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New New Hampshire College last month offered fifteen reading courses by mail to those interested in agriculture and home economics. Any resident of New Hampshire may have this Extension Service free, either singly or as a member of a group study class The courses offered are: Soils and Fertilizers; Farm Crops; Farm Stock; Orchard Management; Dairy Farming; Poultry Husbandry; Swine Husbandry; The Farm Wood Lot; Vegetable Gardening; Bee Keeping; Small Fruits; Farm Management; Feeding the Family; Clothing the Family; Household Management.

Each course is

based upon a simple, practicable textbook, supplemented by federal and state bulletins. Mr. J. C. Kendall of Durham is the director of the Extension Service.

Dartmouth College also is following up last year's extension. course plans and has already engaged for a course in English literature for teachers and townspeople in Keene and in Brattleboro, Vermont. The system will probably be carried into other towns of New Hampshire and Vermont.

The election on November 7 developed into the most pronounced political overturn New Hampshire has seen in about half a century. Ten years ago Democratic success was due to a split in the Republican party. This year the Republicans were not disunited, nevertheless the Democrats elected the governor, one congressman and clear majority in the lower branch of the Legislature. The Council remains Republican by four to one and the Senate by sixteen to eight. A peculiar situation, due to the constitutional rule that districts shall be divided in effect according

a

to wealth, gave the Democrats a majority of all the votes cast for councilors and senators, and allowed the Republicans to win a large majority of the seats.

The total vote for governor was: Fred H. Brown of Somersworth, Democrat, 72,834; Windsor H. Goodnow of Keene, Republican, 61,528. A Republican majority of over 31,000 two years ago was thus turned into a Democratic majority of over 11,000. There are several causes assigned for the turnover— the issue as to the forty-eight hour work-week for women and children (which was not met by Mr. Goodnow's eleventh-hour declaration that he would approve a forty-eight-hour bill if passed by the Legislature), the unpopular poll tax for women, which the Democrats promised to abolish, the discontent in the cities affected by the textile, railroad and paper strikes (all those cities went Democratic without reference to their prior partisan leanings), the general apathy of the confident Republicans, coupled with the effective work of the not-too-hopeful Democrats, the agreement of the two debt-burdened state committees not to use money for advertising.

In the First Congressional District, William N. Rogers, Democrat, of Wakefield, won by over 6,000 from John Scammon, Republican, of Exeter. In the Second District, Edward H. Wason, Republican, of Nashua, retained his seat by some over 3,500 majority over his fellow-townsman, William H. Barry.

The defeat of G. Allen Putnam of Manchester leaves Benjamin H. Orr of Concord as the only avowed candidate for President of the Senate who escaped the Democratic landslide.

In view of the Democratic con

trol of the House, all pre-election candidacies for Speaker and committee chairmanships pass by the board. Various suggestions have since election been made as to the speakership-William J. Ahern, for many years Democratic floor-leader and a skilled parliamentarian, former Senator Nathaniel E. Martin, former Congressmen Raymond B. Stevens. There are those, however, who would keep Mr. Ahern for the floor leadership and the head of the Appropriations Committee, Mr. Martin for the Judiciary and Mr. Stevens for Ways and Means-places for which these gentlemen have special aptitude and give the speakership to one of several other possibilities.

The situation resulting from divided control of the executive and legislative departments is likely to result in the inability of the Democrats to assume full responsibility. It is doubtful whether Governor Fred H. Brown will be able to affix his signature to a forty-eight-hour law, not because he lacks the will to do so, but because the Legislature may not give him the opportunity to. It is surmised that some Democrats from the farming districts may decline to vote for such a bill. On the other hand, some Republicans are peronally favorable to such legislation and find nothing in their party platform to forbid them following their bent. Possibly the Legislature may adopt the Republican platform suggestion and appoint a special committee to investigate the whole subject.

With four Republican Councilors to check him, the incoming Governor will find it difficult to make the customary partisan appointments to various state offices and commissions. This may result, in the opinion of some observers, in the avoidance of "trading" and the appointment of officials on the basis

of proved worth. Perhaps most important of all the appointments will be that of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to succeed the Honorable Frank N. Parsons, whose term expires by age limitation in 1924.

As the Democrats will have a majority in joint convention, the legislative election of Secretary of State and State Treasurer may result in the retirement of Messrs. Bean and Plummer. Enos K. Sawyer, President of the Senate in 1913 and a defeated candidate for the Council this year, is the most prominent candidate for Secretary of State, while George E. Farrand, State Treasurer during the Felker administration and just retired from the postmastership of Concord, is mentioned for return to his former place in the State House.

well-attended meeting of the New Hampshire Civic Association in in Manchester, on November 17, listened to an interesting discussion of the problem of New England railroad consolidation. Governor Albert O. Brown spoke briefly of the magnitude and seriousness of the question, but without committing himself to either suggestion that has been made-(1) the consolidation of all New England roads into one system and (2) the union of the northern and southern lines, respectively, with two of the great railways west of the Hudson. Prof. Cunningham of Harvard advocated the latter in an able speech. President Hustis of the Boston and Maine Railroad made some suggestions, and, while expressing the thought that consolidation was inevitable under the Transportation Act, doubted that now is the time for it. Professor William Z. Ripley sent an illuminating memorandum inclining to the all-New England group consolidation. A letter from President Todd of the Bangor

and Aroostook emphasized his wellknown opposition to any consolidation. Altogether the meeting was most succesful in getting before the Association the conflicting views and arguments bearing on what is perhaps the most vexed and momentous problem which New Hampshire faces.

Students of the vexing taxation problems of New Hampshire find little ground for hoping to redistribute the incidence of public burdens, or to bring under just taxation the intangibles which are now largely escaping, without constitutional amendment. It had been thought by most people impossible to alter the constitution without the delay of calling and holding a new convention. Governor Brown, the president of the 1918-1921 convention, has recently pointed out, however, that that convention adjourned last year to meet again at the call of the president. As president the Governor intimates that he would not assume, unadvised, the responsibility of reassembling that body, but apparently a request by the Legislature would have the effect of giving him warrant for doing so. Such a call, followed by prompt submission of an amendment to the people, might enable the voters to act upon the amendment next March, and thus open the way for legislation at the coming session of the General Court. Would the voters ratify an amendment? Citing their failure to do so twice in the last three years, some observers say "no." The more optimistic point out that much water has passed under the bridge during the last eighteen months, and place some reliance. upon good organization to reverse former votes.

The strike situation, which we discussed last month, has cleared. in part. The railroad shopmen are

still out, but President Hustis stated in mid-November that, as far as the railroad was concerned, it was already a closed book. Attempts, official and unofficial, to bring about a conference between the managers and the men have been so far fruitless. On the part of the managers the "everything normal" statement is said to have been used. The men, however, still claim that rolling-stock is not in condition to meet traffic demands and assert that the railroad has places for several hundred men. which the strikers might fill. The attitude of the managers seems to be that, were this true (and they do not admit it), the return of strikers in considerable numbers would result in the new employes leaving-with the result that the strikers would win.

In the textile mills the last few weeks have apparently seen creasing activity, with more operatives at work and more looms running. After many rumors and denials of an impending breaking of the strike at Manchester, the most important happening for some time came with the statement on November 25 by Vice President Starr of the United Textile Workers that, with the Democratic victory at the polls, the forty-eight hour is assured. He then added to the strikers:

"With a full realization that my motives will be impugned by some, but with a deep and abiding conviction that I am doing what is right, I want to say further that I cannot find it in my heart to ask your devoted ranks to make further sacrifice and endure more suffering, more particularly as I know that the real and permanent victory for the 48-hour week is not to be won in the offices of the textile corporations but in the legislative halls of the state house."

Whether the strike, unwon in

forty-odd weeks by the customary tactics, has been won at the ballotbox, the early months of 1923 will determine. If so, a new strategy in industrial warfare will disclose possibilities. Following the state

ment by Mr. Starr, the Amoskeag employes took a ballot and voted overwhelmingly to return to work. As fast as production can be resumed, the various departments of the mills are reopening.

A SONG OF HOPE
By Lyman S. Herrick

Each sunset has a sunrise,
Each midnight has a morn;
The day that April dieth,
That day the May is born.
The acorn in the darkness

Molds so that the oak may rise;
And by and by the worms that creep

Will all be butterflies.

There's no life lacks a love time,

No year's without a spring.

Every bird that builds a nest

Well knows a song to sing

That's full of hope, and takes life at it's best.

MARY, MOTHER

By Helen Adams Parker

Mary, Mother, smiling sweetly,

On your baby looking down;
Is your heart at rest completely,

Like the smooth fold of your gown?

Or does a dim foreboding
Of some trouble lurking near,
Press upon your mind, corroding-
Turning gladness into fear?

Mother Mary, keep on smiling;
The sad hour has not begun,
With a traitor's dark beguiling,
Which awaits your little son.

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