Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1917-08-24
BY BALLARD DUNN.


vacation trip through Yellowstone
Park. OF course that fact is of interest
only to me. but what | saw there of
interest to everyone in the middle
west. l saw there proof that the far
mer 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 wonderous
playground this summer. They were
I there by the thousand.
Some went through the Park, with
the regular tourist parties, some stop
ped at the big hotels. some stopped at
the camp headquarters, and many of
them toured the Park in their own
automobiles. The farmers and the
schoolteachers owned" Yellowstone
this season; and the prophecy is the
farmers Without number the school
mans next season. Happy day.
I talked to many of them and it
gave me genuine thrill to realize at
last that, the man with the hoe" had
come into his own.
We can all remember the day whsn
he was the national drudge, bringing
prosperity to others, but never getting
glimpse of it himself
After I got back, with the memory
of these farmers fresh in my mind
farmers from Nebraska. from Kansas;
farmers from Iowa, farmers from
Montana, from Wyoming and Utah and
Idaho; I looked up the figures to find
the cause of it all.
The Statistical Abstract, prepared by
the United States Department of Agri-
culture gives these eloquent figures.
In 1910 the average farm value of
wheat was SS.S cents per bushel, in 1916
the average farm value of wheat was
s1.60 per busheL In the same period
corn increased from 4S cents to SS9
cents; oats increased from 344 to 524;
barley increased from SIS to $50; rye
from 71.5 to s1.22; buckwheat from 66
cents to s1.13; potatoes from 55.7 to
s1.46. This means an average increase
in price, on the farm, for these seven |
leading agricultural products of S2.2 |
per cent.
Being interested, of coure, in an an
alysis of these prices from the stand 3
point of the railroads, also investigat-
ed to learn their meaning in the terms
of freight rates and passenger rates.
In 1910 the average freight rate for
all commodities on the railroads of the
United States was 1853 mills per ton
per mile. The average passenger rate
that year was 1.sS cents per passenger
mile.
In 1916-the average freight rate was
7.O7 mills per ton mile and the average
rate 1.9S cents per passenger
per mile.
Based upon these rates the farmer
in 1910 could buy 6S ton miles of
freight with one bushel of corn and 25
passenger miles; a bushel of wheat
would buy III ton miles of freight and
IS passenger miles; a bushel of pota-
toes would buy IA ton miles of freight
and 2S passenger miles.
In 1916-at the higher prices-corn
would buy 126 ton miles and 40 pas
;enger miles; wheat. 227 ton miles and
30 passenger miles. and potatoes, 207 ;
on miles and "a passenger miles.
In other words those three farm pro- {
iucts have increased in purchasing ]
1alue from 80 to $50 per cent. $
The purchasing power of the rail-
'oads has been very markedly cut ,
While their expenses have mounted $
Without any corresponding increase In I
ates. I
The patriotic cooperation of the 3
armers is urgently needed in these {
var days to enable the railroads to, f
get by" d
The farmers I talked to in Yellow
tone Park, enjoying the fruits of the +
purchasing power of their Fl
arm products, understand this need
the railroads. They are making b
nough profit these days to enable A
hem to breathe and when the farmer c
an breathe rest assured that he can z
nderstand the other fellows view S
oint. o
il