The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-03-10
BACK TO NORMALLY

The following interview on Nor
malcy and How to Achieve 1t" was
given out today by George w. Hack
ney, formerly vice president and man
ager of the Topeka Milling company,
who is now farming in the lower Rio
Grande valley, west of Brownsville,
Texas:
1--WE all want business to get back to
normal. How can we do that in short
est possible time? Simply by every
man in every vocation and station in
life taking off his coat and producing
his utmost. Then there must be an
unrestricted flow of all products be-
1 tween points in order that prices may
find their natural and relative level
according to supply and demand.
This is absolutely impossible of
achievement If an impenetrable wall
of freight and express rates prohibits
movement in volume. Rates must
come down and come down about SO
per cent or the railroads and the
business Of the country will be delayed
in getting back on a normal and eff
cient basis until they do.
I'm the making of present rates the
I. C. C. and the railroads seem to have
gone ahead with the idea that what
ever they demanded the public must
pay. They forgot to take into account
the fact that there might be limit to
what the traffic could bear.
"I will show the conditions apply
ing at present in the Lower Rio
Grande valley, the richest and most
productive land in the whole world.
The same conditions are in effect
practically in all other sections of the
country. If we in the valley cannot
stand the conditions what must be the
plight of those producers in less IA
vored sections where they grow but
one crop to our three?
For instance: At the present time
there are some 5000 to 10000 cars of
the finest cabbage, spinach, head let
tuce, carrots, beets, etc, that are going
to waste in the fields due to the fact
that the freight and express rates are
more than the value at destination,
not to mention anything for the
grower, or to even cover cost of
packa ges, loading, etc.
Cabbage is bringing the grower
one-tenth the price of last year. The
freight rate was double last year and
the railroads demand prepayment be-
cause they themselves realize that the
product is not worth transportation
cost in most instances. Carrots and
beets are worth just little more than
cost of packing and baskets with
nothing for the grower.
There is little stuff moving but
only due to the fact that the farmer
if he can get a few cents per buShel
over cost of picking and hauling feels
that 1t is better than losing every cent.
But what of the 'kickback' in the
power will the farmers have for the
next year? How much merchandise
traffic will the railroads have?
with every commodity undergoing
a marked decline in price. freight and
express rates were raised exorbitantly
and unreasonably, thus blocking the
movement CO traffic volume, threaten
ing whole communities and sections
with ruin and deliberately creating a
false condition. The shippers of the
entire south third of Texas, some ten
thousand in number, have Joined, thru
our committee of three, in asking an
emergency rate of 500 to enable us to
move this crop. This is not with the
idea of making for the producer a
profit, but to enable him to get back
a small part of his crop outlay in cash,
to help bring prices to natural basis
and above all. save waste of valuable
food that should reach some one at
some price.
THE present fabric of rates could
be likened to a rotten circus tent. If
one thread let's go, the whole will rip
and collapse. 1t will fall of it's own
weight if no one starts it. Let 'er
CO." and let's get on a sensible bust
ness efficient basis Big production,
free movement in volume, work for
every one but at sane, reasonable
wages, is the only way to get back to
Normally"
THE sooner all classes realize that
each must take his share of the medi-
cine, the sooner we will all get well.
With millions starving in China. with
hundreds of thousands in this country
jobless. and with railroad cars idle and
railroad overhead expense causing a
loss at even the high rates, it is OBJ
vious to anyone that the only thing
to do is cut rates to a point that will
bring a saturation of traffic, reduce
overhead expenses and move the stuff
first Think of profit secondarily. If
conditions force railroad wages to
come down, they will have to come.
that's all; Furthermore, a heavy move
ment of all products will tend to bring
down prices SO that the cost of living
will further decline. But let's have
movement and action.
1.-THE mill will never grind again
with the water that has passed Food
products once destroyed, are lost eff
fort that cannot be replaced. Let
everything produced or grown reach
tome one who needs it at some sort of
. price"