The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1921-07-23
GIVE IDEAS HOW
To AID FARMERS
SUMMARY OF HEARINGS TO BE
SENT To CONGRESSIONAL IN
VESTIGATING COMMITTEES.

farmers now pay about $50 freight
charges on a carload of cattle to Chi
cago, whereas a few years ago the
rate was about $50. Further, it
takes from SO to 100 per cent longer
now to get shipments through to the
terminal markets than it did two or
three years ago. The fluctuating
market is confusing to the farmer;
it puts him at loss to know when
to ship in order to what his stuff is
worth. Farmers are obliged to un-
! load because of lack of credit. The
difference between what the farmer
receives for his products and what
he pays for his purchases is so great
that he cannot break even.
The foregoing farmer analysis of
what is the matter with agriculture
taken from the Clark county farm
bureau hearings is typical of the
/ hearings throughout the state of
South Dakota. he suggested reme
dies outlined by the farmers of the
state call for better and longer cred
it facilities, lower freight rates,
a reasonable tariff, elimination of
waste in marketing and closer ad
| justment between selling price and
purchase costs. These things are
necessary for the success and safety
of both the producer and the con-
sumer.
These hearings are being collected
by the South Dakota Farm Bureau
federation and will be presented, to-
gether with the findings of other
state farm bureau fedora tions, by
President j. r. Howard, of the Am
erican Farm Bureau federation, to
the congressional joint commission
of agricultural inquiry new in ses-
sion in Washington.
The following specific statements
from the hearings are selected as
typical:
The necessity for lower freight
rates was emphasized in practically
every hearing in the state An ele-
vator manager in Walworth county
said that the freight rates last year
caused a loss on wheat of five cents
per bushel. The editor of a country
weekly in Hamlin county asserted: Il
believe one of the greatest menaces
is the existing high freight rate. The
farmer gets it's coming and going"
The hay farmers in the western
part of the state have been practic-
ally put out of business by the high
rates. A country banker in Edmunds
county said: cat this time freight
rates on farm products are Altogether
out Of proportion to what the farmer
receives for the same. The railroad
company gets the long end of what
the famer raises"
A Fall River county farmer hits
the credit situation as follows: eff
the railroads are deserving of
bonus, the farmer should at least
| have funds placed at his disposal
through the federal land banks so
that he can borrow on good security
to carry on his business. The farmer
| is not asking for a bonus, although
he has been the largest loser by the
present financial depression. All he
wants is chance to borrow money at
a reasonable rate and he will soon
get on his feet again"
"The cattleman's credit is gone,"
says a western rancher. 1t is diff
ficult to renew paper on the reduced
valuation of cattle, to say nothing of
increasing the amount of the loan.
High freight rates and the great
slump in prices have made him worse
than a bankrupt. The cattleman will
work out of this situation in five
years, however, If the western bank
ers are enabled to carry him that
long. A farmer starting in with So
500 wos worth only $2,400.
Another farmer says: The banks
in our vicinity are calling on the
farmers to meet at least half of their
loans and in some cases all of them.
They haven't the money, and this
will mean that they will go to depo-
sitors in the local banks and ask
them to draw their funds to lend
farmers thereby saving them from
bankruptcy. This withdrawal Of
funds in addition to what is being
drawn out by these same depositors
to live on, will mean big run on
these banks this fall and will put
many of them out of business unless
something is done Immediately.
The county hearings brought
| forth the opinion that a better sys-
tenn of marketing farm products
must be devised and that the farm
er must do that for himself. The
| abolition of shortselling and enabl-
] ing legislation protecting the coop
! erative business dealings of farmers
were asked for. Confidence was gen.
orally expressed in the farmer-owned
and farmer-controlled marketing or
ganization known as the U. 8. Grain
| Growers. Inc, and the proposed plan