Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-07

| granting of an undue advantage to Western
farmers is not admitted by them. In no
! other section of the country have the rail-
roads been assailed so severely or so many
laws been passed unfavorable to their inter-
ests. The effect of such unfriendly legisla-
tion has been experienced in diminished
| dividends or bankruptcy. Notwithstand-
ing the diminished prices in farm products,
| farmers are spending far more in personal
WAYS than they spent formerly, They
maintain, however, that they are lust as
much entitled to better living as others.
No one, of course, will dispute this posi-
tion, but in inquiring into their present con-
dition this fact must be clearly noted: 1t is
very evident that if ten years ago they were
denying themselves many of the things in
which they indulge to-day, unless an in
come is derived from new sources, or higher
prices are obtained for their products, mar
row margin of saving must be left as the re-
suit of their labors.
''This conclusion may be fortified bv the
fact that tie farms to those who are willing
to economic more, to satisfy fewer wants,
to spend less money in personal ways, find
no difficulty in avoiding debts and making
satisfactory profits. Nevertheless. the
economics of transportation companies have
not been sufficient to cover the reduction in
rates. Accordingly, the profits have fallen
off greatly even of the best managed COM
panles. This inquiry into the division of
the prohts or returns on the various prod
ucts produced by the farmer suggests rem
edy.
A Sliding Scale in Transportation.
The remedy suggested is that the return
to the transportation companies should be
based on the selling price of the products,
varying as the price rose and fell. This is
ba nf ba
selling scale in determining wages to trans
portation. The same principle of adjustment
might even be employed to determine the
prices of agricultural implements, as well
as the remuneration paid for labor. A man
might be employed for given sum per day,
month or year. and in addition thereto
might receive sum determined by the
prices obtained from the results of his labor
at the end of the working period. Since the
work of a transportation company in equal
lzing the advantages of its customers by an
adjustment of rates is so difficult and any
attempt to do so is likely to bring manv
evils NAV it not wisely hesitate to engage
in the task? In view of the evils which
have arisen, should not different method,
like the one suggested, or some other, be
adopted and fairly tried"
1.-THE Eastern farmer should ALWAYS re-
member that far more villages, cities and
other local markets are near to him at which
he can sell his produce, without employing
the transportation companies at all, than
surround the Western farmer The cities
and villages in far Western State are few
compared with those in Pennsylvania Con-
sequently the Western farmer must depend
largely on the Eastern markets, and of
course on transportation companies, for the
transportation and sale of his produce. The
Pennsylvania farmer, to no inconsiderable
extent, remains quite independent of the
transportation companies and of markets
outside the Commonwealth. The cost of
transportation is completely obliterated in
many cases. The effect of this is seen in
the value of lands in many parts of the
State
Congress the Peoples Bulwark.
Mr. Bolles suggests that Congress, as a
safeguard against trusts, withhold the pro-
lection of the tariff on all things produced
by it so long as it existed. 'sNor do we
believe, he adds, 'that this suggestion in
fringes the spirit of our protective system.
Those who best understand it, and have
lived under it the longest, lament sincerely
the existence of these combinations for
they know that the evils arising from them
are imperiling the future of that systerc."
AS to the proposed free coinage of silver,
Mr.. Bolles says that farmers have nothing
to gain by the measure, in his opinion, and
possibly harm, 'unless a general rise in
prices enabled those now in debt tc dis
charge their Indebtedness more easily"