Deming graphic. (Deming, N.M.) 1903-1948, 1913-05-27

The two biggest factors in Ameri-
cas- growth have been agriculture
aud transportation. These have laid
the foundation which has made this
the greatest and most powerful ma
ton of the world.
The Government cannot abandon
its regulation over the railroads.
Such a course would be unwise, but
now that their regulation is in the
hands of the Government, a policy
should be adopted that will offer
fair return to the railroads and the
facilities which they must furnish to
properly take care Of the freight and
passenger business which they are
charged with handling.
Let us look at the relations of the
Government, agriculture and the rail-
roads from another view point Since
1905, our population has increased
III per cent. The value of the farm
products of 1912 was 81 per cent
more than in 1905, while railroad
construction was 40 per cent less.
During President McKinleys term
and the two following Republican ad-
ministrations the average of new
railroad construction was 5,OOO
miles year, until the last two
wears of President Taft's admins
tration. There are now over 1000
miles of new railroads under con
struciion. On June 30 last, il is of
hcially stated by J. l.. Payne, Comp
troller of Statistics, that there were
10000 miles of new railroad under
construction in the Dominion of Can
ada. This makes our 1000 miles
spread over our vast territory look
insignificant.
The country west of the Mlsslssip-
pi River is rapidly becoming the pro-
ducing territory of our agricultural
products and is more in need Of adj
ditional railroads and suffering
greater from lack of transporta
lion facilities than the country east
nf the river. Ii would require tn,
construction of 1850 miles of ad-
ditional railroad TO furnish the same
TRANSPORTATION facilities ives, of the
river as there are east of II, on tn,
basis of area. That great area o.
rich country cannot grow as II shoulS
GA 1000 miles per annnm of he"l.
built railroads.
Our public men as a rule have no
We, realized what coniron,> us IN tn
way of agricultural development
Their time has been taken up wit
other matters. The production o
farm food supply and its movement
from the farm to the market aud IT
relations to the consumer require tn
same scientific and intelligent con
Sideration as do raw material 10 tn
manufacturer and lis relations to III
consumer in readiusting our presen
tariff schedules.
| believe in the REIMBURSEMENT of tn
tariff but the Importance of the saw
ing that can be made on field prod
nets compared with the saving b
tariff reform is shown by the fol
lowing: If Congress should wipe OF
the entire tariff collected on ever
article that comes into this countr
from every place in the world, on las
wears collections it would onl
amount TO $326,00O,00O, while tn
waste which falls upon the farmer
of the nation means an annual los
of over five times the entire amour
collected by our custom house col
lectors on every article coming int
this country, rs is shown by the foI
lowing figures On products which de
cay in the fields and waste under ou
loose system OF distribution:
100000 carloads of fruit and veg
etables which rot on the ground
from the lack of shipping and
storage facilities and knowledge
of receptive markets. at 1850 a
ear --------------- Foo'"""'""
Loss in corn stalks, rice, flax and
other grain straw, now burned
---- S250,OOO,0O
professor Kennedy. of The
Iowa State College, estimates
the loss on corn stalks in Iowa
alone at s50,0OO,00O.)
Additional amount which the farm
ers should receive if by cooper
alton they knew when and where
10 sell their products to best ad-
vantage ----------Sl, ooO,ooo'Vo