The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1921-12-23

IL Is not as easy to bamboozIe the
farmers as some people imagine.
when the railroads few weeks ago
announced a cut ofS 10 per cent in
freight rates on all farm products and
attempted to substitute IL for the "a
per cent reduction in rates on hay and
grain ordered by the Interstate Com
merge Commission, they thought they
woufo succeed In pulling the wool over
the eyes of "Old Reuben"
But they were mistaken The Iowa
homestead. an agricultural paper which
enters $4,000 farm houses in Iowa in
reviewing the effort of Western farm
ers to secure just freight rates declares:
The history of this latest bit OF
clever tactics on the part of the rail-
roads Is perfect example of the man
ner in which the transportation inter.
ests are able to maintain a strangl.
Hold upon the agricultural industry and
retain for an indefinite time the enor-
nous revenues which they are earn
ing at the expense of the farmers, I'M
der the Eech-Cummins BILL"
In September last. the Homestead
points out. the Western grain dealers
appealed to the Interstate Commerce
commission for reduction in rates on
hay and grain. On October 20 the com
mission ordered a reduction of Is per
cent effective November 20.
The railroads defied the order and
notified the commission that they
tin on shipments of all farm products
outside of New England
After much juggling the commission
was induced to issue an order makins
the new rates effective December 27.
1.-THE farmer will get little or no
beneit from a rate reduction on hay
and grain on December 81. for the pro-
Queer who has needed relief most will
have sold his crop and moved il from
the farm by that time" says the Home
ata rlA LOT .z..I
elevator man and the Chicago grain
dealers will profit. If the original
order had stood. grain-belt farmers
would have benefited TO the extent OF
millions.
This manipula ton of the Interstate
example of what can be done under
eur transportation act.
DOES ANYONE BELIEVE IF ON
OCTOBER "a THE LABOR BOARD
HAD ORDERED THE RAILROADS TO
CUT WAGES 16 PER CENT ON Nov
EMBER 20 THERE WOULD HAVE
BEEN ANY POSTPONEMENT OF
ACTION?"
So. you see. the farmer isn't such an
"easy mark" after all.
Director General of Railroads Davis
has refused to tell Congress how much
ne has paid out to various railroads in
settlement of their claims against the
government growing out of federal con-
troll.
He states in a letter to the senate
that the president has authorized him
to say that IL would be against pub
lie interest to reveal the information
desired.
The director generals letter was in
response to a resolution adopted by the
senate at the suggestion OF Senator La
Toilette The resolution asked the d.
rector general to state how much the
government still owed the railroads
what claims had been presented by the
railroads and how much had BEEN al
lowed to the various roads on account
of those claims. The director general
SAYS in his letter that II he were 20
make public the amounts some roads
have received. "wrangles' would en-
sue with officers of other roads seeking
to settle their claims.
This IL not very convincing ex-
cuse. The railroads of this coun-
try maintain such close relations
that every road probably knows ee-
actly what every other road mas
succeeded I'm squeezing out OF the
public treasury.
The only information conveyed by
the director general Is that the hnh
pavments to the railroads Will prop
ably require s243,042,062 more: inc
government has on hand $152,3S0' 600 10
meet these settlements. In addition, "
has some s507, $685. of claims against
the railroads Thus the government
has on hand, or in collectible DIS
enough to pay the claims of the ram
roads and leave balance OF aoou
S40O, goo, 900.