Cottonwood chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1917-current, 1923-02-23

hay to pay the freight to
Kansas City, and 9 per cent of
the price of wool to pay the
freight to Boston.
1t was shown that on the
higher class freight, such as the
manufactures of wooden and cot
ton goods, only ~ to 2A per
cent of the value was required
to pay the freight from the fact
cries to Idaho, and on the higher
class fabrics much less was re-
quired.
1t was shown that to-day the
farmer is getting on an average
112 per cent of what he received
for his products in 1913, while
the wholesale price Of all other
commodities i s 169 per cent Of
1913.
The farmers are complaining
that the horizontal increase
made by the Federal control act
and the horizontal increase made
by the Interstate Commerce
Commission in the freight rates
on farm products, which is the
same as on high-priced manu-
featured goods, is unfair and UNI
just and something unheard Of
before in railroad rate making.
Ever since railroads became a
factor in the commerce of this
country it has been the practice
to fix the freight rate on all COM
moditites somewhere near what
the product would bear to carry
it to market, but in making
these horizontal rates no
thought or consideration was
given to the raw products of the
country where the freight rate
becomes a very large factor in
the market price.
We believe the farmers of
America have a right to feel out
ragged over forcing them to bear
more than a fair share of the up
keep and operation of the rail-
roads of the country
A review of the actions of the
United States Grain Corporation
shows conclusively that the
farmers were not treated fairly
by that corporation.
The farmers of this country
believed that when the price OF
1920 per bushel was made by
the Grain Corporation in the pri-
mary markets of the country
that it was to have been the
minimum and not the maximum
price, and on the day the price
was fixed by the corporation
wheat was selling in Minneapol.
is for $2.72 per bushel. The
day after it was selling for $2.2(
The farmers of the country
we believe very properly, havc
objected all along to the Govern
ment making a profit OF becom
ing a Spectator in the price o.
the products of the soil.
After the Government in
creased the price of labor in oul
railroads and the price of freigh'
rates, the cost of the wheat cro)
of 1920 was in excess of thu
price fixed by the corporation O.
$2.26 per bushel, an increase O.
6 cents per bushel over the frs
price fixed by the Government
No other country in the worlt
during the war became a specul
ator in the products of the soil
While Canada fixed a price O.
$2.15 at the primary markets
the Government RENTED to tn,
farmer anything that was re
ceived over $2.15 a bushel. II
1920 the Canadian farmer re
ceived an average of $3.50
bushel for his wheat, while OF
this side of the line the falme-
was forced to be satisfied will
1925 a bushel.
An effort was made to pc
some information from tn,
Grain Corporation as to the pro
fits the Government made on
of handling the farmers wheat
during the war. No report ha.
been made by the Grain Corpor
alton up to the present time
and those in charge seem to b.
able to give very little informa
ton, so the committee is unabl
to state just how much prof
the Government made out O
handling the farmers whea
during the war.
1t was brought to the atten
ton of the committee that Will
this Government ceased pun