The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1920-06-02


my country. Not one man but ulti
mately three million men speaking
as one man.
What has been accomplished II
other states has been wonderful
and beyond the expectations Of tn,
organizers. Kentucky is young t,
the work; but wherever the idea ha,
been planned farmers are enthusias
tic, and county bureaus already or
ganized in Kentucky are doing
things.
Has the Farm Bureau accom-.
plished anything for the farmers OF
Kentucky?"
Yes, friend, it has.
The Farm Bureau Federation is
comparatively new in this state
in Iowa there are more than ITO, 900
members. The Kentucky organiza-
ton, you see, is in its infancy.
But-baby that it is--the Ken
lucky association has already &C
complished what farmers working
without united effort were not able
to achieve in fifteen years of en-
deavor.
Have you heard the history of
the Limestone Act?
Well, lend an ear and hear some
thing of interest to you as a farmer
Every practical argiculturis!
knows the importance of ground
limestone. But the freight rate
that was the rub. OF limestone
there is a plenty right within our
own bo.ders--but to set It to the
farmer. High freight rates made its
use prohibitive to many.
And the railroads? We all know
that the prosperity of the railroads
depends upon the prosperity of the
farmers. But when it comes to put
ting the two ideas together-better
production and lower freight rates
on agricultural limestone-it is
hard sometimes to see the point.
For fifteen years a group of far
seeing men have tried to prevail up
on the State law makers to pass a
Limestone Bill to compel railroads
to haul limestone at a reduced rate.
Kind words and promises.
But it takes money to pay taxes
and cloth the family and pay church
dues and buy a new record for the
talking machine once in a while
and mayhap little gas for the auto
if one is lucky enough to own
such a contrivance.
Kind words and promises.
That is all that ever came from
the law makers.
Two years ago a bill was intro
duced and at that time those inter-
ested found that there were more
than enough votes promised to pass
the bill and make it law. But the
matter was referred to Committee.
1t died there.
Again the Limestone Bill was in
troduced at the recent session at
Frankfort. The Kentucky Farm
Bureau Federation was then meet
ing at Louisville and a committee
was appointed to work for the pass
age of the act. This committee
went Immediately to Frankfort.
The bill passed without opposi-
ton and is now law.
The Limestone Act provides:
Amy and all railroads operating
in and through the State of Ken
lucky, shall not charge for the |
of ground limestone
for agricultural purposes, in car
load lots, minimum weight sixty
thousand pounds per car, from one
Doint in this State to another point
N this State, in excess of thirty
;ents per ton of two thousand
pounds for the first thirty miles or
inder and one half cent per ton for
zach mile in excess of thirty miles,
me road haul: two road haul, not
more than twenty per cent in excess
II rate charged for one road haul;
hree road haul, not more than thir-
y per cent in excess of rate charged
or one road haul"
This is the answer to the ques-
ion, Has the Farm Bureau Fedora
ion done anything for Kentucky
And bear in mind, please. that the ,
york in Kentucky is still in its baby ,
God days. ,
The future? Well, that's up to, !,
he farmers of the State. We can
lake the farm bureau the most
owerful organization in the nation.
There is just one thing TO do, Mr..
'armer. Sign up and boost and 1
ush.