The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1921-11-24
FURTHER, E.ElCHr
SLASrs' IMPERATIVE

Further f. .tions in freight rates
are vital to the prosperity of the
Mort
Present freight rates constitute the
biggest problem before the agricul-
tural industry of the country.
C-?=il there is readjustment, in
v'::::::. railroad labor must bear it's
t;..-' ,.larc of the burden there will be
~ 2ccurn to the prosperity the coun-
try 50 eagerly awaits.
Recent announced reductions in
rates will help in some degree, but
they DO not begin to touch the real
problem of the farmer.
This is the opinion of C. C. Webber.
president of the Deere -Webber Co.,
wholesale implement distributors,
Minneapolis, in an interview given
The Daily News.
The farmer is today" said Mr..
Webber, "down to and below pre-war
prices on practically everything he
has to sell. But for everything he
has to buy he must pay from 40 to
go per cent above pre-war prices.
Il. is easy to see the result and
the menace to the agricultural indus
try not only of the Northwest but
of the nation. The things the farmer
buys today are being sold as far as
possible on an actual replacement
basis.
"Freight rates catch both the
things the farmer buys and sells. For
instance the cost of freight on the
commodities it takes to make ton
of pig iron, coal, coke, etc., in the
81, NJ &c f0
of the cost of producing each ton of
pig iron in that district. The farmer
ultimately pays all of it.
High freight rates also have an
important influence on the present
depressed price of farm product. The
farmer pays both ways
"Now it seems to be quite apparent
that railroads cannot reduce freight
rates without reducing operating
costs. Sixty per cent of the operat-
ing costs Of the railroads is labor
Railroad labor must absorb it's share
of the decline in freight rates if the
situation now existing is to be over
come.
Conditions are showing some i'm
provement, but there will be no
permanent improvement, no definitely
esta blished basis until there are
further reductions in freight rates.and
until all the elements entering into
the fixing Of freight rates do their
share to bring about such reductions
at has been a great surprise to me
that the farmers have not said more
about the need for reduced railroad
expenses. The farmer asks for re-
duced freight rates. but we know the
railroads cannot reduce rates until
they are able to reduce operating ex-
penses.
''The farmer is the man, when he
understands this matter, to help bring
pressure to bear upon his congress-
men and senators for a fair, just
equitable solution of what is really
one of our greatest present day
economic questions.
"The farmer is asking for lower
prices and he certainly needs to. He
needs lower freight rate on his
grain and livestock; he needs to buy
his coal, his lumber, cement, brick
and implements for les money, but
he is not going to get any of these
things very much cheaper than he
is getting them now until the freight
rates on commodities are reduced.
"It is cost of commodities like
grain, livestock, lumber, pig iron:
coal, cement, ETC., that count in the
cost of pretty nearly everything.
emphasizing the fact that freight
rates are the base of the present cost
of living problem and that until oper-
ating expense of railroads can be cut
there can be little change. We shall
never, perhaps, go back to a pre-war
basis, but it is vital to the prosperity
of the entire country that there be
adjustments as soon as possible"