Cut Bank pioneer press. [volume] (Cut Bank, Mont.) 1909-current, 1915-01-15
RATE INCREASE
NECESSARY
FARMERS UNION OFFICIALS
THINK RAILROADS ARE EN-
TITLED TO MORE REVENUE.
Products Of PIow and Farmer Who
Lives at Home Should Be
Exempt From Increase.
BY Peter Radford.


Lecturer National Farmers Union.
The recent action of the Interstate
Commerce Commission In granting an
Increase in freight rates In the eastern
classification of territory; the applicar
ton of the roads to state and inter-
! state commissions for an increase In
rates, and the ntterances of President
Wilson on the subject bring the farm
ers of this nation face to face with the
problem of an increase in freight
: rates. 1t is the policy Of the Farmers
Union to meet the issues affecting the
welfare of the farmers squarely and
we will do so in this instance.
The transportation facilities of the
United States are inadequate to eff
fectively meet the demands OF com
merce and particularly in the South
-and West additional railway mileage
Is needed to accommodate the move
ment OF farm products. If in the wis
dom of our Railroad Commissions an
increase in freight rates is necessary
to bring about an Improvement in our
Transportation service, and an extern
sion of our mileage, then an increase
BllOulQ DG 6IdntC0y dh0 tAC dAMS -
willing to share such proportion OF
the Increase as justly belongs to him,
but we have some suggestions to make
as to the manner in which this in
crease shall be levied.
Rates Follow Lines Of Least Resist,
. ance.
The freight rates of the nation have
been built up along lines Of least re-
V sistance. The merchant, the manu-
facturer, the miner, the miller, the
fumberman and the cattleman nave
had their traffic bureaus thoroughly
organized and In many instances they
have pursued the railroad without
mercy and with the power Of organ
!. ICED tonnage they have hammered the
life out of the rates and with unre-
q strained greed they have eaten the
vitals out of our transportation system
and since we have had railroad COM
missions, these interests, with skill
and cunning. are represented at every
hearing in which their business is
involved.
The farmer is seldom represented
ut rate hearings, as his organizations
have never had the finances to en-
ploys counsel. to develop his side OF
< the case and, as a result, the products
of the pillow bear an unequal burden
of the freight expense. A glance at
the freight tariffs a~bundantly proves
! this assertion. Cotton, the leading
agricultural product { the South, al
-. - L.-m~ Az soho cf fTaiOhf ratQ nf
any necessary commodity in com
1. merce, and the rate on agricultural
products as a whole is out of pro-
portion with that of the products of
the factory and the mine.
we offer no schedule OF rates. but
hope the commission will be able to
give the railroad such IN increase in
rates as is necessary without levylne
q further toll upon the products OF
the pillow. The instance seems to pre-
sent an opportunity to the Railroad
I, Commissions to equalize the rates as
between agricultural and other classes
of freight without disturbing the rates
on staple farm products.
What Is a Fair Ratea
We do not, know what constitutes
" basis for rate making and have neve
heard of anyone who did claim t
know much about 1t, but II the pros
perity of the farm Is a factor to b.
considered and the railroad commits
sion concludes that an increase !
rates is necessary, we would prefe
that it come to us through articles Q
consumption on their journey fror
the factory to the farm. We woult
Tor example, prefer that the rate o
hogs remain as at present and tn
rate on meat bear the increase, TO
any farmer can then avoid the burde
by raising his own meat, and a farm
ar who will not try to raise his ow
meat ought to be penalized. W
mink the rate on coal and brick ca
much better bear an increase tina
he rate ON so.ton and -four. W
would prefer that the rate on pillow
,emain the same, and machiner
pianos and such articles as he poo
ar farmer cannot hope to possess BET
he burden of increase.
The Increase in rates should be
arranged that the farmer who liv'
1T home will bear 10 part of the bu
len. but let, the farmer who boar,
n other states and countries al
Who feeds his stock in foreign land
Jay the price of his folly.
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