The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1916-10-03
WILSON SAVES
FARMERS VAST
sum OF MONEY
ONE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS
WOULD HAVE BEEN NET LOSS
TO TILLERs OF SOIL, HAD
PRESIDENT ALLOWED A RAIL
ROAD STRIKE - SIGNIFICANT
STATEMENT BY oDELL.

STATEMENT BY oDELL.
New York, Oct. Zone hundred
millions dollars direct loss and paral-
ysis of the market is what the farmers
and fruit growers Of the United States
would have suffered had not President
Wilson averted the railroad strike" Is
the statement made today by Frank G.
odell, Agricultural Economist and for
merly agricultural statistician for the
State of Nebraska. Mr.. 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 we're sew
enty-eight million dollars more than
for April, 1915. The railroads plea OF
poverty is being used by the Republic
ans to scare the farmer into believing
that he would have to pay the cost Of
increased freight rates IL the eight
hour day should compel the roads to
pay more in wages. The Republicans
are not calling attention to the fact
that farmers would have lost more by
one week of strike conditions than
their alleged increase of expense
would have cost the railroads in five
years.
"Take this single instance" contin-
ued Mr.. Odell. The Seattle Times
prints this report of the fruit crop of
the famous Yakima Valley in Wash
ington:
North Yakima, Sept. 1S-lt is
now practically certain that the
1916 fruit crop Of the Yakima Val
ley will be 10000 carloads, 1000
carloads more than ever before.
The total may even run over that
figure. High prices have encour-
aged 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 $6,O0O,O0O for those
10000 carloads of fruit seems now
assured as few doubt apples will
average the 95 cents per box nee
essary to make this total"
"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 to the Yakima fruit
growers.
This" MIR. Odell continued, sis indi-
cative of a similar and perhaps larger
loss In the famous fruit growing dis
tricts of Wenatchee and the OkanO-
gan, 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
Its equally important apple and peach
crop, and the immense fruit crop of
California.
'In 1915 the three principal fruit
crops of Missouri, apples, peaches and
pears, had farm value Of over $751;
100000; the same crops in Kansas
were worth nearly 100000; in Iowa,
$6,S0O0 900. and In Nebraska nearly $4,-
100000. This does not take into ac-
count early small fruits, grapes or
melons. A 25 per cent loss on these
values would have been small In the
case of railroad strike.
"The certain losses which would
have fallen on the growers in these dis
tricts alone would have totalled many
millions. The disorganization of mar
kets which would have followed a
strike would have been felt disastrous
ly in every item Of this years farm pro
duction.
81 WISH" said Mr. Odell, that the
farmers of the country could realize
that II is Woodrow Wilson who saved
them from this incalculable loss, and
that Charles 70. Hughes, who as Gov
ernor of New York vetoes practically
all appropriations that were vitally
needed for rural interests, is condemn
ing President Wilson for preventing a
nationwide Industrial panic and ruin
of the farmers market"
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cHy onHA,AA-Ee ,M EtEl n.