Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1921-07-20
FARM BUREAU
BACK Low RATE
Heads Conce;1 Effort to Procure
Reduction ", Ills on Stock.
Readjustm> II, If Rates
Would Cree. lore
Business4s.
PLAN TO MAKE NOVEL;. Y
GENERAL AMONG b. ESS
Conference to be Held Which All
Midwest Bureaus Will be
Asked to Attend.

Des Moines, Iowa-Reduction Of
freight rates is imperative if "fur-
ther impending economic disaster" is
to be avoided, the executive comsnit-
tee members of the Iowa Farm Bur-
eau Federation believe.
At a meeting of the committee
held last week movement was
launched to bring about an early and
general readjustment of freight
schedules.
AS announced at the farm bureau
headquarters "the plan is to make
the movement general and compre-
hensive, including all lines of indus
try, beginning in Iowa and gaining
the cooperation of other middle
west states"
A conference is to be held in which
all the mid west farm bureau organ
izations will be asked to participate,
as well as all organized agricultural
and commercial interests. At this
4erence of farmers and business
interests some concerted action to
: cure reduced rates will be initiated.
"We might just as well face the
fact that there is practically nothing
in the way of farm products and live
stock moving at present. explained
a prominent farm bureau official in
discussing the proposed move.
Freight rates are prohibitive. A
new harvest is under way, but farm
ers can not ship so long as prices are
low and freight rates 50 high. 1t is
apparent that the rats Qnna h-ss.
boosted until the railroads have
killed off their own busine
1t was suggested that the effort for
rate readjustment be divided among
various business interests, grain, live
stock, mercantile, manufacturing and
other lines, with representatives in
each of these lines working on the
same general plan for a reduction.
This plan was not adopted, however,
for fear it would result in long
drawn out hearings with a tendency
on the part of the railroads to ad-
vance rates on some commodities and
lower them on others, thus penaliz-
ing certain industries.
The resolutions declare that "a
sincere effort on the part of the rail-
roads to adjust freight rates to the
exigencies of the present situation
will better enable them to approach
the problem of further reducing op-
Grating COSTS" and point out that the
cuts thus far made have not been
followed by any cuts in rates.
'The committee can not unduly
emphasize its conviction that the re-
adjustment of freight rates urged in
this resolution will contribute large
ly to the prevention of further i'm
pending economic disaster and have
a beneficial effect" the resolutions
state.
"The executive committee of the
Iowa Farm Bureau Federation invites
all organized agricultural and COM
mercial interests to join in confer
ence with the object in view of OBJ
tanning relief thru a general reduc-
ton in all freight rates and in
structs the secretary of the Iowa
Farm Bureau Federation forthwith
to communicate with state farm bu-
reau federations of the mid west
states and make the necessary ar
rangements for such conference
"We believe that adequate and ef-
ficient transportation facilities al
the lowest possible rates consistent
with good business management are
imperatively necessary to bring
about normal commercial conditions
in our state and nation" concludes
the resolutions.