St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1915-02-19
RATE INCREASE :
/. NECESSARY
FARMERS UNION OFFICIALS
THINK RAILROADS ARE EN-.
TITLED TO MORE REVENUE.
Products Of Plow and Farmer Who
Lives at Home should Be
h 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-
hon OF the roads TO state and inter-
etate commissions for an increase In
rates. and the utteranoes CT President
Wilson on the subject bring the farm.
srs OF this nation face to face with the
problem OF an increase In freight
rates. II is the policy OF the Farmers
Union TO meet the issues Affecting the
welfare OF the farmers Btuarely and
we will do no in this instance.
The transportation faoil ties Of the
United States are inadequate to ef-
feotlvely meet the demand is OF COM
merce and particularly in the South
and West additional railway mileage
fs needed 10 accommodate the move
ment of farm products. II In the wis
dom of our Railroad Commissions an
Increase In freight rates in necessary
% brine about an improvement In our
transportation service, and an exten.
sion OF our mileage, then I'm Increase
should be granted. and IN, farmer is
willing TO share such proportion OF
Che Increase as Justly belongs TO him.
but we have some suggestions TO mako
As 10 the manner In which this In
crease shall be levied.
Rates Follow Limos OF Leas. Resist
anoe.
The freight ratos Of tho nation have
been built up along lines OF least re-
distance. The merchant. the manu-
facturer. tho miner. tho miller, the
tumberman and tho cattloman have
had their traffic bureaus thoroughly
organized and In many instances they
have pursued tho railroad without
mercy and with the power OF organ
liz,d tonnage they have hammered tho
life out OF tho rates and with unre-
strained greed thoy have eaten tho
Ivitals out OF our transportation system
and since we have had rnilrond com
missions. these interests. with skill
and cunning. arc represented at every
hearing In which their business 10
Involved.
The farmer In seldom represented
At rate hearings. as his organizations
have never had tho finances 90 ON.
pioy counsel 10 develop his side OF
the case and. as a result, the products
of the plow boar an unequal burden
OF the freight expense. A glance at
tho freight tariffs abundantly proves
this assertion. Cotton, the leading
agricultural product of the South, al.
yeady bears the highest freight rate OF
any necessary commodity In com
merce, and the rate on agricultural
products as u whole IN out OF pro-
portion with that Of tho products OF
the factory and the mine.
We ofior no schedule OF rates, but
hope the commission will DO able 10
give the railroad such an Increase In
rates as IL necessary without loyying
b further toll upon tho products Of
the plow. The instance soems TO pre-
cent AN opportunity 10 the Railroad
Commissions to equallze the rates as
between agricultural and other classes
lof freight without disturbing tho rates
Sn staple farm products.
What 10 a Fair RateR
We do not know what constitutes a
pssis for rate making and have never
heard OF anyone who did claim to
know much about II, but II the pros
perity OF the farm IL factor 20 be
considered aud the railroad commits
sion concludes that an increase In
rates Is necessary. We would prefer
that Il come to US through articles OF
consumption on their journey from
the factory 20 tho farm. We would.