The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-09-16


rivers for navigation purposes was
asked for Of President Coolidge to.
day IN "A communication forwarded
to him, by the American Farm Con
grcss and signed by almost every
farm organization in the Middle and
Far West.
Tlc resolution submitted to the
president were the same rs those
passed by the American Farm Con
grcss in October ~, 1923, and they
were sent under the signature of the
tollo@iHS organizations: The Nation
al Grange, the Farmers Union, the
American Wheat Growers, Associa-
ted; the American Live stock asso.
citation, tho National Live Stock
Producers association, the American
Farm Bureau Federation, thirty state
farm bureaus, Farmers Unions. state
Oranges, state boards Of agriculture
and state or regional marketing as
sociationS.
Those Who Endorsed II
Others who voted for the rcsolu.
ton were Several agricultural col
legeS and experiment stations, cigh-
ty-scvcn county or local farm aSso.
ciations; live stock record associa-
tionS and delegations appointed by
the governors of the following
states; Kansas. Oklahoma. Missouri.
Colorado. North and South Dakota.
Iowa. Illinois. Utah, New Mexico.
Arizona, Texas, Mississippi, Louisi-
ANA, West Virginia, Virginia. New
York, Wyoming. Montana, Idaho,
Oregon. Ohio, Wisconsin, Kentucky
and Nevada
The preamble to the resolution
says:
The President, Washington, -. G..
Sir:--On behalf of the agricultural
interests of the vast interior regions
Of the United States, we respectful
1y ask you to consider the matter Of
imprnving the Mississippi, the Mis-
souri, and the Ohio rivers, for navi.
cation purposes, in the light of the
facts set forth herein.
Any fair consideration for this
subject must allow for the transpor-
tation ..handicaps under which the
farmers and stoclmcn Of our interior
states are - present laboring. Their
average distance from the chief do
nestle markets for their products is
very much greater than that OF
farmers in other states, while most
of their foreign competitors, who
make the world prices that determine
what the prices to tho farmers in
these states shall be, are either much
closer to their domestic markets. on
TO ocean ports, or to both,
mo appeal for charitable or pref.
crcntial treatment on the above nc.
count is made here. Attention i,
called 20 this handicap merely as
one of the reasons why no natural
facility should be withheld from tho
millions of our interior iarmcrs, and
FROM the people of this region in
general"
Inland Waterways
The resolution then says:
THE development Of the inland
waterways is necessary if system
Of transportation adequate for flu.
turc requirements is to be provided
and in order to overcome the pres.
"nt handicap of high freight rates
Waterways afford the easiest, the
cheapest and the most natural means
of moving heavy traffic.
agriculture is earnestly seeking
relief from rates that deny to Amer
lean producers transportation cost:
comparable to those of their com
petitors in other countries, an,
from stoppagcs and congestion due
to the inability of the railroads tt
handle the peak loads of production
We urge the prompt construction OF
the Great Lakcs-St. Lawrence Wa
tcrway, and the improvement of the
Mississippi, the Missouri and the
Ohio rivers, in order that water
transportation and water rates may
he available to and from the great
interior production and population
center
Many Benefits
me COMMUNICATION then tells the
president OF 'he many pehciits TO DC
derived from the Improvement. ~
says:
HoeHu'te Improvement VIII result
IN rover lreight rates upon nulky
.oh'hoo'..cS' just as surely as inc
tahah'a 'aha' mas performed y Ike
service Tor tfamScohn,hehta. ana IN.
tercoasIal tra1!lc. ne advance OF
ehsineer!hs science, together WIN
the de'ei"pment OF boats ana barges
pe''er aoapteu 10 river cohuitlcns
gre overcoming tue hanaIcaPs tha'
nave heretofore existed ana arc
"'ahHk river navigation possible on
an extensive scale.
Nohipe'it'oh between ran carriers
IN TIE matter OF rates Is not suttl'
',eH.: nor oocs ]" Always exist: ,o'n
petition between different Kinds OF
ca'Iier service IS hecdea. instances
are numerous wherein o'anket IN,
.reases OF wages ana other cost
ITEMS applying equaliy TO all or sew,
efai railroads nave Dccn demanded
ana granted such increases not oelne
properly opposed ov ra1'road exec
uIl'es because inc COSY was so easily
PASSED. OH 10 the pupilc.
Costly Competition
We: have active and costly com
petition between rail carriers for ton
mage. but little or none with regart
to rates.