Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1923-08-24
FARMERS ARE THINKING
AND DETERMINED TO
HELP THEMSELVES
BY Guy Flenner

WINE many proposals are Delne
made to aid the farmer, he is study
ing the situation from all angles and
has about concluded that one sure
means of relief will come through
his own analysis and action. Diver
sified crops, smaller acreage to re-
duce hired help, the elimination of
Improbable crops and the increase
of profitable crops are on his pro-
gram of self help. Meantime, of
course, he is seeking all the infor-
nation available as to freight rates
and the following may give him and
others additional light as to rates
on grain.
The market reports showed that
on June 20, 1922, cash wheat in
Chicago brought $1.15 and on the
same date this year it sold for S1.05.
The freight rate had not been
changed during that period and the
fluctuation during that year was
greater than any proposal to cut
freight rates In other words, if
freight rates had been cut in two
this summer the farmer having
wheat to sell would still get less for
his product than he would have a |
year ago.
But instead June 80, freight rates
constant, wheat has con-
tinued to become more worthless"
Instead of being worth $1.05 in Chi
cago recently it brought $1.01, and
the day before less than 81. What
freight alteration can you suggest
that would have saved the farmer
this sharp loss within 20 days? If
{ is excessive freight rates that are
to blame what kind of
adjustment would you suggest in
rates that would permit the farmer
even to hold his own as to wheat
prices in the light of what has oc-
'urred that month?
Then there is corn. What would
you say the effect of freight rates
vas on that product? On June 80,
1922, cash corn sold in Chicago at
'S cents. A year later the quotation
vas 81 cents. During the year with
reight charges remaining the same.
wheat declined 10 cents a bushel in
'rice and corn improved 10 cents.
the decline in wheat price is due
o freight rate, why not also grant
hat the gain in corn price is also
hargeable to the same influence?
The other day corn sold for SO
ents bushel in Chicago, a gain
5 cents since June 80, while the I
reight rate never budged Would
GU consider freight rate deter s
nning cause in that increase in
alue? If your answer is no, why I
zen would you say that it helped to d
hove down the price of wheat? How /
an freight rate work in opposite b
lrections at the same time?
Or would you say that the corn c
lrmers had joined in a conspiracy [
it'll Wall Street to boost the price
their product, and to cut the n
lroats of the wheat farmers? r
How else do you explain the "
range but significant fact that the n
'rn farmer is seeing the value of his o
'oduct increase, while his wheat
owing neighbor is in despair as C
5 prices sink lower and lower?
Surely wheat and corn farmers
crate under the same government
statutes. We have heard of no pc
scrimination in these laws for or Ell
adnst either. If man-made laws ia
ntrOl the situation, wheat and corn oy
ould go up or down together. In iii
lad of that we have the spectacle tn
one becoming worthless and the
Ter priceless. 33
We do not pretend to know much 81
out the equity of freight rates. po
lenever we pay for freight we are tn
'e we are paying too much, but
also think the same about coal la'
labor in the back room and ham W.
eggs and caddie fees and golf WI
Is and gasoline. 1t may be that W.
light rates on grain are unneces-
lily high and that in fairness they
uld be reduced. We argue neither Ka
nor against this supposition. No
I seems apparent. however, that ter
light rates are not the controlling o oal
ment in the prosperity or the pow ira