The Lexington progress. (Lexington, Tenn.) 1884-current, 1921-02-04

OF the tafmer-One DlBt luHuaHiehta'
problem that concern agriculture and
the nation as a whole
Breaking Freight Deadlock.
For instance when the Bureau |
learned that big steel boats on the |
Great Lakes were making trips with /
out full loads Of freight, their cargoes
mainly boxes and packages that could |
be handled easily, the United States
Shipping Board was asked why these
vessels were not hauling wheat,
There was a great freight congestion
and tie-up. Cars were short every
where and here was something that
might relieve the shortage and help
the trainers of the Middle West who
wanted their wheat and hogs hauled
to market.
The boats had no bulkheads for
handling grain, and it would take
$4,000 a boat to build them, said the
Board Three days of argument were
necessary before the Board agreed to
equip two ships for hauling grain.
The cost proved to be but $4,000 each.
The thing worked. Later all thirty
six steel ships on the lakes under con
troll Of the Shipping Board were
equipped at cost Of $500 each,
One of these ships is able to bring
down the equivalent of two trainloads
of wheat at single trip, so many
cars were released to handle other
freight.
Shortly after this Mr.. Silver sat in
the lobby of hotel in Washington
telling the story to friend A man
overhearing him, spoke up:
"Why don't you do something
about the wooden boats ?"
why" said Silver, 81 did not
know we had any"
why, yes" answered the man.
Ever since 1916 a fleet of wooden
vessels has been tied up in the docks
at Detroit, out>of commission because
under rate granted by the railroads
and made possible by the workings of
the LaFollette Seamen's Bill, the rail.
roads have been permitted to haul
grain from Chicago to Buffalo for 3.8
cents and to charge ten cents from
Buffalo to New York City. This has
driven all wheat shipments from the
lakes to the railroads. For four
years, over the war period, with so
much depending upon transportation,
these boats have remained idle be-
cause no one has seen fit to do any
thing"
Amazed, Silver went to the ship
ping Board and found this was true.
Boats sufficient to carry 123,O00,000
bushels of wheat at one trip had
been idle for four years, The rail-
roads said they were short 100000
cars. The Farm Bureau had found
three-quarters of them. The Illinois
Agricultural Association found most
of the other $4,000; but that is an
other story.
With governor from Middle
Western state who had heard of the
situation and wanted to help, the
Farm Bureau men went to see GER
tain influential railroad men in Wash
ington to demand that something be
done to change the rates, put these
boats to work hauling wheat and re-
lease railway cars to haul other farm
products from the Middle West. The
railroaders smiled at the visitors.
They said it was impossible to do
anything.
Nov look here MIR. Silver quotes
himself, do you railway men know
that the farmer members of the
American Farm Bureau Federation,
in referendum, voted almost unan-
imously against government owner
ship Of railroads? But do you think
for a minute, that | went to them
with the story of what you men have
permitted to be done in wartime, they
would not reverse their action in short
order? The farmers right now are
with you. Here's chance for you to
do something for them. You either
do it or the Farm Bureau will tell the
farmers of America that you have re-
fused and why.
| Whereupon those railway execu-
tives looked at each other again. but
with a different sort of smile on
their faces. The Farm Bureau men
left.
Two days later, for the first time
in history, the railroads, of their own
accord, went to the Interstate Com
merce Commission and asked that
rates be adjusted to the basis Of per
hitting competing water rate. The
commission not only did this but even
gave the boats a different rate, and
now the wooden boats are back in
commission on the lakes and. when