The Arvada enterprise., 1920-12-23
YEAR OF FARM BUREAU
ACHIEVEMENT
BY A>.Ry n. osalev IN COUNTRY GENTLEMAN

Amazed, Silver went to the Ship
ping Board and found that this was
true. Boats sufficient to carry
1923, O00.000 bushels Of wheat at one
"trip had been idle for four years.
The railroads said they were short
100000 cars. The Farm Bureau
had found tire quarters of them.
The Illinois Agriculture Association
found most of the other $4,000; but
that is another story.
With q governor from q Middle
Western state who had heard Of the
situation and wanted to help, the
Farm Bureau men went to see GER
tain influential railroad officials in
Washington to demand that some
thing be done to change the rates,
put these boats to work hauling
wheat and re.ersc railway cars to
haul other farr. products from Tho
Middle West. The railroaders smil-
ed at the visi.ocs. They said it was
impossible to 60 anything.
"Now look here"-Mr. Silver
quotes himself. do you railway
men know. that the farmer members
1of the American Farm Bureau Fed
Grafton, in a referendum, voted al
\ most unanimously against govern
ment ownership Of railroades? But
i do you think for minute that, if ]
Invent to them with the story Of what
you men have. permitted to be done
lin wartime, they would not reverse
their action in short order! The
farmers right know are with you
Here's a chance for you to do some
thing for them. You either do it OF
the Farm Bureau will tell the farm
en- Of America that You have refus-
ed, and why"
Whsreupon these railway execu.
tives looked upon each other again
but with . different sort Of smile
on their faces. The Farm Bureau
men left.
Two days later, for the first time
in history, the railroads, Of their
own volition, went to the Interstate
Commodore Vanderbilt, over the
that rates be adjusted to the basi-
Of permitting a competi C water
rate. The commission not only die
this but even gave the boats diff
ferential rate, and now the WOODEN
boats are back in commission on the
lakes and, whenever required, are
hauling grain.
How different this is from the
story told some years ago when old
|Commocore Vanderbilt, over the
same question Of competing freight
lines between Chicago and New
York, in reply to rporters, was
quoted as saying, 1.-THE public Is
damned"
Had the full increase in freight
land passenger rates asked by the
railroads been allowed, the total
would have been far greater than
even the $l,5O0,O00,o0o granted
and American farmer would have
shouldered heavier burden than he
now carries Of the advanced cost O
transportation. The American Farm
Bureau Federation, however, appro
priated funds to investigate TIL
claims of the railroads and retained
Clifford Thone, the well known at
toney, to represent 1t at the hearing
before the Interstate Commerce
Commission. Mr.. Thorne was tn
only one who argued that the in
creases asked were excessive. II
rendering its decision the commission
fixed the book value Of the railroad
1t Sl,14O, 100000 less than tn
amount on which the railroad exc
cutives asked that the new rate b.
based. This resulted in big saw
ing to farmers as well As to othe
shippers, for which the federation
so ably represented at the hearing
can fairly claim much credit.
Another outtsanding achievement
was the securing Of credits for farm
ers. Specifically the federation TAX
es credit for pursunding the Feders
Reserve Bonrd to direct banks to nc
.ort warehouse receipts TO
wool or wheat As collateral on loans
Also following it, presentation o
facts. the board deposited 100000,
900 In Middle-W estcrn banks to fin
ance the moving Of the grain crop.
More fundamentally, the federn
ton has made n study Of the Who'll