The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1914-10-29
HOW THE FARMERS OF TEX.
AS LOOKEDUPON A FULL
CREW BILL.
Why Farmers Cooperative Union De.
feated Full Crew Proposition
in Texas Legislature.

feated a Full Crew Proposition
in Texas Legislature.
The present series Of articles is in
tended as brief campaign of educa.
ton on those matters affecting rail.
roads concerning which the creates,
misunderstanding exists in the public
mind. As has been stated before, the
railroads and the people face each 9th
er in a new relationship today. Not
only do the people say what rates the
railroads shall charge for service-but
the hour is at hand when all new rail-
road securities will be subjected to fed
eral and state surveillance before they
can be offered for sale and just as the
new currency system will make the re-
currence Of panic like the one of 1907
impossible in the future, so question
able methods of railroad financing such
as-occurred under the regime dozen
years ago will be impossible from this
time forward.
While the generalpublic perhaps does
not realize it, there is no more power
full factor for clean business methods
in the country today than the thousands
of big business men in all lines of in
dustrial activity who are demanding
these methods not only because they
are right but as matter of protection
for themselves against those who bring
discredit upon the line. of activity in
which they are engaged
Since the enactment of the .'Full
Crew Bill'' which was touched upon in
last weeks article would compel the
railroads of Missouri to ask for a half
million dollars larger yearly increase in
rates than they will otherwise need,
little further discussion of this PROPOSE
ton may not be out of place., +
Action of Farmers in Texas
In this connection, the action of the
Farmers Cooperative Union Of Texas
which was chiefly instrumental in de-
feating "Full Crew Bill'' in the 33rd
Legislature of that state, should be of
keen interest TO the farmers of Missou-
ri at this time. In the annual conven-
ton of the Union VIII Oh met at San An
tonic in August, 1918, the following
resolution was unanimously adopted:
"We oppose the placing of any and
all unjust burdens upon the railroads
which the shipper must finally pay and
whe endorse the action of President
Peter Radford and all other officers and
of the Texas Farmers Coop
srative Union in opposing the "Full
Crew Bill'' before the 33rd Legislature,
said officers and members in good faith
believing that Unconstitutional operating
expenses of the RI ilroads Of one million
dollars per year, which would have fol-
lowed from the enactment of said law,
would have been thereby transferred
to the shoulders of the producers of the ,
state without materially benefitting the
public" Will the farmers of Missouri
De less wide awake to their best inter-
ests in the forthcoming election when .
hey vote on Proposition No. 9. :
Putting Shoe ON other Foot ,
Surprising proposition were pending 1
% increase the taxes of the farmers of {
Missouri or of the merchants of the ,
state more than half million dollars :
Der year? Would they not emphasize 7
he injustice of the people? Would not t
very farmers organization and Com t
nercial Club in the State denounce it? {
)r suppose an act was pending COM
'elling the farmers and merchants of Z
Missouri to hire extra farm hands and
Jerks they do not need-would they not 8
utterly resent it? And yet this is ex- /
city what the advocates of the "Full
crew Bill'' are seeking to do to the
ailroads. Certainly merely because a
abroad happens to be public service
orporation it has not lost all right to e
square deal. Furthermore, as has e
zen emphasized before, in this in .
lance the welfare of the railroads is q
he welfare of the people-for when 8
he burdens of the railroads become O
eavier than they can bear, the people v
lust choose between paying them more j,
honey or sending them upon the rocks n
confiscation and ruin. is
Aeetini the Issue Sauarely v
But it is not the purpose of. this ar. .
Gle to plead for public sympathy but q
meet the advocates of the "Full u
rev Bill" squarely upon their own I
round and without abuse to show that
al.