The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-09-21
How Freight Rates Dis
elimination Affects
Farmers
WHAT THEY ARE UP AGAINST

Mr.. Shuford. member of the State
Board of Agriculture, Says Every
Farmer That Has a Surplus Crop
to Sci. should be Put on An Equality
With the Products of Other Sec
tions. So That the State May Get the
To the Editor: "Freight rates. is
not a term to interest the average
farmer. but to the farmer, it IS a
good deal more important than seed
selection, preparing the soil, etc, for
the North Carolina farmer may work
hard and put his brains and energy
in his crop only to find he is shut out
Of the best markets of his State by
high and discriminating freight rates.
There is no question but that North
Carolina farmers today are forging
ahead in spite of this great handicap,
but as soon as oca markets are sup
piled, his surplus crops have to be
moved to markets where the best
prices are obtained. Is it fair and
just that he should be made to come
in competition with products of the
soil from other sources, taking much
cheaper freight rates han he is able
to get? Can we expect to build "
our State agriculturally as long as this
exists: There is today no greater
drain on the resources of the State
and nnfhjpU that will Tpt3r1 the de-
velopment of her agricultural interest
than this one thing.
Why should not one section Of the
State be allowed to buy the products
of another? Under the presenr
freight rates this cannot be done. j
determines whether one section caI
put its products into another profta-
bly, or not. Moreover, equitable
freight rates would do more than any
one agenc to build up the AgricuI-
tural interests of the State, opening ul
new markets for the products of tht
farm. 'a.
Let us give a few facts and figures
for comparison. If the Catawbs
county farmer has a surplus of a few
barrels Of mOlasseS and desires to shiI
it to Wilmington. he would pay a rate
Of 35 cents per hundred pounds. Ii
the same goods we're shipped from
Iynchburg. Va. the rate would be L
cents per hundred pounds, in otu.i
words, it would cost the Catawba
farmer ) IL cents per gallon to get
his molasses to Wilmington and the
Virginia farmer l 1-5 cents per gal
Ion. If he has a surplus of cor OF
oats to ship to Wilmington. it will cost
him 23.4 cents per hundred pounds;
the Virginia farmer would pay from
Lynchburg II cents per hundred, q
difference in favor of the Virginia
farmer Of 7 cents per bushel. Mileage
from Hickory to Wilmington, 244
miles and from ~Lynchburg to Will
mington. 1913 miles.
h rates on apples, cabbage, po-
tatpes from HendersonNi!le, N. c., to
Washington Al lac. to Elizabeth City
81. to Raleigh 35, to Wilmington
40 1-2c- On apples, cabbage, potatoes
from L%ynchburg to Washington zoe,
to Elizabeth City 20c., to Raleigh 2lc.,
10 Wilmington 15c.
Now lets compare New York State
rates to North Carolina points, al
though the mileage is far greater, we
md that rates are much cheaper,
From Rochester, N. Y, on apples, po-
tatoes and cabbage. any quantity, to
i>aleish, SIC, to Wilmington, 26c., to
t'Izaheth City 26c.. to Washington
SIC. per hundred pounds. How can
me North Carolina farmer that has
cabbage, apples and potatoes to sell
compete with his New York competi-
tor, who is nearly a thousand miles
farther away, but has a better freight
rate.
Now suppose the Eastern North Car
"i'ha trucker has a surplus of potatoes,
Cabbage etc, and wishes to ship it to
western North Carolina, to Waynes-
we. rate would be 39.9. to Asheville
.''4c. but he car ship to L~ynchburg
iof zoe. per hundred pounds.
now nearly every farmer in Eastern