The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1915-01-29
RATE INCREASE
is NECESSARY
FARMERS UNION OFFICIALS
THINK RAILROADS ARE EN-
TITLED TO MORE REVENUE.
Products Of Plow and Farmer Who
Lives at Home Should Be
Exempt From Increase.
BY Peter Radford.

BY Peter Radtord.
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-
lion 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
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 ef-
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. II 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-
| BlOu Ol our UllCdSO, tACA oA AhSASSfSN
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
lied tonnage they have hammered the
life out of the rates and with unre-
strained greed they have eaten the
yitaN 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
e at rate hearings, as his organizations
q have never had the finances to EN-
ploy counsel to develop his side OF
the case and, as result, the products
Il of the plow bear an unequal burden
of the freight expense. A glance a
the freight tariffs abundantly proves
} this assertion. Cotton, the leading
o AGRICULTURAL product of the South, al
70 ready bears the highest freight rate o
! any necessary commodity in com
= merce, and the rate on agriculture
y products as a whole is out OF pre-
er portion with that of the products
le the factory and the mine.
We offer no schedule Of rates, bu
hope the commission will be able t
% give the railroad such an increase l.
rates as is necessary without leyyin
a further toll upon the products c
the plow. The instance seems to prt
~ sent an opportunity to the. Railroa
e. Commissions to equaliZe the rates a
a between agricultural and other classe
n of freight without disturbing the rate
on staple farm products.
rt What Is a Fair Rate?
% We do not know what constitutes
rt basis for rate making and have new
I'D heard of anyone who did claim
n know much about it, but If the pro
- perity of the farm is factor to 4
considered and the railroad commi
~ sion concludes that an increase
of rates is necessary, we would pref
that it come to us through articles
consumption on their journey fro
the factory to the farm. We woul
q for example, prefer that the rate
as nogs remain as at present and Il
Ia rate on meat bear the increase, I
any farmer can then avoid the burd'
by raising his own meat, and far
er who will not try to raise his oy
ioi meat ought to be penalized. '
aY, think the rate on coal and brick c.
ice much better bear an increase tn
me the rate on cotton and -four.
nd would prefer that the rate on plo'
remain the same, and machinel
at pianos and such articles as the po
ian er farmer cannot hope to possess be
ind the burden of increase.
n The increase in rates should be
arranged that the farmer who liN
at home will bear no part of the b
asst den. but let the farmer who boal
in other states and countries o
who feeds his stock in foreign Ian
afC pay the price of his folly.
ices