The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1891-11-20
THE FARMERS.
second Day of this National Farmers Con-
gress-Congressman Heard's Talk on
Government Ownership of Railroads.
Recommendations of the Congress.

SEDALIA, Mo-, Nov. 12.-The national
farmers congress was late in assem-
bling yesterday morning and it was II
o'clock before Vice-President Smith
let the corncob gavel drop calling the
session to order.
The following resolutions were intro
duced and referred: By John Church,
of Colorado. urging congress to cede
arid lands in the various states to pro-
vide the states with systems of irriga-
ton; by NJ. b. w. Hartman. of Missouri,
urging the extension of the signal and
crop report of the department of agri-
culture; by Tirgie Mackay, of Kansas,
providing that the ear of corn used by
the chairman as a gavel be sent to the
worlds fair for exhibition; by G. w.
Swing, of Colorado, urging a national
system of irrigation ....-
Congressman John T. Heard, of the
Sixth Missouri congressional district,
delivered an address On railway trans
portation. This, he said, was subject
of supreme Importance to the farmer.
One of the solutions of this vexed ques-
ton was to be found in state railway
commissions Missouri had been among
the first of the states to deal with the
question in that way and Missouri's ex-
perience showed that the method had
been a success. Another method of
controlling railway corporations in
the interests of the people was through
a national railway commission.
Some professed, Mr.. Heard said, to
believe the railroads should be placed
under government management. Gov
eminent railroading. he believed, would
be gigantic failure. In the first place
the government would have to buy the
railroads and that would cost $40, 0OO,-
900, 900 That would be an impossibility,
practically. because there was in circu-
lation only $500, 0OO, 600. The purchase
of the railroads would necessitate in
curing debt of gigantic proportions
and he did not believe the farmers or
anyone else wanted to go down into
their pockets any pay any more debts
than they were now paying. Another
great objection to government railway
control was the increase in federal Of
fceholders which it would necessitate.
II. @. Brown, of Georgia, Endorsed
everything that Mr.. Heard had said.
Georgia, he said, had tried state owner
ship of railways. Georgia owned the
Western & Atlantic railway. Under
state control the rates were high, the
service was bad and the deficits were
extraordinary.
Hon. Martin Mohler, secretary of the
Kansas state board of agriculture, read
ho Ind
of High Civilization" He discussed the
question whether high state of civili-
cation tended to increase or decrease
the happiness of mankind. He took
the optimistic view of the question, and
concluded the higher civilization the
greater the happiness of the race.
At the afternoon session the commit
tee on resolutions presented the follow
ing preamble and resolution which
were adopted:
VIII rcas, The government of the United
States has established as cabinet Office
secretaryship of agriculture, which action
we heartily approve; and
Whereas, The Hon. J. NJ. Rusk occupies
that distinguished position in the present
administration. and has been faithful and
cautious and dlligent in consulting the best
Resolved, That he is entitled to and has
the approval and thanks of this, the elev-
enth annual session of the national farmers
congress of the United States in convention
assembled in the city of Sedalia, Mo.
The committee alse submitted its
formal report through its chairman,
Col. Daniel Needham, of Boston, and
it was read by Capt d. S. Pierce, of
Georgia 1t recommended the adoption
of resolutions pledging the organiza-
ton to maintain its non-partisan char
acter: requesting the national congress
to improve the river and harbor
of Savannah, Ga; demanding the
passage of laws distributing equally
upon all classes the burdens of taxa
ton; declaring that the public domain
should be reserved for the settlement
of citizens of the United States to the
exclusion of foreigners declar-
ing that national taxation should
be limited to the wants of
the government economically and
honestly administered; requesting the
secretary of agriculture to increase the
number of representatives in foreign
countries to push the work of introduce
ing American corn as food, believing
that the marked success in that direc-
ton attained already was warrant for
such request, and requesting congress
to appropriate sufficient money to cover
the expense of this increased represen-
tation abroad; demanding the syste-
matte. and thorough improvement by
the federal government of waterways
and harbors of the United States and
the extension of the free de-
livery of mails among the farmers.
The resolutions were considered Sc
riatim and were all adopted with the |
exception of one requesting the federal |
government to aid the states in the irri- |
CATION of arid lands, which the con-
gress struck from the report by a vote |
of A to IFS.
The resolution asking congress to i'm !
prove the harbor at Savannah, Ga, was |
loudly applauded and unanimously !
adopted, as was also that demanding |
the election of the president and vice.
president of the United States senator's
by popular vote.
The committee on finance presented |
a report requesting the various state /
to make appropriations for /
the expenses of the state delegations to |
future congresses of this character in /
order that each state might have full |
and proper representation The report |
was adopted.
Lepers at Large.
VANCOUVER, b. c., Nov. lathe