Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-12-30
Effective Efforts.

Effective Efforts.
"The absolute truth is that VIC are
the only farm organization that has
ever made any effective effort toward
reducing freight rates, said Mr..
Howard, except through resolutions
and the advocating Of lower rates,
through the slow process of legisla-
ton.
I'VE have used the existing agencies
to get the lower rates and we have
advocated practically the same
changes in legislation that have been
advanced by all farm orga nlzations.
But We didn't wait for the slow pro
cess of legislation. We have obtained
results in four different ways
Four Different Ways.
'.Thc first was in the railroad valu-
alton case in which VIC succeeded in
having the claims of the railroads
concerning their valuations OF prop
crty which, Under the law, were USED
as basis OF rate making. reduced
Sl.ToO, 900, 900. or practically 10 per
cent. We contend that these valua-
tons arc still too high and we are
continuing the fight for fair Valua-
tons.
1.-The second result obtained was III
the live stock rate reduction case be-
fore the interstate commerce COM
mission. We succeeded in getting =
20 per cent reduction on long hauts
, where the rate was more lhan oo
cents per hundred.
THE third success was won IN me
grain and hay rate reduction case,
where We worked in co-ope:aticn
with the state railroad and warehouse
commissions Those reductions aver
aged 16 per cent and were eitec1Nc
December 81 and there will De a
! further reduction cf 10 per cent on a y
! , ,,rr;o,,I+,r,l comm oditiaS not included
! in the other reductions.
"Our fourth success was IN belns
able 10 secure conferences with 'Ae
railroad executives, at which we were
able to secure very material ana
; beneficial concessions Of great adNant :
age to the agricultural INDUSTRY. II
j was at these conferences that senator
La Toilette get his wrong impression.
Demanded Rate Cut.
"At the first one Of these confer
ences / personally demanded tnat the
railroads make immediate freight re-
! ductions comparable to their labor
! reductions Of July 1st and subsequent
!, reductions as fast as operating cA-
! penses decreased until the advances
t of August 26, 1920. should be ellnl,
mated The railroad executives stated
that they could nc: do TINS uniess ae .ne
operating costs, particularly labor
costs, should first be reduced, and
that until such time any further re-
duction would mean bankruptcy.
IT told them that we had heard
advocated receiverships for years OF
their destitute widows, dependent
solely upon their dividends. but that
! those widows were no different from
tho widows and ornhans of the farm
ers Of the United Estates who are des-
titute because of a condition for which
high rates are partly responsible.
I'm the second place told them en-
that my farm in Iowa is worth eS,
actly what it will sell for and no
more. that is tho measure of value OF
all prorerty and that 1t is no worse
for a railroad to FQ into bankruptcy
than for a farmer or manufactures
and that really believed that j,
would be good thing for some OF the
| railroads ofsthe country TO be thrown
into a receivership In order to find
cut what their property is really
Made No Threats.
''Without any threat told them
that while we hoped they would grant