Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1917-08-31

my Ballard Dunn !


have Just returned from q har-
ried vacation trip through Yellow
stone park of course. that fact Il az
interest only to me, but what / saw
there IL OF interest 10 everyone In tho
middle west. saw there proef that
the farmer has At Last reached that
state. In the allow grinding On the
mills OF the Gods. wherein 10 can
stand alone.
The farmer and the farmers wife.
and the farmers sons and daughters
were visitors Al the nations wen-
droas playground thla summer, They
were there BIZ the thousand.
Some went through the park. with
the regular tourist parties. some stop
ped Al the big hotels. some stopped
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 Ii the
farmers will out number the school
teachers next season. Happy day
| talked 10 many Of them aud Il
gave nae q genuine thrill 20 realise
at last that the man with the hoe
had come Into his own.
We can all remember tho day when
he was the national drudge bringing
prosperity 70 others. but never get
ting a glimpse Of II himself,
After got back with the mcmory
of these farmers fresh In my mind
farmers from Nebraska. from Kan
sas: farmers from Iowa. farmers
from Montana. from wyoming am
Utah and Idaho: looked up the fir
urea 10 find the cause ~ II all.
The Statistical Abstract, prepared
BY the United States department III
agriculture. glvea these eloquent fiE
urea;
| In 1910 the average farm value "
wheat was ss.s cents par hunhel, Ii
1919 the average farm value Of Nheai
was st.60 per buahet In tho sans
period corn increased from a. cent
to $50 cents: oats increased from
H asa to k2.a: barley increased frou
SITS 10 sa.2; rye from 7i.S 90 sf.ss
bnckwheat from Ge ccnta 10 si.ia
potatoes from SB.7 to si.Aa, Thi
means an average increase IN prize
on the farm for these aaven leading
agricultural products Of ss,a pc
cent.
Being interested. OF course, In ri
analysis 81 these pricoa from tn
stndpoint Of the railroads. have aial
investigated to learn their meanlnI
IN the terms Of freight rates end pas
senEer rates
In 1910 the average freight rat
for all commodities on The railroad
of the United stataa waa It's mill
per ton per mile. The average pan
Henenr rate that year was lea cent
! per passenger mllA.
In 1919 the average freight RAT
: was 707 mills per ton per mile an
the average passenger rate lbs cent
, per passenger mile.
) Based upon these rates the faFma
: In 1910 could buy B5 lon milaa i
|. freight elth one buHhei 0f corn an
! rs passenger miles; hnahel {
! wheat would buy lit ton milne 1
] freight and IS passenger miles:
buRhei Of potatoes would buy - -
! miles Of freight transportation m
! as passenger mllea.
In Ibis--at the higher prices
corn would buy l2g ton miias an
Is passenger miles: wheat. a27 10
' milae and 30 passenger miles. ~
potatoes. GOT ton miles and II pa
], scnRer miles
4 I'm other words. these three far
j. products have increased in pnreha
/ ing value from so to 100 per cent
The purchasing power Of fha ri
roads hAa been very markedly q
/ while their expenses have mounts
y without any corresponding inereal
In rates.
/. Ths patriotic cooperation Of Il