FARMER VITALLY CON * CERNEDINjAILROADS What the European War Means to the American Farmer. That every city of any size in the country is full of thousands of idle 1 men at the present moment is a fact * well known to every reader of news papers—for hardly st day passes that the press is not full of comment about the hungry thousands who stand in the “bread line” and patronize the free “soup houses” in every large center of population. Nor is this state of af fairs due to the policy of any particu lar political party, but rather the out growth of conditions which have been slowly but surely crystalizing for a number of years. In the first place, the Corn Belt—the great bread basket of the Nation—has had a series of slim crops in most sections, and this nat urally has had a depressing effect upon business conditions. Again, we have been passing through a period of industrial readjustment—of changing from the loose methods which pre vailed a dozen or so years ago over to a policy of strict government control of public service corporations and a sharp inquiry into the conduct of all other large corporations—and, in try ing to stamp out the abuses of the past, the pendulum has swung so far in the other direction that so far as the rail roads are concerned, at least, it threatens to precipitate the most of them which are not already in the hands of ij^eivers upon the rocks of That the depressed financial condi tion of the railroads is largely respon sible for the great army of unem ployed was vividly demonstrated by a prominent St. Louis newspapaer re cently when it showed that nine / St. Louis manufacturing establish ments which deal in railroad supplise employed 14,673 men one year ago, whereas now they employ only 4,503, with a reduction in their pay rolls amounting to $588,700 per month, or over seven millioin dollars a year. If the effect upon only nine enterprises is as far reaching as this, what would the figures show if they were available for similar industries and the hundreds of other enterprises affected in a greater or less degreee throughout the country ? Nearly all of these concerns have on hand hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of finished equipment which was ordered by the railroads a year or so ago, but which they have not been able to pay for; in the mean time, not being able to pay for goods already ordered the railroads are not placing any new contracts, and unless they receive speedy assistance from a Nation-wide standpoint the tendency will be for labor conditions to grow worse rather than better. In last week’s article we referred to the fact that the railroads are the largest employers of labor in the United States and that during the last fiscal year they paid out over thirteen hundred million dollars in wages to the army of men and women who con duct their business. We also referred to the fact that they paid out almost a thousand million dollars for steel, coal, lumber and other supplies of which they are the largest consumers in the country, and therefore the chief ' support of the hundreds of thousands employed in these great industries. In view of these facts, is it not plain to earn a reasonable income if the millions of American laboring men are to be kept proflitably employed ? Does not any man know that if the thousands who are this moment hunt ing for work in Chicago, St. Louis, New York, Pittsburgh, Cleveland and other large cities were profitably em ployed that it would mean a higher price for what the farmer has to sell and that it would be reflected in the receipts of every merchant and the output of every factory in the Nation? In view of such a serious state of things it must be clear to any thinking man that it is of tre- . mendous importance to the whole country that the railroads be permitted to increase rates and readjust their affairs. Can the average farmer or business man afford to oppose the small increase in rates which is nec essary to once more put the railroads upon a sound basis ? Is not the amount of passenger fare or freight which the average farmer or other cit izen pays out during the year a mere bagatelle when measured against the lucrative employment and the buying power of the miliions of American la boring men ? ANOTHER SERIOUS PHASE. Important as is the employment of labor, there is another very serious phase of this problem which calls for profound thought at the hands of all thinking citizens, and especially the farmer. In last week’s article we cited the fact that in their desperate efforts to make both ends meet, many rail roads are “burning the candle at both ends”—that in order to bolster up their securities and keep dut of the hands of receivers the rolling stock and roadbeds of many lines have been deterioating rapidly for a number of years and hence are in no position to handle a big season’s tonnage, should the strain of a heavy crop year sud denly descend upon them. That the great foreign war will produce the highest prices ever known for the foodstuffs produced by the farmer is admitted on all hands, and if there ever was a time when he will need ade quate and efficient shipping facilities it will be during the next two or three years—and yet we are actually facing perhaps the most prosperous period the American farmer has ever known with many American railroads in a di lapidated physical condition. No sooner had the great European war burst upon the world than Congress realized that our merchant marine was utterly weak and inefficient. Steps were at once taken to make the best of the sit uation and to repair as speedily as possible our neglected shipping facili ties upon the high seas—and that the handicap has already cost the Ameri can people million of dollars during the last few months is so patent that it requires no extended comment. It is ' one thing to have markets in all parts i of the world which have heretofore i been supplied by the great warring na- 1 tions begging for American goods and i foodstuffs—but it is quite another i thing to have American ships in which 1 to deliver these cargoes. ] Will we now add to the neglect of 1 an adequate merchant marine the fur- 1 ther folly of permitting our railroads i to get into such a weakened physical ] condition that they will break down 1 under the strain of delivering the pro- | ducts of the farmer and the manufac- 1 turer at our ocean ports and thus j largely waste the great opportunity for ( profit which the foreign war will un questionably bring to us? This is a phase of the present situation which commands the serious thought of every farmer in Nebraska and the Corn Belt generally—for here is where the lion’s ] share of the nation’s foodstuffs are produced and here is where farmers 1 cannot afford to be hampered by inade quate transportation facilities if they I are to make the most of favorable market opportunities. ( There is not a single manager of a Central or Western railroad who will J not admit that the present supply of first-class freight locomotives and box I cars could not successfully meet the requirements of several bountiful crop pears—and yet they haven’t the funds with which to supply this equipment and thus be prepared for the emer- J ?ency when it comes—as it undoubt edly will. FARMERS WILL PROFIT. In this connection, it is opportune ;o say that the American farmer is cer- I ;ain to reap a larger profit from the chaotic conditions which exist in Europe than any other class of trades men or citizen. So far as our manu- J Facturers are concerned, while new I markets are undoubtedly beckoning to ;he United States, yet on the other i land, for several years to come, the splendid trade which we enjoyed in j Germany, England, France, Austria ind Russia on our manufactured prod- j lets is certain to remain demoralized —and thus we will be fortunate if we / lo not lose more than we can hope to ?ain in new fields, with whose needs j we are not yet familiar, and to which t is certain to require some years to j idjust ourselves. It is the American farmer, however, j who has no complications ahead of _ lim, and whose flour, pork, beef, mut ton and other foodstuffs must be de pended upon to make up the shortage which is already looming big in the listance because the harvest fields of the most fertile sections of Europe p have been converted into shambles s For the contending armies. Exports of ^ oreadstuffs from the United States in j November were valued at $40,250,000, ^ or almost four times as much as in ^ November of last year, while meat and q lattle exports amounted to nearly $14,- j 000,000, or a gain of over 20 per cent j over last year, and this despite our j. miserable shipping facilities on the c high seas. v In the light of these facts, was there d ever a time when the farmers of Ne- g braska and other Corn Belt states can ^ view the future with as much assur- £ ance, or when they can so well afford to treat fairly every other great in dustry in the nation as now? Putting it in the terms of sound busi- 1 ness policy, was there ever a time ] when they should do their part to the r{ ertd that American labor may be profit- ( ably employed in all the great chan- t nels of industry, and that our trans- ( portation systems may be kept up to a ' high point of efficiency, so that it may ) adequately discharge the heavy ship- ] ping burdens which will undoubtedly | descend upon it in the not distant future ? MORE RAILROADS NEEDED. \ Nn other single agency in the Nation ■ has had more to do with the advance- , ment of land values than have the railroads, and as evidence of this fact, • the proximity of a farm to the market , almost invaribly fixes its selling value. Nebraska and every other Cen- ; tral or Western state is still in dire ; need of hundreds of miles of addi- i tional railroad mileage, and these new lines will not be built until American railroad securities are re-established as a paying investment—and this, on the basis of present railroad earnings, is out of the question. Nearly all our present lines were built years ago, when railroad investments were looked upon with favor at home and abroad, and hence, if there is a class of citi zens in the land who should be vitally interested in rescuing the railroads from the pitiable plight in which they find themselves at the present moment it is the farmer. As a matter of fact, were it not so tremendously far-reach ing in its effect, the controversy over a slight increase in railroad rates in any f course and say nothing about it— md in the past we have opposed a square deal for the railroads largely because the people did not understand heir importance to the nation, be :ause they were angered at occasional ibuses which strict governmental reg ilation has forever eliminated and be ause for some years designing politi :al opportunists have found abuse of he railroads an easy road to public preferment. That public sentiment, lowever, is changing rapidly and that ve will soon reach a sane understand ng between the people and the rail oads, which are so vitally essential to he agricltural and commercial pro cess of every community in the na ion, is becoming more and more ap parent every day. (Paid adv. To be ontinued.) Supervisors’ Proceedings. (Continued from last week.) [ettle, Henry . ...'.from 2-1-90 to 7-1-90 234.02 'wohill, Michael . ...from 3-25-90 to 6-8-90 31.72 Idgerton, Emma. _form 3-1-90 to 4-6-90 15.43 fleason, Dolla . _from 3-4-90 to 8-1-90 63.87 udd, Philip. . .from 7-13-90 to 10-28-90 45.43 aker, Winnifred . ...from 9-25-90 to 7-8-91 44.58 Total.. $2,289.19 Hastings Hospital. udd, Philip. ..from 10-29-90 to 7-3-91 118.29 Total. $118.29 Totals. $3,587.01 ec. 31, 1899, interest. $ .52 Grand Total. $3,587.53 Credits. eb. 15, 1892 . $ 169.10 ec. 21, 1888, by Treasurer receipt No. 14210. .27 ec. 29, 1888, by Treasurer receipt No. 14253. .65 eb. 10, 1900, by Treasurer receipt No. 14904. .13 eb. 14, 1900, by Treasurer receipt No. 15094. .94 pril 7, 1900, by Treasurer receipt No. 15671. .83 une 8, 1900, by Treasurer receipt No. 16330. .22 ec. 12, 1900, byTreasurer receipt No. 17877. .17 iov. 23, 1905, by Treasurer . receipt No. 44036 .29 Total.$ 172.60 Amount due. $3,415.93 Mr. Chairman: Your committe ap ointed to check over the statement ;nt to this board in regard to the laintenance of insane patients from [olt county, find that the records in le office of the Clerk of the District ourt show that all patients except ne Wm. H. Wilbert, said patient eing a Brown county charge from •ecember 7, 1885, to March 18, ’87, lerefore the amount charged to this ounty for the said Wm. H. Wilbert, rhich is $202.74. This should be de ucted from the amount as shown in aid statement from the state auditor rhich is $3,414.93 which should be fter deducting $202.74 be $3,212.19. Respectfully submtted, M. P. Sulivan. January 12, 1914. Hon. M. P. Sul ivan, O’Neill, Nebraska. Dear Sir: teferring to yours of January th, in reference to insane ac ount of Holt county, will say that he patient Wm. H. Wilbert was first ommitted from Holt county on June , 1882. Commitment papers signed ,y Sanford Parker, Clerk, F. M. Ben ter, exemining physician. She was irought to the asylum by Barnabus Velton, sheriff of Holt county. Holt county paid for the care of his patient up until Brown county vas organized and the charges on mr statement for this patient is from December 1, 1885, to March 18, 1887, ind it would appear that this entire harge of $202.74 during this time vould be a proper charge against Drown county instead of Holt county ind it will suit this office if you de luct the $202.74 from the itemized statement mailed you, for the reason that same should have been rightfully charged to Brown county. In regard to patient Winnifred Ba ker, I beg to advise that our statement was not entirely clear. From the statement charge appears to cover from September 25, 1890, to July 31, 1891, which latter date was corrected by my letter of January 9th to Jan uary 6, 1891. This patient was away from Norfolk during this period and the charge for her covering the fol lowing dates. From 9-25 to 11-30-90.$28.72 From 12-1-90 to 1-6-91.$16.86 The records seem to show that she left the asylum on January 6th al though she was not offically dscharged until May 1, 1891, and charges are made only until January 6th. We believe the Winnifred Baker to be correct, and are enclosing herewith letter from Dr. Guttery in regard to hre. We hope to receive notice of favor able action on this claim, less $202.74, and hope same may be taken tway to morrow. Very respectfully, W. B. Howard, Auditor. By W. L. Minor, Deputy. Mr. Chairman: I move that this board may make the necesssary levies in the year 1915, to pay off the amount due the state from Holt county for the , care and maintainance of Insane pa tients from December 1, 1885, to July 31, 1891, amounting in all to $3,212.19. 1 M. P. Sullivan. C. A. Fauquier. Motion carried. * Upon motion the board continued ^ auditing claims against Holt county. * Upon motion the following cdaims * were allowed against the general fund: 1 R. L. Arbuthnot.$ 19.50 * R. L. Arbuthnot. 12.15 ! R. L. Arbuthnot. 12.00 1 R. O. Anderson. 4.50 The Atkinson Graphic. 32.40 1 Chas. Brown. .*. 7.60 1 H. J. Benjamin. 4.00 ' James A, Butler. 4.50 1 W. B. Baxter.. 15.80 1 E. J. Gild. 22.26 1 W. H. Griggs. 47.50 < Lee Baker. 131.50 1 Lee Baker. 19.50 J D. E. Beck. 4.00 J W. B. Cooper. 10.30 r Chambers Bugle. 1.65 "■ P. J. Conley. 14.00 1 Frank Campbell. 7.00 1 D. H. Cherry. 7.50 1 Charlie Clauson. 10.00 Geo. Crawford. 4.00 ' Chas. Crosser. 4.00 ( J . The First Time at Popular Prices—the Play Dear to Millions [ “The Everlasting Success” v Not a Moving Picture I Porn Coyne. 200.00 i. A. Conrad. 4.00 rames Carman. 25.55 Imos Davis. 12.00 Jeo. W. Davies. 7.50 )r. W. J. Douglas. 25.00 ames Davidson. 16.05 !. F. McNichols. 1,000.00 lert Fried. 7.70 3. M. Fowler. 7.00 !. F. Famer. 4.00 1. G. Garnick. 12.00 \ H. Griffith. 4.35 4. Gill. 18.85 4ort Gill. 18.80 !. W. Green. 4.60 t. A. Greenslit. 4.00 ^rank Howard. 38.50 ''rank Howard. 16.45 Jeo. M. Henry. 1.00 I. C. Henning. 2.00 . W. Holcomb. 4.00 . V. Johnsoin. 18.60 'heo. Kubart. 113.32 'heo. Kubart. 4.00 Vm. Kidd.. 14.00 ’. J. Keyes. 3.00 imma Kunz. 5.00 ohn Leinhart. 5.56 V. K. Hodgknsi. 20.22 ieo. A. Miles. 467.10 T. F. Mathews. 6.00 A. W. Miller. 5.00 Mable Meredith. 45.00 James O’Donnell. 2.00 Ralph Pinkerman. 8.00 H. L. Page. 4.00 Nebr. Tel. Co.. 41.66 Trussell & Binders. 4.80 E. L. Twiss. 7.00 H. F. Rakow. 16.00 H. F. Rakow. 4.00 James Root. 1 11.40 Brook & Richards. 28.85 L. W. Roberst. 95.