Omaha daily bee., 1921-07-11
Iowa Farm Bureau
Starts Drive to
Adjust Freights
Cooperation of Other States
= Will Be Asked In Cam.
paign for Lower
Rates.

Expressing the belief that the busi-
ness depression prevailing through
out the middlewest is due principal
ly to the excessive railroad freight
rates, the executive committee of the
Iowa farm bureau federation has in
augurated movement designed to
bring about an carly and general
adjustment of freight schedules.
This action was taken at the meet
ing of officials and committee mem
bers held at the federation headquar-
ters in Des Moines, July 8. The
plan is to make the movement gen
\ tral and comprehensive. including all
! lines of industry, beginning in Iowa
ard gaining the cooperation of 9TH
er middlewest states. To this end,
the federation officials we're instruct
ed to confer with leaders Of other
farm organizations, commercial bod
les and organizations of merchants,
manufacturers, bankers, ETC., with
the idea Of developing compre-
hensive compaign and a concerted
advance along all lines of business
enterprise.
Present Rates Prohibitive.
1--WE have had this matter under
consideration for some time," ex-
planned a prominent federation Off
cial. 'We have been studying the
situation from every possible angle
to get working information, prepara-
tory to making any definite move.
We don't want to do anything crazy,
or ultra-radical, and we don't want
to make any mistakes. But some
thing will have to be done and that
~noon. We might just as well face
the one big distressing fact, which
is that there is practically nothing
in the way of farm products and
live stock moving at present, for the
reason that freight rates are prohibi-
tive. There is no other word for It.
And this, too, with new harvest al.
ready under way.
"The production OF any commodi-
ty, whether from farm or factory,
can be carried to point that will
defeat its own ends. That is pre-
cisely what has happened in the case
Of railroad freight rates. They have
been boosted and boosted until they
actually defeat their own objective,
which is to produce more revenue
for the railroads. ;.
1.-THE federation comedies the IL
nancial straits the railroads claim to
be in. There isn't much question
about that. They are hard up. But
we insist that they have taken the
wrong method of securing relief. 1t
would be as logical for the farmer
to ask SIS bushel for his grain, or
the working man to demand SIS Tor
his labor, on the ground that they
were hard up and needed the money.
Neither would get it, for obvious rea-
sons. And the railroads will never
succeed in rehabilitating their busi-
ness under any system in which the
freight absorbs the big end-and
sometimes practically all-of the SELL
ing price of the commodity shipped.
Avoid Long Hearings.
ut has been suggested that the
fight for rate readjustrnent be di-
yided among the various, business in
terests-grain, live stock, mercantile,
etc.; that the grain men look after
grain rates; the live stock interests
tackle live stock rates, while the mer--
chant, the manufacturer ct al would
look after their own interests. And
so on down the line. :.
"Our committee talked that over
and decided against it, principally be-
cause they feared it would eventuatte
in series of long-drown contests
and hearings, in the course OF which
there might be a tendency on the
part of railroads to advance rates on
some commodities as they were COM
PEELED to back up on others, thereby
penalizing some industries and pro-
longing the struggle interminably:
There was too much of that sort OF
thing in the prewar days. We don't
want any more of it. What is needed
now is a general readjustment down
ward, first of all and rate equaliza-
ton maintained afterward.
"Our committee is very much IN
earnest in this matter. We are going
to follow it up and we are going to
persist until something tangible in
the way of results are obtained. we
hope every other organization in the
state, farm and commercial, will join
us in this movement, because we
want to see it 60 forward in big
way. a way that will get us some
where and be of benefit to the people
in general.
Primarily we are concerned Tor
the interests of agriculture, but 1t
might be impossible for the farmers
to do it alone. 1t would likewise
be out of the question for the mer-
chants or the manufacturers or the
~>snking interests to accomplish 1t
alone and unaided. But if everybody
will get behind it-and certainly ev-'
erybody is vitality interested-then
something worth while in the way
ha hrnnCff