The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-12-21
BLAMING TIE RAILROADS.
IVES TERv FARMERS AsCRTBE TIE HARD
TIMES TO Hf8B FREIGH7S.

Gctaena Bius Over the Low Rstee 81 0satn
snd bseisrias ,hat ihe Ronds Mast toSue
Dawn Correspoadinxiy with Tacir Rates.
CHICAGO Dec l7.--Fifteen cent corn and
forty and nifty cent wheat are making some OF
the farmers Of the West and Northwest almost
desperate. Many Of thom are holding their
crops, determined that they will not soil while
prices remain as they are. and much strin,.ency
has been caused In small towns by tho fact that
tho farmers arc purchasing nothing. II the
crop this yeur had not boon enormously largo.
tho farmer would havo had much more serious
problem to face. In tho case Of thousands Of
farmers matters are not by any means as bad
~ they appear. They have raised two bushels
this year ut about the cost Of ono. and though
prices are very low, the prompt sale Of stocks
on hand would not bankrupt anybody.
In Minnesota AMI Dakota this fall tho dis
satisfaction with tho prices paid tor wheat WIS
so groat that many farmers decided. on the spur
OF tho moment. to diminish their acreage next
spring. but II Is now believed that this idea has
been generally abandoned. diversified crops
aro becoming more aud more popular, but
wheat must remain tho staple in that section.
Last year the Minneapolis mills. which pur-
chase the great bulk Of tho Minnesota and Dn-
ko,a crop. paid moro money for their wheat
than they ought to have done. and tho result
WAS that they sold a great deal Of II In the form
W HOuT ~ " lOSN luU year mo fnlllS ugcluDl
not TO be caught in any such trap again. and
fixed tie price to DO paid In Minneapolis at So
and 81 cents o bushel. This meant from 40
cents up Tor tho farmer. depending upon tho
distance his grain had to be hauled. While
most of the farmers have disposed OF their
wheat at these prices. the time they have had
to reflect on tho situation has given them
chance to get very bitter toward the railroads.
and there has been for some weeks n quiet de-
mand that reight ratios shall come down..
Everything; that the settler wants to buy is high
and everything that he has 70 sol IL low or not
IN aoana &c any price In n ra.'roads now
freight that they received when the farmer wns
getting 81 u tushcl for his wheat. All the roads
penetrating the Northwest are cheaply operated.
leased lines they would BE- able topay diyiiends
on II fair valuation even IL they did business at
a over rate. knowledge of this fact of which
there has been much complaint in the cities for
such season e, ~ tha would develop Y iarmSrs'
movement by the sido Of which the granger up
rising would sink into insisnihcance. Tho
people of Dakota are reluctant to think Ill Of
the railroads.; They have strivon hard to OBJ
tain them and want them very much But tho
on is tho present source Of complaint among
tho more intel scnt and independent farmers.
ia selling in places. at from twelve to eighteen
cents bnshei. and wheat does not bring more
'F or TSe m IN ,hs s,nes
vehemently assert that corn cannot Le raised
ut u profit Tor less than twenty-five cents a
bushel, and that wheat is n losing crop unless
IL yields IS cents a bushel. Iowa is gridironed
with railroads, the Chicago trunk limos span
ming its broad surface at intervals OF a few
mos from river to river IT there IL any virtue
IN competition It ought to be felt there. for
enough apparently to make business lively Tor
gil concerned. In spite. OF this. however the
Low" farmers Gonriqhin that It costs
thcmselycs miserable by .rsheetins how
fair prices II freights TO Chicago were less
r rH The lowa grieyanco IS very much
who can got only Is or Is cents for their corn.
cannot understand why 1t is that tho railroads
hopa h ar them so mnc MN for o, fTsgh
make shipments to Chicago, where the price
may he twice as much This week In Chicag?
yet out in Nebraska they are burning it for
fuel by tho wagon load. shipments being out
Nebraska is probably the most thoroughly
aroused OF all the Western States on the sub
With tbs Union Pacillc has not been plcasant'
aud the fact that II lies entirely west Of the
has rva% the sosa ] Of ,Fqs
beauties Of tho pooling system. Feeling there
runs run very high and IS some Legislation affecting
been an anii.monep9,y Marty in the State for Tor
several ys,r 81 aqa this fa 4 cut fs2d ;eal q
nnisrsi and Their heiplsssnsss, FOR for the the
in thSir slate slate" at all ali throssh Sebr IRA ska
the p-ope sincerely believe that there is no
overprodncton. but that tho trouble lies en-
tireiy with the railroads. which, it is asserted
are managed in tho interest of the grain gam
blors Of this city. and whose officers it is
tive Vennro here. Some tSuadtoH for this
| report is found in the circumstances attending
the recent corn corner when. under the Inanp-
ulation Of II powerful clique and the lightness
Of the daily receipts corn was bid un 70 81 a
bushei. II Is related that thousands Of farmers
unInrtunk to chin their old n kat
during that corner but wero invariably in
formed that cars could not be furnished. When
chartered trains from other roads. and ran
them out for corn. which they found in album
Hood the market to break prices whenever they
see ut. and. IN short; that tho TRANSFORMATION
mate way for the accom- m odation OF the bust
ness public are continually playing into the
Farmers in Kansas and Nebraska point to the
is not overproduction. but monopoly combina-
drug on their hands. They show that wheat is
selling in various parts Of the Union without
bnsheI, and yHt in Kansas they havo been ablo
to obtain buO 30 Or 40 conts for 1t IN many
snfss Corn or h ss nrS N a. 81
Is cents. and III some e,ses it has been offered
in vain at H. The d No. between these
by the railroads, and there is n general demand
that the tariff BIO lowered 50 as 70 make tho
with the producer.
Whenever tho question has been brought
home to any railway official Of prominence. he
has asserted that the freight rates make no
difference with the price of wheat or corn on
the farms. IL il held that the roads all have
certain fixed charges. but that the price of
grain is not affected thereby: II n reduction
OF four cents per bushel should be mado to-
morrow in tho transportat Ion charges" says q
be- tsneited. Tie haetaatisn Of the market Ees
would balance this instantly and the price Of
grain would simply go down, 80 rs to yield tho
farmer no more for his product. Tho freight
rate remains tho same whether wheat is selling
at 81. 10 cents. or 50 cents per bushel." The
farmers place no dependence upon this allega-
ton. and point only to tho prices prevailing In
Chicago and Eastern markets and the vigorous
export demand.
In the counties In Nebraska where corn Is
being used Tor fuel soft coal la worth about IS
cents a busheL Corn commands IL or Is cents
| n bushel. While one bushel of corn Will not
make rs much heat As one bushel Of coal, two
bushels Of corn will mako moro heat than one
bushsl OF coal. and, everything taken into con
sileration, IL is deomed cheaper for the farmer
to burn his corn rather than so to the expense