The Comrade. (Winnfield, La.) 1890-1914, 1910-09-16
WHO SECURES RATE Benefit?
Does It Help Farmer When Freight
on Cotton to Galveston Is Re'
duced?-Question Discussed.

Every once in awhile there comes
up proposition to change the 1relgnt
rates on various commodities, writes
A. w. Grant in Co.operator. Wnen
the commodity involved is something
that the farmers raise, the farmers
interest Is invoked either to secure
reduction or raise as the case may
be. Like the tariff freight rates are
species of alleged protection. For
instance, higher freight rate on
farm products intended to be SOLD IN
Texas is considered beneficial to
Texas farmers. If the rate on flour
from Kansas were raised a few cents
it would be considered to the advan-
tage of Texas farmers who raise
wheat, because the higher freight
rate will enable Texas millers to
charge more for their flour, and it is
assumed, pay more for Texas
wheat.
On the other hand, reduced
freight of any farm product from
Texas to market is considered to the
advantage of the farmer on the the
DRY that it will mean a higher price
to him for the product.
The purpose of this article Is to
inquire whether the farmer really is
benefited by the protection Of freight
rates. Does 1t help the farmer when
the cotton rate to Galveston is re-
duced or when the rate on flour from
northern mills Is raised?
The farmer should consider this
question carefully because time and
again he is called upon to exercise
his right of petition to the railroad
commission on one or more rates.
The men who ask the farmers for
their petitions have much at stake.
Does the farmer get the benefit those
who ask for his influence say he
will?
The truth of the matter Is that II
the farmer shipped direct to the spin
ner and had to pay his own freight
a reduction in freight rates would
help him. If the farmer milled his
own wheat and sold flour raise on
the flour rates from other states com
ing in would also help him. But sc
far farmers neither mill their OWL
wheat or ship their cotton direct tt
the spinner.
Yet everybody is in favor Of lower
freight rates. Where does the farm
er have a chance to get off?
He has only one, and that is in the
ownership and control Of warehouses
Owning a warehouse which can shil
his products direct to the consumer
without the chance of a middleman'i
handling the product, gives thu
warehouse the benefit of the reduced
or increased freight rate as the cas'
may be. If the farmer Is a stock
holder in the warehouse he gets tn
benefit. In warehouse of which h
, is stakeholder the farmer can holt
his cotton until the price suits hin
, and the warehouse can then ship /
and get lower rate. If the spinne
bought direct from the farmer tn
farmer could ship it himself, bu
spinners don't buy that way. In al
elevator of which. he is a stockhold
er a farmer can hold his wheat unit
the price gets right and then the ele
vator can sell to the miller and rea
the benefit Of the protective freigh
rate to come back later tc the farme
in dividends. Better still 1t would b
if the elevator also controlled a fou
, mill to manufacture the grain it COY
trolled into -four.
So long as middlemen get the1
: hands on the farmers products freigh
: rates can be juggled to reduce, bu
3 it Is gambling against human n;
2 ture and human selfshness to thin
] they will ever be juggled to rails
them. The only remedy Is war
houses and cooperative control {
products until they are ready for shil
! ment,