The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1909-08-19


we should work closely, openly, hon
estly and above board. Each needs
the cooperation of the other, anu the
Farmers Union of Oklahoma or any
other state, combining its work to
social and educational purposes,
might continue indefinitely without
securing the benefits to which its
members are entitled. To secure
such benefits and become a strong
factor and profitable to members of
your organization, a close working
arrangement should be made with the
railroads, which will enable you to
look after and control your products
from the farms to the markets.
Much has been said concerning the
enactment of law to prevent one
railroad company controlling another
through the ownership of its stock.
According to press reports, one of
the plans suggested few days ago
by the Acknowledgement of the Unit
ed States, in addressing the Bar AS
sociation of Kentucky, was to forbid
any corporation owning a majority
of the stock of another engaging in
interstate business This in theory
may sound well, but in practice it
would result to the detriment of the
farmer, as well as to other shippers,
so long as the railroads are managed
in obedience to the existing laws.
Viewed from every standpoint, any
man who fairly investigates the ques-
ton cannot consistently arrive at any
other conclusion than that the farm
ers' and the railroads interests are
best served as the roads are now OPP
Grated, and to interfere with the OPP
Grafton of the large systems of rail-
roads as they are now organized
would hamper them in performing
their duties to the public without ac-
comprising any good results.
To use a home illustration: The
Frisco system ten years ago was less
than one thousand miles, giving poor
service in three states. 1t is today
composed of 20 different railroads,
rendering good service in eleven
states. Anyone giving the matter
serious consideration, without a de-
sire to try out new political theories,
must see the advantage to the public |
of operating all these different rail-
roads under one system, rather than
under Separate arrangements.
To bring this to your everyday
life. When you have load of stock
to ship to market, the first question
you ask in arranging for shipment
is, which is the quickest route?
When you send your family on rail
road journey you ask, by which line
can they travel with the fewest
changes?
To further illustrate what / mean
from the standpoint of a farmers
interest: if shipment of live stock
Or perishable products is delivered to
4 railroad on the Gulf of Mexico or
he Pacific Coast, destined to Chicago,
St. Louis, Kansas City, or other
markets, that shipment is under the
control and responsibility of that rail- ,
'oad from point of shipment to mark ,
IT. 1t can be followed by wire until
t reaches the market and is delivered .
ID tor the commission merchant This
,ould not be done if the shipment
we're transferred three or four times
between the point where it originated
md its destination
The large systems can help the
armers in marketing their products, d.,
)ut to do SO to the best advantage,
must be supported by the farmers :
# the nation in asking that this i'm !.
,ortant instrument of commerce be
lot disturbed in its efficiency to serve
hem best both in transportation and !,
n market aid, and that untried pol
ticaI theori:.s b npi allowed 5. D..
njecte1 into the laws of orr en..liry :
hapg.lE the present System O. ,i,rd-
ing its commerce. :
Another subject, important alike
o the farmer and the railroads, is /:
rood roads. Your president, Mr..
Garrison, has given this matter much
bought and the road laws you now ,
ave are due largely to his efforts. :
Farming is rapidly becoming more of
science. To insure a fair return
lpon the constantly approaching
ralue of land, the amount of crop
Der acre must be increased ami the
.ost of hauling it to the railroad sta
ion reduced. After the farmer has
solved the question of soil treatment
md methods of cultivation, there still
-