South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-09-30
WilsonAUertedLoSS
of Hundred Million
TO Nation S Farmer,

News Times Special .ervicc
NEW YORK, Sept. 29.-"One
hundred million dollars direct loss
and paralysis OF the market is what
the farmers agd fruit growers Of the
United states would have suffered
had net Pres't Wilson averted the
railroad strike" is the statement
made today by Frank G.. Odell. agri-
cultural economist and formerly
agricultural statistician for the state
OF Nebraska. AIT. Odell said;
The certified returns made by
the 226 railroads OF the United
States to the interstate commerce
commission show that for the month
OF April. 1916, their combined net
earnings were seventy-eight million
dollars more than for April, 1915.
The railroads plea of poverty is be-
ing used By the republicans to scare
the farmer into believing that he
would have 10 pay the cost of in
creased freight rates If the eight
hour day should compel the roads
to pay more in wages. The repub-
leans are not calling attention 70
the fact that farmers would have
lost more by one week OF strike
conditions than their alleged in
crease of expense would have cost
the railroads in five years.
Cites an Instance.
Take this single instance" con-
tinued Mr. Odell The Seattle Times
prints this report OF the fruit crop
OF the famous Yakima valley in
Washington:
NORTH YAKIMA, Sept Is.
1t is now practically certain
that the 1916 fruit crop Of the
Yakima valley will be 10000
carloads. 1000 carloads more
than ever before. The total may
even run over that figure. High
prices have encouraged the
growers to pick and ship all of
their fruit and as 1t was ex-
ceptionally clean this year very
little has gone or will go TO
waste.
"A return Of $4,000, 600 for
those 10000 carloads Of fruit
seems now assured as few doubt
apples will average the 90
cents per box necessary to
make this totai.''
"a general railroad strike would
have prevented the. moving of this
crop, with a resultant loss Of at
least fifty per cent, or a total loss Of
three million dollars 10 the Yakima
fruit growers.
This Mr.. Odell continued, SIS in
dicative Of a similar and perhaps
larger loss jim the famous fruit
growing districts OF Wenatchee and
the Okanogan, in Washington: Hood
river. Rogue river and Medford. in
Oregon; the Bitter Root valley, in
Montana: the Lewiston Clarkson
district in southeastern Washington
and Idaho; the big melon crop Of
Colorado and it's equally import
ant apple and peach crop, and the
immense fruit crop Of California.
I'm 1915 the three principal fruit
crops OF Missouri, apples, peaches
and pears. had a farm value of over
$4,000, 900; the same crops in Kan
sas were worth nearly $4,000. 600; in
Iowa $6,SOO.OO0. and in Nebraska
AAttNA - FfFVVVfNVNs AAA0 .NUtH MOA
take into account early small fruits
grapes or melons. A p per cent
loss on these values would have
been small in the case Of a railroad
strike.
The certain losses which would
have fallen on the growers in these
districts alone would have totalled
many millions. The disorganization
of markets which would have fol-
lowed a strike would have been felt
disastrOusly in every item Of this
years farm production.
II wish, said Mr.. Odell. chat the
farmers of the country could realize
ii is Woodrow Wilson who saved
them from this incalculahle loss.
and that Charles Z. Hughes. who as
governor of New York vetoed prac-
tically all appropriations that were
vitality needed for rural interests. is
condemning Pres't Wilson for pre-
venting a nation wide industrial
panic and ruin of the farmers mar
ket."