Salt Lake Telegram | 1924-01-20 | Page 2 | Reduce Freight Rates, Appeal Made to Aid Reclamation Farmers

Reduce Freight Rates Rates' Appe Appeal l Made to Aid Reclamation Farmers Washington Delegates Tell Fact Finding Com Commission mission Repeal of Transportation Act l Will Do Much Much- to Save Producers Producers Producers Pro Pro- Under Projects f I i AN N appeal for fOl a led reduction in freight rates and the rep repeal ai- ai of the transportation act of 1920 were urged by the Y Yakima kima Washington r reclamation cam tion project delegation as the best method of assisting the farmers o of the West Vest out of their present plesent economic and financial difficulties The testimony was s presented to the federal fed ral finding fact fact commission at at tJ the e Hotel Utah which closed the the- third day of the investigation on into the j conditions of the twenty eight Western reclamation projects Sa Saturday afternoon day Out o of the he mass mass o of t testimony stin ony that has been p presented to o the commission by the project delegates dele dele- gates and the s I water users users users' associations and and Uie the c cross oss nation of the fact finders fact the fol folI following tel tel- I lowing wIng conditions b have ha v been in iner inferred inferred in- in in er ed t That the farmers on on most of ot th the Western reclamation lands arf are unable un nfl able to pay par paron on the projects' projects con con construction construction charge and in itt some I ln 1 stances stances' unable to make malte payment on the operation a and d maintenance charge That the delegates have been u un unable up- up able to present a thorough intelligent intelligent intelli intelli- gent pl plan n to help the farmers out of oC their difficulties Th That t an increase of ot productivity of ot the land would afford a means of 01 relief but that that Increase would cause additional expenditures without security that it woold bring results That government reclamation has be been been- beena n a failure and mistakes were made in taking over Dver and developing some of the projects especially th Ue the King Hill That high freight rates and postwar postwar post post- war economic conditions add to tire tIle distressing financial circumstance circumstances circumstance of ot the farmers The finding fact-finding commission will resume its hearings bearings on Monday londay morning at 9 o'clock when the fir firt t delegation to be heard will be the tio I remainder of oC the representation of ot the Grand Valley project o of Cola- Cola rado Th Tho Yakima project which WM was ws f faIred aired Saturday presented the same plight as several se of ot the other pro pro- fi H. H M. M Gilbert presenting the case declared that that- farmers asked for an extension of ot twenty y ye years rs from 1923 to to on the construction charge which is due to be completed In lii 1931 Th The YakIma project includes c acres and was was started in n 1911 he continued The TIle construe construe- tion charge is 93 and 3 per annum annum is main main-i I charged for tor operation and At present there are I acres of ot land which which- have n nd ad water and the only means of oC securing and developing eloping that section ot I the pro project pro 4 II is for an expansion of the thea water water wa wa- ater ter storage and piping Mr Gilbert said in discussing the effect of high freight rates on the tho farmers that an orchard In the tha Yakima project produced a freight earning of or per acra acie acre 1 last year ear and that jn in 1922 freight earning to the railroad was on the same ame orchard Discussing the transportation act tt Mr Gilbert said If It the railroad cannot make what the they ar are permitted permit permitted ted to malte under the transportation tion act o of 1920 and at the present high rates how are they going fo make themselves pay pa- when the rates are dropped back to prewar levels That is where the transportation transportation tation act shows shows shows' its weakness 1 Lower rates must be had to save the farmer arlIer yet et the railroads complain complain com corn plain under the transportation act they to even secure the the 5 H per cent permitted perD by them total to to tal take e. e The case of ot the YakIma project was presented by the following delegation Fred Langford S. S G G- Harrison C C- C CW W W. W Foister Judge Judg Ralph Kauffman W W. l L Barker S S. S B B. B Chaffee H. H M. M Gilbert and F. F FO O Oi T D. D i W. W presenting tes 4 mon mony for the Grand Valley project asked for a reduction of ot the 1 per percent percent cent penalty on farmers who could i inot not meet their charges and begg begged d the commission to extend payment t ton on on- the construction charge chare M He admitted that the Grand Valley Valley Val Val- ley Icy project was satisfactorily cort con 1 and that it was better than the private reclamation projects In Inthe Inthe inthe the district The other delegates toi testify were C. C E. E BlumenshIne and 9 C J. J McCormick McCormick- 1