The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1917-08-27
ABOUT WEALTHY FARMERS.
(By Ballard Dunn {.

/ have just returned from a hur-r
ried vacation trip through Yellow
stone park. OF course that fact Is of
interest only to me, but what ! saw
there is of interest to everyone In
the middle west. l saw there proof
that the farmer has at last reached
the mills of the gods, wherein he can
stand alone.
The farmer and the famer's wife
and the farmers sons and daughters
were visitors at the nations Won
drous playground this summer. They
were there by the thousand.
Some went through the park with
the regular tourist parties, some
stopped 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 schoolma ms next sea-
son. Happy day!
talked to many of them and it
gave me a genuine thrill to realize
at last that "the man with the hoe"
had come into his own.
We can all remember the day
when he was a national drudge,
bringing prosperity to others, but
never getting glimpse of 1t him
self.
After / got back, with the memory
of these farmers fresh in my mind
farmers from Nebraska, from Kan
sas, farmers from Iowa, farmers from
Montana, from Wyoming and Utah
and Idaho, looked up the figures to
find the cause of it all.
The Statistical Abstract, prepared
by the United States department Of
agriculture, gives these eloquent fig
ures:
In 1910 the average farm value of
wheat was 1873 cents per bushel, in
1916 the average farm value of
wheat was $1.6O per bushel. In the
same period corn increased from 4S
cents to 1919 cents; oats increased
from 34.4 to 52.4; barley increased
from 57.S to 1872; rye from Ills to
1922; buckwheat from sc cents to
$1.13; potatoes from 55.7 to $1.46.
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, also in
vestigated to learn their meaning in
the terms of freight rates and pas
senger 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 pas
senger rate that year was 1913 cents
per passenger mile.
In 1916 the average freight rate
was 7.07 mills per ton mile and the
average passenger rate 1893 cents
per passenger per mile.
Based upon these rates the farmer
in 1910 could buy So ton-miles of
freight with one bushel Of corn and
25 passenger miles; bushel of
wheat would buy lit ton-miles of
freight and As passenger miles; a
bushel of potatoes would buy IA ton
miles of freight transportation and
20 passenger miles.
In 1915, at the higher prices, corn
owuId buyf126 ton-miles and As pas
senger miles; wheat, 227 ton-miles
and 80 passenger miles, and potatoes,
2O7 ton-mfles and IA passenger
miles. 100
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 l talked to in Vel
lowstone park, enjoying the fruits
of the increased purchasing power of
their farm products, understand this
need of the railroads. They are max
ing enough profits these days to ena-
BILE them to breathe and when the
farmer can breathe rest assured that
he can understand the other fellows