Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1920-09-23
RETURN OF ROADS
'pLEASES FARMERS
Urge Policy to Insure Best Serv-
ice at Lowest Cost Consist
ent With Fair Returns.
OPPOSE NATURALIZATION.
Representative Agricultural orsan'za.
tons and Rural Press State Farm
ers' Attitude Toward Railroads
Want Private Operation.

Private ownership of the railroads
under II policy of government reGula,
lion which will insure the best po>SitNe
service at the lowest cost consistent
with fair returns on money invested In
Them Is favored by representative
farmer organizations throughout the
country. This policy also is supported
generally by arrIcnitural newspapers
which state cIUriatically that the
farmers are opposed not only 10 gov
eminent ownership Of railroads, but
also 10 all naturalization plans,
In Il letter to the members of the
United States Senate 4. {. Atkeson,
Washington representative of the Ma
tional Grange, which is said 10 he the
largest organization of lis hind in the
world. representing more than 1000
600 farm n in the United States,
states that the agricultural interests OF
the country approve of private owner.
ship of the railroads and further de-
clareS that persons purportlng TO speak
for the farmers in support OF govern
ment ownership are neither farmers
nor representatives of any considera-
bile number of farmers.
Favor Private Operation.
""The Grange" says Mr.. Atkeson,
quoting the official action of his or,
gani2ation, approves Of the general
principles OF railroad legislation now
pending in Congress 10 return the rail
roads TO their owners. 10 bring about
the reorganization of the railroad com
panies into strong systems with capt.
taIi2ation based on actual value, and
to create a control commission which
may enforce the superior interest of
the public to that Of any other interest
in the operation of railroads as coln-
mon carriers and effectively protect
the public against exploitation or In,
JUSTICE
Many state and sectional ngricul.
| tirul organizations take a sinilrr
stand. immediately after the National
Grange Expressed It's attitude toward
! the railroad question the American
Farm bureau, meeting in Chicago, vOt'
ed for private operation, and the Ma
tionnI Farmers Congress, in session al
liagrr<toWn, Md. voiced like sent
e II The New York state Fedora
ton Of County Farm bureau organi
zati"ns ana the Indiana Federation oi
Farmers went beyond that and ioinet
The Gran-e IN rr]pudinting the alleged
farmer representatives in Washington
who said they spoke for an over
wheIniug majority Of the farmers"
Urge Reasonable Returns
The railroad policy favored by the
Nrw York State Federation of Count!
Farm bureau ORGANIZATIONS wu- stat,
ed in the following resolution:
"Wh"rraS, There lave been conflict
ing statements published regarding the
attitude of farmers upon the question
of the future ownership of railways;
| therefore Lee II
"I.eSulrrd. That the New Yorh State
Federation Of County Farm Bureau AS
soctatiGuS. representing 10000 mem
herS. in annual session at Syracu Sc. y
! Y, pr",u',rr 10. 1919, hereby ind"rs"s
the nrfi.n If the american Farm Ru
r"au Federation in urging Congress IL
promptly rciurn the railways to tllcir
owner, Ul,i q such conditions rs viii
insure roa>oI able returns on the valu,
Of the property and reasonable rates ot
"rnts,trf.ti,u tbr,IIphDut tLp rnup