4 —Lancaster Farming, Saturday. January 31, 1959
Editorial - -
A pair of local announcements com
ing to th s desk within the past week con
cerned 1 nked problems in Lancas l er far
ming as well as farming everywhere
m the Unted States.
'The first of these announcements
'■came from the Lancaster County Land
Use Committee, composed chiefly of su
pervisors of local federal and state agen
cies directly- or ndirectly involved m land
management wkhin this area. The actual
"legwork'7 or on-the-spot mapping by
ihe comm ttee was conducted by W.
Martin Muth, SCS work-umt-conservation
isf, who probably knows more about the
sods, fafm.ng areas and land uses of this
county than anl other one man.
Through a massive random-sample
measuring system the committee compil
ed their estimate of land uses within the
county last spring and summer. They
compared this with the acre-by-acre
County Soil Survey completed by SCS .n
1938 and 1950 census figures on land
use = temper ng the stahsticai results
with their knowledge of the area, its for
mers. changes m farm practices, and ur
ban development.
The end result A valid estimate of
approx tnotely 15,000 acres, or four per
cent of the county's farmlands, diverted
.from agriculture to other uses. This diver
sion covers a per od of at least 1350 -
1958, and due to the correlaton of the
earlier Soil Survey with Census figures,
cm undetermined port on of the 1940's
At the same time, the Farmers Home
AdrrLnistration's county supervisor, R.ch
ord W. Hoover, has announced an in
crease m h s agency's mvesiment limit ,n
Lancaster County farms to $40,000 for
-one farm-ownership loan. Ths increase
was required by "changing economc
conditions makng it necessary for local
farmers to make larger investments in
iarms and farming operations including
such ihmgs as stable cleaners, p.pe-1 ne
milkers*and bulk m Ik tanks."
It is obvious that some of this in
crease at least was required by the r sing
cost of land m Lancas'er County Reflect
ing a nationwide trend which has pushed
farmland values ,nto space faster and
farther than the Soviet "Lunkik."
Which brings us by way of the
back pasture to the primary 1 nked
problem. What to do about the increas
ing diversion of fertile farmland to non
agr cukural uses? When less fertile areas
would serve the interests of non-farm
meeds just as well, or better.
Lancaster County is the Garden Spot
It is one of the world's great limestone
-basins. It is threatened wth total urban
ization. This is not a Ight, casual or pass
ing problem. It is growing. Spreading
irom the great metropoll’an complex to
the east and resulting in 15,000 acres of
this country's fertili'y beng d verted
"Within the past few years.
The c t zens of Lancaster County, and
of Pennsylvania, must decide in the near
iutuxe if they wish to perm t the r most
fertile farmlands to be "developed" Un-
THIS
' —ln
:aa
President Eisenhower is on
sound ground when he com
plains that farm programs
now in effect are too costly
and, in addition, ineffective
in controlling either prices or
production.
The new Congress, when
it settles down to tackling
"the sticky problem of farm
.surpluses, will have no dif
ficulty in agreeing v/ith the
President on both counts. It
isn’t, however, likely to
agree with him on what
should be done about it
In support of his conten
tion that farm program costs
are too high, Mr. Eisenhower
Reminded Congress that the
XL S. Department of Agricul
ture this fiscal year will
spend more than $5,000,000,-
000 (b) “for the support of
WEEK
"«hington
<- - idson
With Clin.
Ike To Cut Costs
farm prices on a very
farm products.”
There would be less quar
rel with that huge sum if it
were resulting in prices gen
erally fair to both producers
and consumers. It could be
justified if it showed a reas
onable promise of bringing
production into balance with
market demand.
$2,000 Per Farm
The Department of Agri
culture is spending at the
rate of more than s7jooo 000,-
000 a year. That figures, on
the basis of 3,500,000 farms,
at some $2,000 a year per
farm.
By no means all of that
goes to farmers. Abaut 25%
goes to operating expenses,
including salaries to the
more than 80,000 USDA em-
like the regular election of government
offic als, there is no recall m tins matter.
If the land is "developed", that's it. It is
lost to faming.
Many U. S. counties already have
taken dteps to protect themselves from
th s loss by plac ng fertile oreas irT"farm
zoning districts," according to Erling D.
Solberg of the USDA Ag. Research Ser
v.ce.
He reports that Wisconsin, Michigan
and Minnesota were among the first
states' to- create zoned distr c’s for forest
ry and recreaton. Other states have fol
lowed their lead. California has created
agricultural zomng distr cts where all
non-form activities, even food process ng,
are excluded. The result has been to
save farm pioductivtty and channel ur
ban, suburban or induslral activit.es in
to land areas well suited for them, but
"One cam of agricultural zoning has
been 'and should be to find alternative
areas of less fertile soils that can be-used
satisfactorily for non-farm purpose, thus
preserving the most feri le sods," Dr. Sol
berg says.
A recent survey by his agency shows
that about 17 rrrlhon acres of Classes I -
IV land have been taken out of farm pro
duction wdhm the past 15 years. Much of
it has been the flattest, least erodible,
most productive and most intensively
farmed.
Dr. Solberg urges timely and appro-
action by local at zens to prevent
loss of fertile lands, while a.dng healthy
suburban-industrial growth.
' He reports that four types of zonmg
regulations are available to interested
areas. They are: "Use" laws that restrict
the use to which land can be put. Build
mg-tract regulations that set lower limits
on the size of building lots or tracts;
building-height regulations, and densty-of
-population laws to prevent either darig
erous overcrowding or wasteful scatter-
the suburban population.
For the individual farmer there is the
dec sion of whether he wonts to reta.n
the power to hold his land available for
speculation as a suburban development
site, conlnue farming it himself, or pass
it on to his children.
Agricultural zonmg for Lancaster
County would not only remove fertle
lands from speculation, but, would parti
ally alleviate the pressure for higher and
higher pnces.' This would automatically
result in lower taxes for the future, since
the land could only be taxed for its farm
value and not for the "development" pos
sibilities.
Zoning-power enabling acts for about
half the nation's count es have been pas
sed by state leg.siatures. Lancaster farm
ers might well consider the possibilities
of us.ng this method of preserving their
way of life.
(Copies of Agricultural Information
Bullet n No. 196, "The Why and How of
Rural Zoning", are for sale by the Super
intendent of Documents, U. S. Govt. Print
ing Office, Wash. 25, D.C. Price: 40 cents
each)
However, with record crops
ployees. Another 25% is the harvested and increased mar
cost of export subsidies,
school lunches and other sur- , u „ _ ~
plus disposal .programs. fault "with the President s
_ • - demand for action
During 1958 the govern- congress has adopted many
merit paid farmers more than f « h recommendations
$1 billion as a 'part of the ma(Je by Secretary Benson
IS"th °j and backed by the President.
SS c”Sr“ p^oSa“ s 11 1 1“’ howeVer ' re,used 40
Y““a™“™» V the P^ SS f, L a " d “ ",
„ . Administration would have
number of acres in cultiva- , . ,
‘ Most “«» s su W>° rted
er before g P at 90 %of parity when Mr.
_ " . Eisenhower became Presi-
Government holdings of <jent in 1953. Congress has
farm surpluses. Mr. Eisen- agreed to a lowering of sup
hower estimated, soon will port on most of those to 75%
reach $9,000,000,000, another G f parity, and to 60% and
record high The cost of han- 65% for others,
dling and storing that sur- “We still need," the Presi
plus, he estimated, will be a jjjent told Congress, “greater
billion debars a year. freedom for our farmers to
The president points out manage their own farms and
that such expenditures might greater freedom for markets
be justified for a temporary to reflect the wishes of pro
period if they were leading ducers and consumers.” By
to a sound solution of-, the that he means fewer produc
farm problem. The farm situ- tion controls and lower price
ation, though, is getting supports
few
worse instead of better.
What Next ?
The situation, Mr. Eisen- President’s farm recommend
hower emphasized, calls for ations, or develop some pro
prompt and forth right act- gram that would begin to
ion.’ r We need, he said, new make_ some sense to both far
legislation. Congress can find mers and consumers.
ISiblo Material: Luke 20 19-26.
Devotional Reading: Romans 13 1-10.
In Two Worlds
Lesson for February 1, 1959
ONE WAY the enemies of Jesus
tried to ruin him without going
to the extreme of violence, was to
try to make him ridiculous, - to.
show him up as a teacher without
answers, a sage without wisdom.
So they asked him one day a ques
tion they could not have dared to
answer them
selves. Since Pal
estine was ai
occupied country 1
at the time,, 'i'
was a very:-'hot
question an’-deed -
Is it right to pas,
. taxes, to. Rome ‘
“Yes” -wotil
mean the man
who answered
was a traitor to his people; "No”
would get'a man into jail.
The Face on fiie Money
Jesus’ answer was not all Yes
nor all No.,As he had done before,
he put the question right back to
the questioners. First he asked to
see a denarius. The very name of
the coin was Roman; it would be
about what a workman m those
days would make in a day. Of
course the only money the Romans
would accept for taxes would be
Roman money. Like all hard
money, this piece had a picture on
it, and some words in Latin around
the edge of it. JESUS forced the
priests’ spies to admit that the pic
ture was of His Majesty the Em
peror, then Tiberius Caesar; and
the Latin words also referred to
him. In short, the whole thing was
Roman. They would be reminded
that the Romans came to Palestine
in the first place by the Jews’ re
quest; that they had brought peace
to the torn land; that the roads and
public safety were maintained by
the Romans ... all with tax money.
Some of the tax denarius would
stay right in the province The face
on the money spoke for itself. The
Imperial Government had a right
to lay a tax. “Give to Caesar what
belongs to Caesar,” Jesus said; but
added in-the_same breath—“and to
God what belongs to God.”
'5B Net Farm Income Up 20 &
Mainly due to higher prices for cattle and hogs, pi
received by farmers in 1958 averaged more than five
cent above 1957, according to the USDA Agricultural!
kcting Service.
First estimates, indicate a
10 per cent gain in cash re
ceipts over 1957, and a gain
of about 20 per cent m real
ized net farm income
The responsibility rests on
Congress either to accept the
Two Worlds
Ever since that mo ml
followers and critics of >1
had trouble figuring- out|
what Jesus meant. One «
seem clear enough. p o ,|
ment, he was shutting tj
of those who tried to J
look silly. Without sayuj
No to their tricky yofl
question, he called thong
to the fact that they owl
something, and owed q|
thing; and perhaps hinted J
were behind with then m J
on both accounts. Hov.eJ
mg -beneath the surface I
brilliantly simple ansv. Ct l
see a truth which is
for America as it is 01 J
province of the Roman Enj
tunes ago Every man, w|
realizes it or not, is a J
two worlds. One is the hurl
around him, as in Ameuca]
of us owe America a g t j
We can appreciate ouij
more if we stop to think t|
people would like to mj
than to any other coimtrl
globe. Our country has a!
our loyal support.
The' other world is caj
Kingdom or Realm cf God]
visible always (“it cometh
observation”), but it is
important, and infinitely jl
during, than any human I
wealth. If we owe out j
much, we owe the Kmgdoij
yet more. 1
Many Problems
It is not easy to say, ini
possible, just wjiere the I|
of. this earth end and the I
of Heaven begins-. People S
the two worlds as distmJ
people say they overlap ol
is sure: if they overlap, tn!
in us, for we are citizens!
worlds This raises many pi
especially where the l\vo|
overlap. Suppose the Stall
thing is wrong which I kno|
sees it, is right ” Suppose
commands me to do sonij
am quite sure God forbids’!
I should be a good citizen,!
I be a good citizen and gof
my conscience? One third
If I try to be a citizen c|'
world only, I shall find j
sometimes fighting again!
But if I take my citizeij
God’s world only, I shall t|
ferent to my Iniman biotlJ
Bisters. Only by loving bj
and man can I be a good
of both worlds.
(Based on outlines copjnfl
ilio Division o 1 Christian LI
National Council of the Clm
Christ in the XT. S. A, Belq
Community Press- Service.)
keting of hogs, prices of 1
products declined last
and in mid-December >
aged only slightly abo'
year earlier
Farm cost rates are sh
to have continued their
trend, averaging some t'
per cent higher for the J
The report further st
that with improved price'
some products in 1958
11 per cent increase in
output, farm income
sharply increased last 1'
despite increased costs
Patronize Lancaster F<
mg Advertisers.
Lancaster Farmini
Lancaster County’s Own
Weekly !
P O Box- 1124
Lancnstoi, Penna. |
Offices. |
53 N'oi 111 Duke St. [
LancTstei, Penna I
Phone - Lancaster |
RX press 4-3047
Dan McOiew, Editor;
Robert O f’umnbeil Advert';
Dire tor .V Business Wi®*
nstaniiliocl Not ember 4, '1
Published r\oiv Saturday j
Lancast r Fanning, Lancaster*
Filtered as 2nd class matter
Lmcaster, Pa under Act of '
3, IS7I addition il entry at Ik
Joy, Pa
Rates: $2 per v
thiee years ?5. Single copv '
■> i ents
Members Pa Newspaper
ers’ Association. National I'®l
lal Association. !