The Natchitoches enterprise. (Natchitoches, La.) 1888-1965, 1915-01-14
RATE INCREASE
I NECESSARY
FARMERS UNION OFF,
GALS THINK RAILROADS
ARE ENTITLED TO
MORE REVENUE.
Products of Plow and Farmer
Who Lives at Home Should
Be Exempt From In
crease.
BY Peter Radford
Lecturer National Farmers Union

The recent action of the Inter-
state Commerce Commission in
granting an increase. in freight
rates in the eastern classification
of territory; the application Of
the roads by stat and interstate
commissions for an increase IN
rates, and the utterances Of Pres
ident Wilson on the subject
bring the farmers of this nation
face to face with the problem CT
an increase in freight rates. 1t
is the policy of the Farmers
Union to meet the issues affect
ing the welfare of the farmers
squarely and we will do so in
this instance.
The transportation facilities Of
the United States are inadequate.
to effectively meet the demands
of commerce and particularly in
the South and West additional
railway mileage is needed to ac-
coinmodate the movements of farm
products. If in the wisdom OF
our Railroad Commissions an in
crease in freight rates is neces-
sary 10 bring aboSt an improve
ment in our transportation SER
vice, and an extension OF our
mileage, then an increase should
be granted and the farmer is will
ing to share such proportion Of
the increase as Justly belongs to
him, but we have some suggeS-
tions to make as to the manner in
which this increase shall be lew
led.
Rates Follow Lines of Least Re-
sistance.
The freight rates of the nation
have been built up along lines OF
least resistance. The merchant,
the manufacturer, the, miner, the
u.s. Is ! -
49, IL -. -.
herman have rad tfEess traffic
Bureaus thoroughly organized and
in many instances they have pur-
sued the railroad without mercy
and with the power of organized
tonnage they have hammered the
life out of the rates and with url-
restrained greed they have eaten
the yitals out of our transporta-
ton system and since we have
had railroad commissions, these
interests, with skill and cunning,
are represented at every hearing
in which their business is in
volved.
The farmer is seldom repre-
sented at rate hearings as his or
panizations have never had the
finances to employ counsel to de-
velop his side of the case and as
a result, the products Of the plow
bear an unequal burden OF the
freight expense.
What is Fair Rate2
We do not know what consti'
tutes a basis for rate making and
have never heard of anyone who
did claim to know much about
it, but if the prosperity OF thu
farm is a factor to be considered
and the railroad commission con
cludes that an increase in rate:
IS necessary, we would prefe'
that it come to US through ar
ticies Of consumption on theil
Journey from the factory to th'
farm. We would, for example
prefer that the rate on hogs re
main as at present and the rat'
on meat bear the increase, for AM
farmer can then avoid the burdei
by raising his own meat, and
farmer who will not try TO rais'
his own meat ought to be penal
ized We think the rate on Goa
and brick can much better bea
an increase than the rate on cot
ton and -four. We would prefe
that the rate on plows remain TIL
same. and machinery, pianos an
such articles as the poorer farm
er cannot hope to possess bea
the burden of increase.
The increase in rates should b
so arranged that the farmer VIII
lives at home will bear no par
OF the burden, but let the farm
er who boards in other states an
countries and who feeds his stocl
in foreign lands, pay the price Q
his folly.