Yerington times. [volume] (Yerington, Nev.) 1907-1932, 1911-09-23
REASONING
4 IN A CIRCLE


yr;end, when you ought to cut acros
lots
Thus did ST Hawkins, plain, untu
tored but hard headed former puncturt
M labored philosophy of high broweC
exponent OF domestic economies, who
had lust climaxed an address to gath
ring of farmers with the statement
nthat the cause of high prices and the
hiph cost of living is freight rates and
he cure is a reduction in rates. "
III am only plain farmer, contin-
ned Hawkins, but |, too, have given the
hieh cost of living some thought; not
However, in rocking chair in richly
furnished study, but in a lumber wagon
~ to the hubs in mud, and while walk
mo between the handles of a pillow.
That is the college in which matricu
lated and learned and learned what
know of economies.
Before this. | too. had formed some
opinions from garnished sophistry which
found in books and speeches BY theo-
lists and Office seeking politicians, but
ii was hauling half load of hogs to
market the other day over road knee
aeep in mud that made me realize there
we're other things than freight rates in
yolved in the high cost of living. had
case of eggs at my feet on one side
aud tub of butter on the other, both
Bringing such good prices that mother
bless her dear heart, she looks better
h calico than other women in silks
cautioned me against reckless driving.
I'll "A new idea came to me. II was that
by giving the consumer the benefit OF
fhe waste that attaches to existing meth
ods and conditions, we could, by this
alone. greatly reduce the cost of living.
That set me to figuring. 1t took me
a whole day with a team and wagon to
haul 1900 pounds OF hogs the ten miles
bad to go. At the rate Of s3 50 per day
for team and driver, easily ascertained
that the wagon haul, without allowing
anything for repairs or keeping of my
Self aud team, was costing 10 cents a ton
per mile Great Heavens That was
over sixtv-one times more than the av-
erage charge ton per mile by the rail
roads. as shown by the reports of the
Interstate Commerce Commission. and T
yet everybody seeking to reduce the
high cost of living was bitterly inveigh- /.
ing against railroad rates and blindlv t
behind blind leaders to that .
end. When roads were not muddy F
hauled $500 pounds to a load. and vet
that was % cents a ton per mile. or over +
more than thirty seven times more than .
the average charge by the railroads /
The reports of the Interstate Commerce .
Commission showed that the average
cost by railroad was three fourths of one /
per cent a ton per mile +
I'm a pamphlet, issued by the De /
partment of Agriculture, / read that the .
farmers OF several States, particularly /
the farmers of PENNSYLVANIA, by the con-
struction of good roads had doubled .
their wagon-loads and thereby decreased .
the cost of wagon transportation 50 per /
cent That meant OH poor roads a saw
Ing . cents a ton per mile, and on the .
dry roads basis a saving of II cents a ton .
pei mile
When | realized that this enormous
waste applied to all the great farm crops .
OF this great country-for every pound (
or ton of surplus farm produce must be .
moved by wagon to the cars or elevators .
at the railway stations--I was staggered,
hrst at the enormous waste, and second, /
at the stupidity OF so-called enonomic /
1t cost me -. so to haul .
$500 pounds, whereas with good roads +
could haul 5000 pounds at the same cost, I
showing very clearly to me that OF that /
wagon haul had a clean waste and loss /
OF Is per cent, The average amount /
would have to pay the railroad for haul I
ing the same load the same distance is /
less than 8 cents. In other words, for /
what it cost me s.. 50, the railroads do it
for less than cents, and the average /
amount the railroad charges me is actu-
ally less than per cent of the amount
that is wasted in the wagon-haul.
Il got 8 Is cents pound for my hogs |
that day, Is cents for the butter and Is
cents dozen for the eggs. When !
computed the cost of wagon-haul on my |
hogs and ascertained that it was ? is
cents a pound, and when, just before
going home, stopped at the meat /
market and paid the butcher 81 cents
Tor two pounds of the pork, which, but
few hours before had sold him for
10 % cents, easily concluded that the
primary cause in respect to the high
cost OF living was clearly one OF great