Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1922-01-18
GOV. KENDALL
ATTACKS RATES

Continued from first page)
maintained under authority of tn
county boards, and that a part o
the automobile license fee should b
retained by counties for use on tn
secondary road system.
Hunt Draws Dark Picture
A dark picture of agricultural con
ditions was drawn by C. w. Hunt
president of the Iowa Bureau, in his
opening address. Farm prosperity
in Iowa, supposed to be unequalIeo
anywhere else, is more fancied than
real, he declared Farmers toll q
lifetime for practically nothing, and
retire worn out in middle age, to die
in few years he said.
High prices must be obtained by
development of cooperative mar
keting," he said. Farmers have
become efficient as producers, but
marketing has been left to the spe-
culator and the gambler, with the
result that marketing machinery has
been built up to fill the pockets of
the speculator, the commission mer-
chant and the money changer. Agri-
culture needs cooperative market
ing, but it cannot have this without
control of financial system adapted
to its needs. Solution of the present
depressed condition on the farm
will only be found when the price
level of farm products is boosted up
to the level of the price of organized
labor, freight rates, interest rates,
and other essential commodities"
Howard Defends Tactics
Mr.. Howard, in his address, de-
,lared postwar readjustment will
require a greater defation in the
prices of manufactured goods than
he defation farm products have
since manufacturers
we're inflated more than farm pro-
lucts. He defended his action in
Sitting in" with "big business" in
he recent conference, on the ground
hat he was representing the biggest
BUSINESS in the world, advocated CO.
peration as opposed to state aid of
and defended the "bloc"
lea as developed in congress by re-
of agriculture states.
He said he had been criticized for
with railroad executives
nd manufacturers on railroad rates.
a the conferences in question, the
lrmers' representatives he said,
adj not abated a jot of their OPP
osition to the guaranty clause In
ne Esch- Cummins law, and had
blamed a verbal understanding that
% objection would be raised to its
Elimination. He added the demand
or lower rates on agricultural pro-
ucts had been so vigorously and
pressed that in certain
uarters the American Farm Bureau
federation was now declared to be
dominating the freight rate policy of
ne country.
Saws Farm Bloc Is Necessary
Inconnection with the agricultural
,loc, the origin of which he dated
rom a conference of agricultural
tates' senators with Senator Kenyon
md Cray Silver, Washington repre-
sentative of the American Farm
Bureau Federation on May 9, last. !
Mr.. Toward said it was not formed
% advocate ian agricultural oligar-
Thy Of prosperity" Such an idea he
said, would be foolish. But he de-
Jared an agricultural bloc trans
party lines, having its own
,aucuses and rejecting party disci-
1line, is necessary to resist action by
,ther blocs antagonistic to agricul-
lure. He said the Farm Bureau FED {
Grafton will never ask the bloc to (
sponsor anything not in the interest !
IF tire nation.
Kendall Hits Railroads
Governor Kendall, addressing the
at the morning session,
attacked the railroads, declaring the
nigh freight rates they have been al
owed to charge are sitting not only
agriculture but all other Industries.
The big trunk lines in Iowa, he as
5erted, could reduce rates twenty
five per cent and still make a larger
profit than they made prior to June
30, 1917.
-O-----
Poets Who Have Sung Of Cats.