Williams news., 1915-03-18
RATE>|NCREASE
 NECESSARY
FARMERs' UNION OFFICIALS THINK RAILROADS ARE EN-
 TITLED TO MORE REVENUE.
Products of Flow 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 applica- ton of the roads to state and inter- state commissions for an increase in rates, and the utterances of President Wilson on the subject bring the farm CTS 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 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 exten- sion of our mileage, then an increase should be granted, and the farmer is 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- sistance. The merchant, the manu- facturer, the miner, the miller, the lumberman and the cattleman have had their traffic bureaus thoroughly organized and in many instances they have pursued the railroad without mercy and with the power of organ iZed tonnage they have hammered the life out of the rates and with unre- strained greed they have eaten the vitals out of our transportation system and since we have had railroad con- missions, these interests, with skill and cunning, are represented at every hearing in which their business is involved.
 
 at rate hearings, as his organizations have never had the finances to en- ploy counsel to develop his side of the case and, as result, the products of the blow bear an unequal burden of the freight expense. A glance at the freight tariffs abundantly proves this assertion. Cotton, the leading agricultural product the South, al ready bears the highest freight rate of any necessary commodity in con- 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 an increase in rates as is necessary without levying further toll upon the products of the blow. The instance seems to pre- sent an opportunity to the Railroad Commissions to equalize the rates as between agricultural and other classes of freight without disturbing the rates on staple farm products.
 What Is Fair Rate?
 We do not know what constitutes basis for rate making and have never heard of anyone who did claim to know much about it, but if the pros perity of the farm is factor to be considered and the railroad commis- sion concludes that an increase in rates is necessary, we would. prefer that it come to us through articles of consumption on their journey from the factory to the farm. We would for example, prefer that the rate on nogs remain as at present and the rate on meat bear the increase, for any farmer can then gtvoid the burden by raising his own meat, and a farm CT who will not try to raise his own meat ought to be penalized. We think the rate on coal end brick can much better bear ap increase than the rate on cotton and flour. We would prefer that the rate on blows remain the same, and machinery. pianos and such articles as the poor CT farmer 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 bur den, but let the farmer who boards in other states and. countries and who feeds his stock ir foreign lands, pa9 the price of his folly.