The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1915-01-28
BY Peter Radford

Lecturer National Farmers Union
The recent action of the Inter-
state Commerce Commission in
granting an increase in freight
rates in the eastern classification
Of territory; the application Of
the roads by state and interstate
commissions for an increase in
rates, and the utterances of Pres
ident Wilson on the subject
bring the farmers Of this nation
face to face with the problem Of
an increase in freight rates. It
is the policy of the Farmers
Union to meet the issues affect
ing the welfare of the farmers
squarely and we will do so in
this instance.
The transportation facilities OF
the United States are inadequate
to effectively meet the demands
Of commerce and particularly in
the South and West additional
railway mileage is needed to ac-
cofnmodate the movement Of farm
products. If in the wisdom OF
our Railroad Commissions an in
crease in freight rates is neces-
sary to bring about an improve
ment in our transportation SER
vice, and, an extension Of our
mileage, then an increase should
be granted and the farmer is will
ing to share such proportion Of
the increase as justly belongs to
him, but we have some sugges-
tons to make as to the manner in
which this increase shall be lew
led.
Rates Follow Lines of Least Re-
sistance.
The freight rates Of the nation
have been built up along lines OF
least resistance. The merchant,
the manufacturer, the miner, the
miller, the lumberman and the
cattleman have had their traffic
bureaus thoroughly organized and
in many instances they have pur-
sued the railroad without mercy
and with the power of organized
tonnage they have hammered the
life out Of the rates and with un-
restrained greed they have eaten
the vitals out Of our transporta-
ton system and since we have
had railroad commissions, these
interests, with skill and cunning,
are represented at every hearing
in which their business is in
volved.
The farmer is seldom repre-
scented at rate hearings as his or
PLANTATIONS have never had the
finances to employ counsel to de-
velop his side of the case and as
a result, the products Of the plow
bear an unequal burden OF the
freight expense.
What is Fair Rate?
We do not know what consti-
tutes a basis for rate making and
have never heard of anyone who
did claim to know much about
# but if the prosperity of the
farm is a factor to be considered
and the railroad commission con-
cludes that an increase in rates
IS necessary, we would prefer
that it come to US through ar
ticles of consumption on their
tourney from the factory to the
farm We would, for example,
prefer that the rate on hogs re-
main as at present and the rate
on meat bear the increase, for any
farmer can then avoid the burden
bv raising his own meat, and a
farmer who will not try to raise
his own meat ought to be penal
ized We think the rate on coal
and brick can much better bear
an increase than the rate on cot
TON and flour. We would prefer
that the rate On plows remain the
same, and machinery, pianos and
euch articles as the poorer farm
er cannot hope to possess bear
the burden of increase.
The increase in rates should be
so arranged that the farmer who
lives at home will bear no part
Of the burden, but let the FARM
er who boards in other states and
countries and who feeds his stock
in foreign lands, pay the price OF
his folly.