Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-09-27
Aiding Grain Production,

! ~ issued last week, requiring the rail
roads of Georgia to file not later than
October "a schedule of rates allowing mill
| ing and elevator privileges in transit for
| grain shipments within the State is directly
in line with the efforts being made by various
alert and public-spirited organizations to i'm
prove the facilities for marketing Georgia's
surplus of corn and other grains.
Having no authority beyond the State
| lines, the Railroad Commission could not re-
| quire rates allowing elevator and milling
privileges in transit for shipment moving in
terstate, but these will doubtless be obtained
| in due time when the matter is presented to
the Interstate Commerce Commission. In
the meanwhile, shipments in Georgia should
be substantially stimulated by the Railroad
Commissions order.
It is worthy of notice also in this connec-
ton that the railroad traffic officials, so far
as yet indicated, are by no means disposed to
object to the grain rates required by the
Commission, but on the contrary are very
much in sympathy with the general move
ment to create better marketing facilities for
Georgia food and feed crops.
At the present time under present rate ar
rangements shipment of corn, for example,
from the farmers loading track to a grain
elevator pays the local rate-and all local
rates are higher than through rates. After
being shucked, shelled, graded and stored in
the elevator awaiting sale, the corn when
shipped to the buyers destination again pays
the local rate, which again is high. Thus
the corn has paid, from producer to con-
sumner, combination of two local rates,
which increases the price the consumer pays.
rate allowing elevator in transit privi-
ships his corn in the shuck to the elevator;
it goes through the processes named above,
and is shipped to the consumer; instead of
paying the two local rates it paid a through
rate from origin to final destination, thereby
reducing about fifty per cent the haulage
charge.
All the western states where corn is pro-
duced on commercial scale have elevator
in transit freight rates, not only applying
to intrastate shipments but also to ship
ments from state to state, so that corn pro-
duced by an Illinois f;.rmer may be shipped
in the shuck to a Chicago grain elevator,
may be stored there six months awaiting
shipment to a buyer, and in.lly may go to
New York City for loading in the hold of
steamer to Europe, and yet pay through"
rate from the Illinois farmers railroad sta
ton to the New York pier.
The rates required by the Railroad Com
missions order apply to other grains as well
as corn. They apply to the milling of grain
in transit as well as to handling at grain ele-
vators. They represent one step, and very
important step. in the forward movement to-
ward improved marketing facilities. So far
as freight rates are concerned, the Railroad
Commission has gone to the limit of it's au-
thority in aiding the farmers, and the only
further step needed along this line is to get
the same rates established by the Interstate
Commerce Commission for interstate grain
shipments, going out of Georgia into other
states.
1t is gratifying to note that numerous or
ganization are lending hand in this impor-
tant movement for better marketing facili-
ties for Georgia-raised grains. The Atlanta
Commercial Exchange, as set out in consider
able detail in an editorial in The Journal
last Sunday, is at work on plans for the es
Enlistment in Atlanta of contract grain
market" where authoritative prices will be
quoted daily, and for the building here of
great grain elevator where immense quanti-
ties of Georgia corn can be shucked, shelled,
graded and stored in f1reproof, weevil-proof
bins, with bonded receipts issued to the pro-
ducers to use at their banks when they re-
quire collateral.
The Atlanta Freight Bureau, always alert
in the public service, is working on the ques-
ton OF rate adjustments on interstate ship
ments of grain, and will be prepared to lend
it's facilities and expert knowledge of rate
matters at the disposal of the agricultural
interests when the subject is taken before
the Interstate Commerce Commission.
me Georgia Country Bankers Association
is very much interested in the problem of
marketing at steady, profitable prices the
food crops produced by Georgia farmers, and
it's officers are planning a comprehensive
study of marketing problems.
The State Bureau of Markets is devoting
great deal of thought to these problems,
and is cooperating whole-heartedl with the
above-named organizations to bring about
satisfactory solution.
Bankers, merchants, agricultural leaders,
commercial foundations, everyone, in fact,
who has studied the question-today realize
more than ever before the fulfill. of agita-
ton for diversified agriculture unless the
farmers can dispose Of their food crops at
profitable prices.
A farmer with surplus Of corn being de-
voured by weev4ls in an unprotected crib,
without a market, without banking collater-
al, can hardly be expected to plunge en-
Enthusiastically into the production of another
corn crop. lsEsEs5;s
A tobacco grower taking a dozen hampers
of tobacco to market and getting a different
offer on each different basket, when all of
his tobacco is the same, and the next day
getting fancy price for perhaps two
baskets on which he was offered less than
cost of production the day before, cannot be
made to see the glowing prospects of tobacco
production when the next planting season
rolls around.
Organized selling by the farmers, organ
lied facilities provided by business and
banking interests cooperating with the
farmers, are -Ie final solution.
To Facilitate Traffic