The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1923-09-13
S. D. HAS 4,2S2.94
MILES RAILROADS
CONTINUED from first page)


the vlly means of marketing products
was by tcaming them TO the cities of
| Yankton, Pierre, or Sioux City, and
| ship them by water to- the then limit
ed markets of the country. The proc
esses of marketing at that time had
more to do with the value OF the
farmers produce than the effort Of
producing. but ~present-day marketing
by means of efficient railroad service
opens up the markets of the world to
the farmers of South Dakota and
brings to them values realized be-
cause OF these markets, so that the
farm values In the state Of South Da-
kota in 1920 are given In the United
States Census as $2,823, 870,212. This
iesult is very largely the result OF
adequate transportation.
ITO produce the transportation
lines now in South Dakota required
an investment of approximately 100
million dollars. Six percent return
to the investors would amount to six
million dollars a year or 3R cents
per bushel for each of the ITO million
bushels of cereals which the state
produces annually, aud this p%orviding
that all returns to the investors
should come from the cereal crop
only. To the average farmer il
costs more than this to haul his grain
to the station for shipment, that is,
III he lives five miles or Whereabouts
from the shipping point.
The part that freight rates play In
the life of the ordinary farmer has
been magnified unduly, and the meas
ure of relief which might be obtained
from the reduction in freight rates is
much smaller than radical agitators
would have you believe. To illus
trate: call your attention to the
fact that the price of wheat on the
Minneapolis, Minnesota, market in
1913 ranged from 80 cents to 95 cents
per bushel, and the freight rate at
to Minneapolis. Mimi, was 81 cents.
The price of wheat rose to $1.29 in
1914; to $l.65 in 1915; to $2.02 in
1916 and touched the peak of $3.49 in
1917, and yet the freight rate still
remained 81 cents per bushel. The
price OF wheat then declined to $2.3S
per bushel in 1918 and recovered to
1920 in 1919 and reached $40 in
1920, at which time the freight rate
was advanced and at the present time
Is 1875 cents per bushel. From this
1t is clear that the freight rate had
no important influence on the price
and throughout the larger part of this
period the farmer was receiving
transportation at less than cost. With
wheat at $l.00 per bushel in Minnea-
polls, the net price to the farmer even
with the advance freight rate, is high
er than in 1913, and at what is re-
garded as the low calamity price OF
wheat to the farmer, deducting the
freight charges from the selling price
In the two instances, leaves a greater
net return at the primary market In
1923 than in 1918. Clearly the freight
rate is not to blame for whatever
conditions operate against tn e
farmer.
There is no one more DESTROYS In
seeing the farmer receive good prices
for his products than those who serve
him In the railroad business; and
every possible advantage which the
railroads can give to the farmer is
being given today. 1t is to the farm
er's interest that the transportation
machine shall be kept In the highest
state or efficiency, and that he may
be able to receive this service at the
minimum cost Is certainly the onl,
fair basis for discussing the question
of railroad rates. The charges fol
freight transportation in the Unitet
States are the lowest in the world.
while the farmer has been receiv'
ing substantial benefits from tn,
transportation system, the investor
who constructed this system had beer
denied a fair and reasonable interesr
upon that investment. We ask you Il
consider the fact that the investmen
In the Chicago and North Western
Railway in South Dakota was made
with a sincere desire to build up I
prosperous community, and that ev
Ierything possible had been done to
ward that result n a spirit OF friend
illness coupled with a faith in tn,
fairness OF the American citizen, {
faith In his willingness to recognize
and appreciate those forces which
have proved TO be his true friend.
we are fully aware Of the circum
stances which are operating to thu
disadvantage of the farmer durinl
these days and which result from tn
unbalanced conditions of industr,
between the cities and the countr.
districts. When q b~ricklsyer In Nev
York City can demand and secur'
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