The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-06-11
LOCAL MANUFACTURE OF LOCAL
PRODUCTS. THE PIilNsifiI
FOR WHICH THE iNDse
TRIAL SOUTH AtsI
FIGHT.

TRIAL III hsoA
FIGHT.
In 4 recent letter X Ir andre"
Joyners from Greensboro. IN q d's
sion II the freight rate -erinihaI'
n the recent ofrc.al Complain
thereon b. the Chambe~ q Commerce
vas made of the fact 'ha'
whereas ia the past ten years : nun
be- of roller mills had been star'ea -
the city. only n remained Twins
70 the freight determinations N a
vor of the Virginia cities the PTed@Sl
Of this mill. which consumes 9e'Voo
ushels Of wheat a year can oe so
only w.thin a radius y city mh@ -
Greensboro. as beyond that limit -
unfair burden OF rates makes coHpe-
alton impossible with such toms =
Lynchburg, DanvilIe. Richmond =
Norfolk. As a consequence. only zen
PER cert % the product Z Greens.
boro's remaining mill can DC s2'n
abroad.
This Is merely another instance %
The effect Of the freight discTimlha-
lions with which the people IN sNei'
town and city in the state nave oes"
made painfully familiar Only re-
Gently a roller mill in Charlotte, IN
able to do business against the manu-
cap imposed upon il, vas moNei -
Richmond. The fact that these uhlas'
rates not only prevent the estabhsh-
ment, but cause established businesses
g, A-1r+l cora1.f-1 cities TO flONt CboI
where. his been repeatedly demon
strated. The Greensboro SITUATION
calls attention. however, n the mater
of its rolling mill, to another q
ramifcation of the cyl. "ia'
touches the manufactures. touches 'he
farmer: and what touches the FARMER
has its Snfiuence on the life ana pros
perity of every citizen Of the com
uni The sitting Of the mining
industry in Greensboro and othef
cities in the wheat section by the an
fair railroad rates Is a vital DO" 70
the annual result Of the rTeE Ia
Dor.
Consider how the matter works out
with respect to wheat: Greensooro
is one OF a number Of towns thar are
in the midst OF a small but highl!
productive wheat area. Outslde OF
one miil-Which is not grinding one
fourth the wheat rat il might buN
direct from farmers wagons uhdef
fair treatment by TIL Failroads-theTe
ought to be. and would be, under
equitable conditions q dozen such
49, - =. n1a-a Tho 9 m 9
may be said OF Winston-Salem, O.
High Point, of Charlotte and OF nu-
merous other towns in the wheat grow
ing section of Piedmont North caro-
lima. Such an adequate supply OF
mills to product, would do three
things: it would stimulate the pro-
duction of wheat; would bring the
farmers a quick market AID good
prices; would bring to the towns ana
cities rev manufactures with the ad-
vantages of the employment Of labor
and capital. AS it is, the freight rates,
which are probably dfsigned to favor
certain towns and cinies, operate di-
rectly to prevent, III local manufac-
ture of local agricultural products
The direct result of THIS abnormal con-
dition is, of course itself abnormal.
1t restricts production and destroys
mark cts and lowersl prices. Wheat
that should be sold in markets at an
easy haul from the field is necessarily
sent half way acros the continent for
sale at Cincinnati, st. Louis or Chi
cego. AS a result the railroads get
three hauls instead of one. before the
manufactured product is shipped back
for consumption in the mark ct it
should never have left. And in the
end, IS the least of a train CT evils
based on the initial injustice of ia
voritism and Discrimination, the con-
sLmer's pocket feels the fnal tax.
In this phase of the abuse the mat
ter comes back to the vital principle
for which the South must fight, in the
interest of her cotton, her tobacco. her
wheat and her coal and iron: that the
only advantages should be those nat
ural mes of location of supply of raw
material. Whom the victory has been
won for the establishment Of that
principle, the South-as furnishing the
best feld-Will possess and experience
that prepOnderance in manufacturing
to which her climate and
locality entitle her-and which only
the artificial pressure of adverse con
ditions Of transportation prevents,
The factory must come to the field.
That is Natures ultimatum. And i,
is for that end that the fight must be
pushed, ali along the line.
TWO WAYS OF LOOKING AT 1T.