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Show TEXAS WOULD AID KAILROAuS Farmers' Union at Fort Worth Year Ago Declared That Facihtret Should Be Improved. Tt has been represented that the farmers generally have been opposed to the movement to increase railroad freight rates, but that is not the position posi-tion taken bv the farmers of Texas, remarked Sherline Palk of Fort Worth, while in Washington recently. "Tne Farmers' union at Fort Worth a year ago declared that railroad facilities should be improved and mileage Increased, In-creased, and that undoubtedly rellects the sentiment of the farmers of the St"Thf re are approximately 2.500 miles of railroad in Texas in the hands of receivers, and in 19H less than fifty miles of new track was laid. If we are to improve facilities we must have an increase in net revenue, which can only come from au increase in rates or a reduction of operating expense;:. "I believe it to be the attitude of a!l farmers in Texas that capital invested in railroad property should receive as good compensation as capital invested 1n agriculture, which, as a general average, av-erage, is about 5 per cent. Employees Em-ployees of railroads should receive an average wage as high as farmers, who get approximately seven cents an hour for 13 hours a day, and their board and washing. The farmer should not be asked to pay capital and labor higher wages for hauling his products to market than he pays to the men on the farm, but he is willing to pay them as well. The farmer does not advocate a reduction of wages as a solution so-lution of the railroad problem, and it seems that the only way under the circumstances cir-cumstances is to grant the roads the increase they ask in freight rates, which will enable them to improve their facilities and extend their mileage, mile-age, and thereby help the farmer." |