New-York tribune., 1873-07-28
THE FARNERy WAR.


at the West to get at the precise merits of
the whole case, and state both sides with entire
fairness. Much heat has been engendered in
the debate, and each party to the contro-
versy is disposed to exaggerate the merits
of its own case, while dlstorting ana
misrepresenting the other. This is quite nat
ural, of course, being the tendency in greater
or less degree of all political discussion; the
difficulty is in getting back to the starting
point of the real grievances on the one hand,
and the most reasonable remedy on the other.
The farmers start ont with the proposition
that they are the victims of oppression; that
the railroad companies upon which they must
depend for the transportation Of their products,
having the monopoly of the carrying trade,
take unfair advantage of their privileges,
charging such extOrtiOnate rates OF freight as
almost exclude the farmers from their market,
and making such arbitrary and unjust discrlm-
nations against the local traffic on the roads as
compel the farmers to pay enormous prices for
what they consume, while they are practically
under an embargo so far as the products of their
own industry are concerned, and are COM
pelled either to depend upon home consump-
tion entirely, or see their values eaten up in
| freight tariffs on their way to market. 10
this the railroad companies make elaborate
answer, showing in detail the groundlessness
| of all the complaints of the farmers, and prov
| ING TO their own satisfaction, if no ones else,
| that they are doing a work of patriotism and
nhilorthropy at less than living rates, and
| that it is the basest ingratitude to say or
| think otherwise.
Well. between the two what are the facts
| Let us cndeayor to ascertain them and present
| them fairly. The complaint of the farmers
stated in its briefest form is that the trans
portation charges of the railroad companies
are fatal to their business; that while special
rates are made for manufactured goods, and
for the products of all other Industries, the
farmers alone are Disseminated against and
compelled to pay not only for the transportation
| of their grain, but by excessive charges to pay
| the freight bills of manufacturers and Others.
This seems at first blush to one not familiar
with the situation and the facts to be utterly
unreasonable and absurd. But 1t is not. On
the contrary, it has a very sound basis and is
actually true. And this is the philoso-
phv of it, Between the terminal
points the railroads can transport freight
at lower rates than from the way
stations on the line, for the reason that
business can be done more rapidly, the facil-
tiles for loading and unloading are more ex-
tcnsiye and more trustworthy, there is less de-
lay, and consequently less waste and to crown
ALL there is the same difference between the
local and through business as between retail
and wholesale trade. Where there is most
business it can be done cheapest. The farmers
~ &C tI,a rail do
The mature of agricultural pursuits prevents
large aggregation of population engaged in
them at one point. The farmers are naturally
and necessarily at the way stations on rail
roads; never at the terminal points or large
cities. Manufactures and other industries
except agriculture tend naturally to aggrega-
tions: they make large cities; they CO.
operate, in some sense, III the consohda-
ton and concentration of popul lations, and
drive out the farming interest to less crowded
localities.
The result, of course, is that what
ever advantage accrues to wholesale bust
ness in the matter of transportation of freights
goes to every other interest except the agri-
cultural. Nor does the disadvantage stop
there, for between the large cities that are
TRANSPORTATION and travel which di-
rectly or indirectly compete with each
other for the carrying business. The con-
sequence of this is not only to bring
freights and passenger rates down to as low
figure as is consistent with profitable man
acement. but to reducefthem still lower; to
figures at which the companies could not live
were it not for the local traffic. The farming
population do not profit either by the brisk
competition or the wholesale business. On the
contrary the railroad managers, instead OF
reasoning in the interest OF their
local patrons and dependents, the farmers,
by making their first calculation on the through
business, and giving the farmers the benefit OF
t. reverse the process They say, Here is
"Our local business which is sure-we can count
con that certainly, for there is no other outlet
" for it ; we can put our own prices upon it,
"and make that pay the expense of running
the road. That will leave us free to
"compete with rival lines for through
traffic, and no matter how low we put
"our rates, whatever we can get from it
"will be clear proGt.n Under this process of
reasoning, as will readily be seen, the farmer
living always on the line OF the road, and
never where the benefits of competition will
in any degree inure to his benefit, is forever
between the upper and neither milestone.
He sees freight whirled by his door
for his manufacturing and commercial
friend at his market town for trine
of cost at which the railroad company cannot
make profit, but which helps his city friends
to grow rich, while his own farm products
are taxed upon the road to such an extent
that the more he raises and sends 10 market
tLn nnnrer he Is Mhnteyer be sends % mlr-