Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-01-26
FARMERS ASK CUT
IN FREIGHT RATES
Divide Reduction Between Rail-
roads and Labor, Their
Proposal
SPLIT OVER PRICES LOOMS
BY the Associated Press

Washington. Jan. 26.--Windng up
the program Of formal addresses at this
morning g session, the national agricul-
tural conference then was expected to
prepare for consideration Of committee
reports and resolutions. It was thought
possible that some of the committee rec
concentrations might be taken up by the
conference late today.
Reduction of freight rates on farm
products and products Of allied midas
tries and sharing by both railroad cor.
norations and labor Of "dcflation Of
charges now affecting all industries
were recommended in the Railway
Transportation Sub Committee report
prepared early today for submission to
the Transportation Committee of the
conference.
The committee declared labor should
not carry the whole reduction, but the
railroads should take their share. saying
the railroads made 5000, ,000,O 900 profit
last year when farmers lost SI,OoO,-
900 900.
The committee also recommended
withdrawal by Congress Of authority to
the Interstate Commerce Commission to
fix valuation of real estate held by rail-
ronds at more than its actual cost or
more than the value of similar ad1oin-
ing lands in making up the capital ac-
count of the railroads.
Repeal Of Guaranty Recommended
Repeal of the guaranty clause Of the
Transportation Act, restoration to the
State Railroad Commission of full
powers as Of date when railroads were
taken over by the United States Gov
crnment, but retention by the COM
mission of control of movement Of empty
cars in interstate business were urged.
Recommendations covering an inter-
mediate credit system to provide farm
crs with working capital already have
been drafted by tho committee assigned
TO this problem. Little opposition to
it's report ia anticipated, since Presi-
dent Harding and virtually every other
speaker before the conference have sug-
gested such n program to relieve the
pressure of the producers.
Certain delegations who favored in
dorsement by the conference of the 'fg-
ricultural bloc in Congress we're un- :
derstood today to be still undecided
whether to introduce such a resolu =
tion. :,
Recommendation, it was declared,
should be made to the Interstate Com :
mercc Commission that the present re-
lation between the charges for long and
| snort maui IN tnc llltE-HouiiIatu -.
gions be not disturbed. DR.. ii. L,
Waters, Of Kansas City, chairman o'
the General Committee on Transporta =
ton. said the report Of the sub-com
mittec would be considered later and
| report prepared for the conference.
Split on Price Fixing Feared
Price fixing Of basic farm products
as means of affording agricultural
relief is the rock upon which the Con
! ference may splitc. or. at least th'
point upon which the radical minority
in the conference nrc preparing to rais'
objection to general conference pro-
cedurc,
The question OF price fixing or price
guarantee by the Government on basi'
products, such as wheat, corn, cotton
wool and sugar. was brought up III |
subcommittee of the conference, ant
all proposals providing for Government
price intervention were rejected.
The controlling element in the con
ference let 1t be known that the Ad
ministration is set against direct GOV
crnment mcddling with the prices o
farm products or with the operation
the law of supply and demand.
A proposal by which the Govcrnmen
shall guarantee the price OF farm staple
as it guaranteed wheat prices dnrin
the war will be made the main planI
in that platform and fought for !
Congress, no matter what the recon
mendations of the conference.
IL American agriculture is TO sue
ceed in competition with the skill
natural resource and cheaper labor o