Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1914-10-15

more important, the rates charged are
the lowest and the service rendered
admittedly the best in the World. In
this connection, a statement contained
in the last annual report Of the great
Deutsche Bank Of Berlin which has &
paid up capital and reserve fund o.
SIS, 100000 is interesting; "Americar
railroads need higher freight rates
Their present rates are the lowest in
the World representing, for instance
but fraction of the English railway
rates-and this in the face of the fact
that wages in the United States, on the
average are fully twice as high as in
Europe" Certainly this view of the
privately owned lines of the United
States, coming from Germany which
has the most successful state owned
transportation system in the World is
worthy of grave consideration.
Letting Well Enough Alone.
In view Of these facts, the average
citizen may well ask himself whether
| it is not best to let we'll enough alone
rather than invite other ills we know
not of whether it is not wiser to cure
such defects as may cucumber the
present system rather than run the
danger Of plunging this mighty indus
try into the whirlpool of party politics
for all time with It's attendant oppor-
tunity for evil of which the past af
fords such rich variety of experience.
The United States is still a young
Country and in many sections only
partially developed. Many new lines
and extensions are needed here and
there to give a wider opportunity to
expanding Agriculture and Commerce
and nothing could be more unfortunate
or disastrous than that these favors
could henceforth be obtained only by
leave, of the dominant political fac
tions which will reign at the National
capital in the years to come. Political
parties are intensely human institu-
tions and the average cautious citizen
will prefer to leave the railroad expan-
sion of the future to the economic law
of supply and demand of communities
rather than to place such a temptation
for power in the hands of those who
rise and fall in the field of politics.
Furthermore, should the time ever
come when the Government takes over
the railroads it means that the people
will have to forego the millions of tax
es which they now pay. Many other
things could be said upon this phase
of the question, but space forbids. Fol-
sometime, the Government through the
Interstate Commerce Commission has
been engaged in making a physical
valuation Of all our railroads as mat
ter of guidance for future rate adjust
ments. Again, we repeat, since the
people absolutely control and regulate
the railroads, is that not enoughP VIII
| it not be better to let well enough
alone--to cling to that which is good
and eliminate that which is bad from
this time forwardp
Increased Cost Of Operation.
1 f
We now.wish to refer briefly to an
other phase of the problem For {
number of years the cry of the ''higf
cost of living" has been everywhere
abroad in the land. Time was, not 81
many years ago, when the farmer solo
his corn at 25c per bushel. Now i
brings from 50c to 75c. So, too, h
sold hogs at Sc per pound, which nov
readily bring from 7c to 10c-whil,
"a good steer calf, which used to bring
| from $40 to $l2 now sells for from 81
to $25. Nobody who knows anything
about present land values or the far
mer's cost Of production will conten,
that hes is aot entitled to these in
creased prices. AS a matter Of fact
unless heis an exceedingly good man
ager and utilizes the best Of moder
Agricultural thought he is by n
means getting rich at present prices
high as they may seem to the peopl
lin the cities who do not understan
the cost attached to present day farm
ling. To 90 back to the old prices b
: used to receive would bankrupt, in
r little while, every farmer in the Coun
! try = and the tendency of the futur
9 will be for the prices Of farm product
I to go still higher rather than lowe
d Agriculture is the Nations creates
8 fundamental industry and society mus
4 make the farm game sufficiently pre-
3 fitable to justify the man who is on th
: farm today and the farmer boys Of th
Q future to stay by the plow. Much hs
t been said recently about the fact thu
: the farmer does not receive enough K
: what he produces that there is tc
n big waste in the channels throug
. which his products pass before the
|: reach the consumer and that he hi
8 some cause for complaint in this RI
n spect is undoubtedly true. Howeve
y the railroads can face such an inquir