The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-09-01
COMMUNICATED
(By Ballard DUNN


/ l have just returned from a hurried
| vacation trip through Yellowstone
/ Park. OF course that fact is of inter
est only to me, but what saw there
/ is of interest to everyone in the mid
die west. / saw there proof that the
farmer has at last reached that state,
/ IN the slow grinding of the mills of
the Gods, wherein he can stand alone.
The farmer and the farmers wife.
and the farmers sons and daughters,
were visitors at the nations wondrous
playground this summer. They were
there by the thousands.
Some went through the Park with
the. regular tourist parties, some
stsOpPed at the big hotels, some stop
ped at the camp headquarters, and
many of them toured the Park in
their own automobiles. The farmers
and the school teachers "owned"
Yellowstone this season; and the
prophecy is the farmers will out
number the school mans next sea
son. Happy day.
L talked to many of them and it
gave me genuine thrill to realize at
last that, 1.-THE man with the hoe"
had come into his own
We can all remember the day when
he was the national drudge, bringing
prosperity to others, but never get
ting a glimpse of it himself.
After l got back, with the memory
of those farmers fresh in my mind
farmers from Nebraska, from Kan
sas; farmers from Iowa, farmers from
Montana, from Wyoming and Utah
and Idaho, 1 looked up the figures to
find the cause of it all.
The Statistical Abstract, prepared
by the United States Department of
a q
ures.
In 1910 the average farm value of
wheat was 1873 cents per bushel, in
1916 the average farm value of wheat
was S1-6O per bushel. In the same
period corn increased from AZ cents
10 $3.50 cents; oats increased from
34.4 to 52.4; barley increased from
57-0 to 1872; rye from 71.5 to S122:
buckwheat from Sc cents to $1.13:
potatoes from 55.7 TO STAG. This
means an average increase in price,
on the farm, for these seven leading
agricultural products of 1922 per
cent.
Being interested, of course, in an
analysis of these prices from the
standpoint of the railroads, 1 also in
Yestlgated to learn their meaning in
the terms of freight rates and pas
senger rates.
In 1910 theaverage freight rate
Tor all commodities on the railroads
Of the United States was 7.53 mills
per ton per mile. The average passen-
ger that year was 1-93 cents per pas
senger mile.
In 1916 the average freight rate
was 7-O7 mills per ton mile and the
average passenger rates 1913 cents
per passenger per mile.
RoSod Il
IN 1910 could buy SO ton miles OF
freight with one busheI of corn and 25
passenger miles; a bushel OF wheat
would buy III ton miles of freight
and % passenger miles; a bushel of
potatoes would buy IA ton miles of
freight transportation and twenty
eight passenger miles
In 1916 at the higher prices corn
would buy 126 ton miles and 45 pas
senger miles; wheat 227 ton Tailes
and so passenger miles; and potatoes,
2O7 ton miles and IA passenger miles.
In other words those three farm
products have increased In purchas-
ing value from 80 TO $50 per cent
The purchasing power OF the rail-
roads has been very markedly cut
while their expenses have mounted
without any corresponding increase
IN rates
The patriotic cooperation of the
farmers IS urgently needed In these
war days to enable the railroads to
''get by
The farmers talked to m Yellow
stone Park, enjoying the fruits Of the
increased purchasing power OF their
farm products, understand this need
OF the railroads They are making