The Grange advance., 1873-10-15

s,its ID lBsaasI
tiles that tgo to make Up = powerful peos
are best de1eloped in the regions of
short summers and long winters. As 81
Of thesshort summer season,
no time should be lost. Lost time iinS
seeding can not be made up for twelve
months. An extra days help 1t the
right time may make decided difference
in your years profit. Economize labor,
yet have help enough to do each branch
OF work in its proper season. Econo-
mize labor by hiring the best help even
at an increased price. In machinery get
the best and take good care Of It. Advise
with neighbors rather than agents. tt
lis good policy and good economy to-
adopt the general experience Of those
about you, IN the purchase Of new i'm
plements. a whole community. is not
often mistaken.
The attention Of the whole country is
attracted by what has been styled the
farmers movement, a movement origin
ating in the general feeling prevailing
among the farmers Of the west that too
large q proportion Of the proceeds Of
their labor has been ssabsorbe bY exces-
sive !. aud .disproportionate charges by
transportation companies. This feeling
has at length taken shape in organiza.
tions formed for thenpurpose of consid-t
er1ng and discussing the. evils. the inter.
ests, and the remedies Of the producing
classes. The General business rule
that competitor will regulate prices, and
keep all the different departments of la.
Dor in their legitimate and proper place,
seems in these latter days to fail to apply.
Combinations, of capital, control prices
of gold, Of wheat, of cotton and wool,
and latterly Of all transportion. Great
lines Of railroads built with a view ssto
compete for business, and thus to prop
erly regulate the charges upon trade and
travel, are no longer competing lines. = =
Consolidation Of lines, and consolida-
tions between lines, agreements to main-
tain equality Of rules has entirely done
away with competition, and has left the
public. entirely to- the discretion, if not
the mercy, Of few railroad men, who ab-
solutely control all the channels of trans
portation, and set such a. price upon
traffic as they consider for their interest.
! To the farmers it seems as if railroad
men were only anxious to see how far it
was possible, to increase the freight on
passenger. traffic, without checking pro-
duction and discouraging travel and bus
mess. The production of the soil sets
all capital in motion, yet it has appeared
that business men in any occupation
were able to understand one another, and
agree upon a line of policy, except the
farming class. The farmers of the coun-
ftry constitute the majority of its citi-
zens. The political power rests with them.
The ultimate regulation of all the ma
chinery Of government can be controlled
by them. In a1State like ours the predom-
mating class can see at least to it that
their interests are we'll represented that
their best representative men act for
them in the halls of legislation, both
State and National. ~. r. ,*.s Is
| 1t is not enough to say that the inter-
est of the entire community is identical;
that what is for the benefit Of one is for
the benefit of all. While this may be
true as an abstract proposition, yet
farmers should look after their special
interests and should make some sacri-.
| fees of time, and some effort to secure a
voice in directing and. controlling legisla-
| tion. ....-. .s........s-..s '....
Farmers must either be represented by
their own profession or if they elect that
other professions shall represent them it
must be understood that they accept.
and demand and insist that their inter.
ests shall be looked to. The railroad
problem is . new one to all classes, not
only to the people at large, but to the
protector RS, builders, and owners of the
roads themselves. s5jss .I#
The people desire cheap Transports
ton, the railroad men desire interest
upon their capital invested, and income
to repair, replace, rebuild, re.stock their
roads, margin for contingencies and
also opportunity to build up immense
fortunes RS $s Sf#& $SssI
But the facilities Of railroads have be-
come necessity to business and to coun-
try. The management Of these expen-
sive undertakings, SO that the greatest
good shall be done to the greatest num-
Der is, to be the great question Of the
day. Private capital in immense amounts
has been invested IN the railroad system
of the country. Subsidies Of land have
been donated by Congress, bonds have
been voted by the people, privileges and
franchises granted By the. Legislature.
All Of these united have built great lines
Of communication, and have opened IN
the wilderness for habitation. Like fire
1.-The railroad is . good servant, but Z hard
master. Weneed the railroad we must
have the railroad, we cannot live without