Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-01-07


or disastrous than that these favors
could henceforth be obtained only by
leave OF the dominant political factions
which will reign at the national capital
In the years to come. Political parties
are intensely human institutions and
the average cautious citizen will pre-
fer to leave the railroad expansion oil
the future to the economic law OF sup
ply and demand Of the different COM
munities rather than to place such .
temptation for power In the hands OF
those who rise and fall in the field Of
politics. Furthermore, should tho
time ever come when the government
takes over the railroads. 1t means that
the people will have to forego the
millions of taxes which they now pay
and which help to support the public
schools. public highways and other
public expenses-and that hencefor.h
these millions OF revenue VIII have
to come out Of the pockets of the
people.
Many other things could be said
upon this phase Of the question. but
space forbids. For some time, the
government, thru the Interstate COM
merce commission, has been engaged
in making a physical valuation Of all
our railroads as a matter of guidance
for future rate adjustments. Again. we
repeat. since the people absolutely con-
troll and regulate the railroads, is that
| not enough? Will II not be better to
let we'll enough alone-to cling to that
, which is good and eliminate that which
Is bad in the present system which.
! with all that has been said against 1t.
| furishes the best and cheapest trans
! portation service in the world?
Increased Cost Of Operation.
! We now wish to refer briefly to an
| other phase of the problem. For a num-
Der of years the cry Of the high cost
| of living" has been everywhere abroad
| In the land. Time was. not 30 many
years ago, when the farmer sold his
i corn at 25 cents per bushel. Now II
| brings from so cents to Is cents. So
4 too, he sold hogs at cents per pound
i which now readily bring cents to II
j cents-while good steer calf, which
used to bring from 500 to $12, now
sells from $40 to $25. Nobody who
knows anything about present lant
| values or the farmers cost Of pro.
d duction will contend that he is not en-
! titled to these Increased prices AS {
t matter Of fact. unless ne Ii an ex
ceedingly good manager and utilize
\ the best modern agricultural thought h,
J, is by no means getting rich at presen
l prices-high as they may seem to PEG.
! pie in the cities who do not understand
the cost attached to present day farm
|. ing. To go back to the old prices ht
used to receive would bankrupt, in 8
!. little while, every farmer In the coun-
4 try-and the tendency Of the future
, will be for the prices Of farm products
! to go still higher rather than lower
, Agriculture Is the nations creates
I fundamental industry and society mus
! make the farm game sufficiently profit
, able to justify the man who Is on thu
, farm today and the farmer boys Of thu
: future to stay by tho plow. Much hal
!. been said recently about the fact tina
the farmer does not receive enough TO
what ne .produces-that- there = 30
? big q waste In the channels thr,
: which his products pa0 before the!
reach the consumer. and that he 10
some cause for complaint In this ~
spect 10 undoubtedly true. Howevsa
9 the railroads can face such an In
9 quiry with q clear cousciencs-for q
e, exhaustive investigation conducted b.
v the Lehigh Valley railroad some tim
9 ago shows that tho farmer gets t01
9 cents out OF the average dollars wort
g Of products he sells: the packers. locs
"A shippers, distributors and retailers Sc
q AN cents between them: while Oh
Il railroads receive only cents. or one
Il twentieth q the dollar, for the trans
g. portation services thsy render.
g So, too. tlDsrs has bsen = steady %