The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1915-01-26
RITE INCREASE:
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
Lecture" National Farmers CniG-

Lecture National Farmers Cnia2
The rn.eot action of the Inter-
state Cor merce Commission in
granting an increase in freight
rates in the eastern classification
Of territory; the application Of
the roaC " safe and interstate
1 commissions for an increase in
rates, and the utterances OF Pres
ldent Nll.on on the subject
Drln~ the farmers 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 affect
ING the welfare of the farmers
squarely and we will do so in
this in .rnce.
The an ,ortation 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-
commodate the movement of farm
products. If in the wisdom Of
our Railroad Commissions an in-
crease in freight rates is neces-
sary to bring about 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-
tons to make as to the manner in
which this increase shall be ley4
led.
The freight rates of the nation
have been built up along lint If
least resistance. The merchant.
the manufacturer, the miner, the
miller, the lumberman and the
cattleman have had their 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 un-
restrained greed they have eaten
the vitals 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-
scented at rate hearings as his or
CARNATIONS 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.
We do not know what consti-
tutes a basis for rate making md
have never heard Of anyone Who
did claim to kaow much about
it, but if the prosperity OF
farm is a factor to be COnsia d
and the railroad coinn1is,,- l.
cludes that an increase III IS
is necessary, we would ~ r.
that it come to thTQ-, 4
ticles of consumption on u 4
Journey from the factory ~ 4
farm. We would, for g. 4
prefer that the rate on nos 4
main as at present and z d
on meat bear the increase. Tor n
farmer can then avoid the 4
by Using his own meat. and 3
farmer who will not try to 4
his own meat ought to be penol1
ICED. We think the rate on coli
and brick can much better bear
an increase than the rat" -
ton and -four. We would prefer
that the rate on plows remain the
same, and machinery, pianos and
such articles as the poorer farm
er 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 burden, but let the farm
er who boards in other states and
countries and who feeds his stock
in foreign lands, pay the price Of
his folly.