The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1911-10-13
: tutored, but hard-headed farmer,

browed exponent of domestic econom
, les, who had just climaxed an address.
to a gathering of farmers with thu
, statement that the cause of higt
, prices and the high cost of living l.
freight rates, and the cure is re
duction in rates"
II am only'a plain farmer" con-
tinued Hawkins, but l, too, have
given the high cost OF living some
thought; not, however. in rocking
chair in a richly furnished study
but in a lumber wagon up to the
hubs in mud, and while walking be-
tween the handles Of pillow. That
is the college in which I matriculated
and learned what know of econom-
les.
Before this, I, too, had formed
some opinions from garnished soph-
istry which I found In books and
speeches by theorists and oface-seek-
ing politicians, but it was hauling
half load of hogs to market the
other day over a road knee-deep in
mud that made me realize there were
other things than freight rates in
volved in the high cost of living. I
had case Of eggs at my feet on one
side and tub Of butter on the other.
both bringing such good prices, that
mother-bless her dear heart, she
looks better in calico than other wo-
men in silks-cautioned me against
reckless driving.
"A new idea came to me. 1t was
that by giving the consumer the bene-
fit Of the waste that attaches to ex-
listing methods and conditions, we
could by this alone greatly reduce
the cost of living.
"That set me figuring. 1t took me
a whole day with team and wagon
to haul 1900 pounds of hogs the ten
miles I had to go. At the rate of
$3.50 per day for team and driver,
l easily ascertained that the wagon
haul without allowing anything for
wear and tear cost me 1-3 cents Il
pound per mile. Great Heavens! that
was 81 times more than the average |
charge ton per mile by the railroads |
as shown by the reports of the Inter-
state Commerce commission, and yet
everybody seeking to reduce the high
cost of living was bitterly inveighing
against railroad rates and blindly
behind blind leaders to that
end When the roads were not mud
dy, hauled $500 pounds to load
and yet was % cents ton per mile,
or over 81 times more than the aver
age charge by the railroads. The re-
ports of the Interstate Commercs
showed that the average
cost by the railroad was y Of one
cent a ton per mile.
"In pamphlet issued by the de-
partment of agriculture, / read that
The farmers of several states, parti-
,ularly the farmers of Pennsylvania,
by the construction of good roads had
doubled their wagon loads and there
~ decreased the cost Of wagon trans
1ortation so per cent. That meant
IN poor roads saving of % cents
,on per mile, and on the dry roads
basis of IA cents ton per mile.
when | realized that this enor-
nous waste applied to all the great /
arm crops of this great country
or every pound or ton of surplus
arm products must be moved by wa
,on to the cars or elevators at the
'ailway station-I was staggered, d
irst at the enormous waste and Sec a
md, at the stupidity of the so-called
economic philosophers. 1t cost me
$3.50 to haul 1900 pounds, whereas
With good roads could haul 5000
POUNDS at the same cost, showing
,ery clearly to me that on that wa I
ION haul had clean waste and loss =
# rs per cent. The average amount 4
would have to pay the railroad for
auling the same load the same dis
ance is less than 6 cents. In other
words, what cost me $3.50, the Z
ailroads do for less than 6 cents, !
nd the average amount the railroad !
harges me is actually less than 3 s
er cent Of the amount that is vast Z
d in the wagon haul. !
81 got 8 1-3 cents pound for my !
ogs that day, % cents for the butter 8
nd 25 cents dozen for the eggs. Z
When / computed the cost of the wa I
on haul on my hogs and ascertain !
d that 1t was 1-3 cents pound, =