THE BURDEN OF TRANSPORTATION 71 



years has been due more to inequalities than 

 to the mere fact that rates were high. Had 

 they been high at the time other prices were 

 high there would have been little complaint. 



When railroads get more for hauling farm 

 products than producers are paid for produc- 

 ing them, it is evident that rates are relatively 

 out of line. Much of the depression and stag- 

 nation of business in 1921 was due to the fact 

 that agriculture and industry was strangled by 

 the grip of high rates on transportation. Sheep 

 from our ranges, fruits from Florida and 

 California, vegetables from southern gardens 

 and even staple products could not be sold in 

 the market for enough to pay the freight, con- 

 sequently the producer was obliged to allow 

 them to rot in the field rather than to try to 

 ship these perishable products. Temporarily, 

 of course, farmers kept on making shipments 

 and producing with the hope that rates would 

 soon be adjusted. But any permanent change 

 in the cost of transportation means a decided 

 change in the type of farming to be followed 

 in regions a distance from market. 



To show the effect of these rates on produc- 

 tion of some of our products we have only to 

 consider a few instances. First, there was the 



