Omaha daily bee., 1906-07-27

OMAHA, July 20--To the. Editor of The
Bee: Referring TO an article in The Bee
OF July 3, headed " Frisco Rates Illegal"
and subsequent communications on the same
subject would say from these II appears
that Senator Willard and the Omaha Grain
exchange are trying to prevent certain rail-
roads from putting into effect a tariff that
would reduce the freight rates on grain
about cents per hundred from all points In
Nebraska south of the Union Pacific. AS
such reduction in freight rates would add
about IN cents per bushel to the value of
wheat, corn and rye and q of cent per
bushel to the value of oats and barley in
the hands of the farmers, why shouldn't,
they have II? To prevent this may be all
right for those railways which. having no
southern outlet, would have all our freight
go to the Atlantic seaboard For the MI
nois Central, which, II it takes our grain
to the gulf needs first haul II 300 or 400
miles in another direction.
But how about those systems the Rur
lington and others which, during twenty
five or thirty years, by pushing lines in
almost every county, have not only been
the most potent factor in changing a raw
prairie into one of the best agricultural
states Of the union, creating commerce in
the wilderness, but have spent millions of
money in developing railroads towards the
gulf, which, for the trans MississIppi
! country Is the shortest and most natural
route TO the markets of the world? Are
not these systems entitled TO more consId-
Grafton at our hands than those systems
which have in recent years merely touched
our borders TO demand a division of tom
mage thus developed? But most OF all.
| now about the farmers of southern Ne
braska who are to reap such large and
immediate benefits? That is, reduction in
the freight rate increases to that extent
| the value of the grain on the farm, and.
/ as II In no wise increases the cost of its
production, adds just that much to the
farmers net profit. As Liverpool fixes the
| price OF our grains, the cost of reaching
tidewater and the worlds markets Is an
! all important factor the greatest OF all
the questions 10 be solved by the people
OF this section Of the west.
For example, owing to the gulf markets,
the report Of the United States secretary OF
agriculture, shows that In 1902 the farmers
of Kansas received a higher price for farm
products than the Nebraska farmers; tina,
the Kansas farmer received ( cents more
per bushel for corn, 5 cents more per
bushel for oats and barley, 9 cents more Der
for wheat and Is cents more per bushel for
potatoes than was paid to the Nebraska
farmer. Based upon figures taken from
the secretary's same report shows that II
the Nebraska farmers had that year re.
ceived the same price for gain as the farm,
! ers of Kansas, II would have increased tho
value Of the Nebraska crop SIS, 7s2. s47. IS. DC
you think that the $4,000. 900 or ka0OOo COX
net profits left In the lands of the Kansa,
farmers for 1909 had no effect upon reaI
estate I'm Kansas City and upon its whole
sale and r. NJ trader No one, l think
doubts Il. II the net profits to the farmer,
| In Nebraska be increased at the rate OF
t6,O0OO00 or 100000 per annum, Il will b,
reflected not only In the price Of Omaha
real estate, in the volume OF its wholesal,
and retail trade, but in every legitimate In
terest OF our city. l believe that Omahs
can and will be made a great commercial
center, but this can never be done by shut
ting adjacent territory out OF other mar
kets but by making the Omaha marke
equal TO or better than those OF its com
peting cities. II the railways can AFFORD I,
carry grain from Chicago 20 the Atlantic
1000 miles, at 10 cents per hundred, can
Mr. HarrimAns system AFFORD to carr,
grain from Grand Island 70 Chicago vi,
Omaha, SO miles for less than % cent
per hundred, especially as % per cent O.
that Is charged for hauling il over l6S mile
OF subsidized road west OF Omaha7
II strikes me that our position should no
be TO demand that rates from the soutl
Platte country be advanced or maintained
but that the rate from ali Nebraska vi,
Omaha should be reduced. AZ an Oman,
booster. what shall I say to the soutl
Platte merchant when he SAys that We ar,