Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1921-11-04
FREIGHT RATE CUT
FARMER VICTORY
Charges On Grain And Hay Ordered
Lower Bureau Seeks Fur
Their Reductions.
MINNESOTA FARM BUREAU
FEDERATION NEWS SERVICE
Minnesota Farm Bureau Federatlon
BY NEIL H. SWANSON
Editor News Service

Editor News Service
St. Paul 2-Organized farmers
have won a decisive victory in their
fight for lower railroad rates, the
Minnesota Farm Bureau federation
says in a report prepared tosinform
it's members that the Interstate Com
merce commission has ordered sweep
ing reductions in rates on wheat,
coarse grains and hay.
Following hearings in Washington,
at which Thomas E. eastman OF
Owatonna testified as the official rep
resentative of the Minnesota Farm
Bureau, the commission ordered rates
reduced not later than Nov. 20. The
order directs that rates on wheat and
hay be cut half as much as they were
increased in August, 1920, and that
rates on coarse grains be set 10 per
cent below the new rates on wheat.
1t is estimated that the order means
a reduction of rs per cent on coarse
grain, and that the average reduc-
ton on all commodities affected
amounts to 16 or IS per cent.
The rate slash came just after the
American Farm Bureau federation
took legal action to force reductions,
by filing a formal petition with the
Interstate Commerce commission
asking that successive cuts be order
ed until the whole rate increase of
1920 is wiped out. The Farm Bu-
reau will continue it's fight for lower
rates, officers of both the state and
national organizations assert.
THE commissions order cutting
rates on hay and grain is a great
victory for the farmers, because it
means that the United States govern
ment admits our contention that high
freight rates have penalized agricul-
ture and virtually created a blockade
between the farmer and his market"
Mr.. eastman said. "The Interstate
Commerce commission has recognized
that rates must me reduced. Winning
the fight for the principle of rate re-
ductiOn is even more important to
the farmer than the actual savings
that may result from this one order.
Other reductions will follow. A large
part of this years grain crop al
ready has been marketed, but the saw
ing in freight on what is left on the
farm is estimated at several million
dollars for the northwest alone. Even
that saving will amount to many
times the total amount of money the
farmers have invested in the farm
bureau.
Next year the actual cash saving
should be tremendous; it is estimated
at $5O,OOO,OOO."
The order for reduced rates is a
step in the right direction, but only
the first step, farm bureau federation
officials said. Further reductions
must be ordered until railroad rates
are brought down to normal, they
said.
Cuts in freight rates are direct
benefit to the farmer, according to F.
W. Peck, director of agricultural ex-
tension work at University farm.
"Freight rates are a direct tax on
the farmers income" Mr.. Peck said
land a decrease in freight charges
means a direct increase in his re-
turns
Mr.. Peck also testified the COM
mission, urging rate reduction. The
farm bureau declarations of the middle
west led the farmers fight for lower
rates, as a result of the midwest
farm bureau conference held at head
quarters of the Minnesota federation
this summer