Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1923-06-01
GETTING IN LINE
FARMER ORGANIZATIONS ARE
STANDING BY LABOR
1t is Not Necessary to Lower Wages
in Order to Relieve the Farmer
From the Gouging of r. r.
(By Federated Press)

Washington-Dem immediate
reduction of freight rates on farm
produce, national farm organizations
emphasized to the interstate COM
merce commission that reduction in
the wages of railroad workers was
not necessary to bring relief to the
farmers from the gouging of the rail-
roads.
Railroad labor is not being over
paid as a WHOLE" Benjamin c. Marsh,
managing director of the Farmers
National council, told the commission.
"No reduction in their wages is need
ed to permit a reduction in freight
rates on farm products. Probably
some of the railway employees should
have their wages increased.
Progress will come, not by pulling
labor down, but by bringing farmers
up"
Farmers are leaving the northwest
by the thousands and banks closing,
the farm organizations informed the
commission. Immediate relief from
high freight rates is necessary to
save those who are left, they warned.
The organizations represented at
the hearing, which was held privately,
were the National Grange, the Ma
tional Non-Partisan league, the Ma
tional Milk Producers federation, the
United Farmers Of Montana, the Ma
tional Farmers union and the Farm
ers National council.
GAS direct result of the def1atiOn
of the price of farm products brought
about by the action of the federal re-
serve board and the advance in
freight rates, $4,000 people have al
ready left the state of Montana and
nearly one hundred banks have closed
their doors within the last two years"
r. A. Haste, spokesman for the
United Farmers of Montana, told the
commission.
Unless relief be Immediately
afforded by the substantial reduction
in freight rates, 100000 people will
leave the state and so more banks
will close"
Haste said investigation conducted
by Montana's attorney general had
disclosed gross determinations
against shippers in the state, rates
being from Is per cent to 200 per
cent higher than in Minnesota and
Iowa.
"In recent years the farmer has
been laboring under tremendous han
dicaps and thousands of one-time
prosperous farmers throughout the
northwest are quitting the farms they
spent years in buildinp up and are
now obliged to go into occupations
that will at least insure living for
themselves and families" said Nelson
Mason of the Non-P Partisan league.
"Present high freight rates on
farm commodities must come in for
their share of responsibility for this
condition. | know of no better illus
tration in evidence of this than the
case of a neighbor in Lead, N. D., who
some months ago shipped a carload
of potatoes to Chicago which netted
him check of $3.50, representing
the gross income on this "ortlon OF
his years crop:
"Rates on other products are pro-
portionate and unless adjusted to a
basis that will make it possible for
the producer to get his product to
the country with small margin OF
profit to himself, our entire economic
structure will be in jeopardy"
Marsh Of the Farmers National
council pointed out that the operating
revenues of the railroads in 1922 ex-
ceeded the compensation paid railroad
employees by nearly $452, ,000, 900 more
than in 1920 and said if necessary,
freight rates could be increased on
general commodities to make up for
a reduction of 25 per cent to 80 per
cent on bulky farm products.