchase farms in the East, if 

 they wish. In this way young farmers may be helped because 

 at present a considerable number of farms can be bought in 

 Massachusetts at reasonable prices. These are fully equipped 

 and do not require the expenditure of large sums of money; 

 and it would also help to develop in the best possible way 

 those farms in the State which are not now being fully used. 



Increased Freight Rates. 



The increases in freight rates made by the railroads from 

 time to time since the beginning of the war are making a notable 

 change in eastern agriculture. For the last two or three 

 decades, when rates have been low, the food products which 

 can be grown in the West at a cheaper cost than here have 

 been shipped into New England in large quantities at prices 

 lower than the cost of production here. This has had a de- 

 pressing effect upon Massachusetts farming for some time, and 

 the only farmers who have been successful have been produc- 

 ing specialties where their operations have been conducted on 

 an intensive basis, such as the raising of tobacco, onions, truck, 

 cranberries and the like. 



The increased freight rates inevitably increase the price of 

 food in Massachusetts and throw upon the eastern farmer a 

 responsibility and an opportunity to raise greater quantities 

 of food at home that he has not had for many years. It also 

 places the responsibility upon industry to assist the eastern 



