The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1915-01-29
RATE INCREASE
NECESSARY
FARMGRs' UNION OFFICIALS
THINK RAILRoAos ARE EN-
TITLED TO MORE REVENUE.
Products 81 P,os and Farmer Whe
Livss q Homo should Os
Exempt Frem Increase.


Il
Commerce Commission In granting IN
increase In freight rates In the eastern
classification Of territory: the spplica,
tion 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 IL 10 the policy Of the Farmers
Union TO meet the issues affecting the
welfare OF the farmers squarely and
We will do 90 In this instance.
The transportation facilities OF the
United States are inadequate to ef-
fecsively meet the demands Of com
merce and particularly In the South
and West additional railway mileage
10 needed to accommodate the move
ment Of farm products. II In the wis
dom OF our Railroad Commissions an
increase In freight rates 10 necessary
to bring about IN improvement In our
transportation service. and an exten-
sion OF our mileage. then an Increase
should be granted. and the farmer II
willing TO share such proportion OF
the Increase as Justly belongs to him.
but We have some suggestions to make
rs TO the manner In which this In
crease shall be levied.
Rates Follow LInss OF Least Rsslst
ancs.
The freight rates Of the nation have
been built up along lines OF least TO
sistance. The merchant. the manu-
facturer. the miner. the miller, the
lumberman and the cattleman have
had their trafic bureaus thoroughly
organized and In many instances they
hHe 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
vitals out OF our transportation system
and since We have had railroad com
missions. these interests. with skill
and cunning. are represented nj every
hearing In which their business IL
involved.
The farmer IL seldom represented
at rate hearings. a. his ORGANIZATIONS
have never had the finances 10 en-
ploy counsel to develop his side OF
the case and. AZ q result. the products
OF the plow bear an unequal burden
OF the freight expense. A glance NJ
the freight tariffs abundantly proves
this assertion Cotton. the leading
agricultural product o the South, al
ready bears the highest freight rate OF
any necessary commodity In com
merce. and the rate on agricultural
products ~ . whole 10 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 win be able to
give the railroad such an Increase In
rates a. 10 nscsssary wittout lsvying
a further toll upon the products OF
the plow. The instance seems to pre-
sent an opportunity TO the Railroad
Commissions to eQualixe the rates a.
between Agricultural and other classes
OF freight without disturbing the rates
on staple farm products.
What 10 . Fair Rsts7
We do not know what constitutes n
basis for rate making and have never
heard OF anyone who did claim TO
Know much about II. but n the pros
perity Of the farm 10 q factor TO be
considered and the railroad commis-
sion concludes that an increase In
rates 10 necessary. We would prefer
that Il come to NJ through articles OF
consumption on their Journey from
the factory TO the farm. We would
for example. prefer that the rate on
nogs remain AZ ~ present and the
rate on meat bear the Increase. for
any farmer can then avoid the burden
By raisiuy hts Own meat sac . fam
er who yin not try to raise his own
meat ought TO be penalised. We
think the rate on coal and brick can
much better bear IN increase than
the rate on cotton and -four. We
would prefer that the rate on piows
remain the same. and machinery.
pianos and such articles 40 the poor
er farmer cannot hope TO possess bear
the burden ~ increase.
The increase ia rates should be 90
arranged that the farmer Who lives
NJ home viii bear no part of the bur.
den. but let the farmer Who bosrds
10 other states and countries and
who feeds bis stock IN foreisn lands.
pay the price Of his folly.