4—Lanccartpr Farming, Saturday, March 14. 1959 Editorial - Included .In "farm 'news" originating Thorn 'the USDA this year, is word that the farmers' share of America's food"dol lar Shrank to 39 cents in 1958. At the same, time, the processors' and dislnbu tors' shares increased. .These same .releases make a major point of the -fact that .processing and dis tributing costs are rising,'requirjng a big ger share of the "dollar" for these mdus tnes. These people, USDA reports, must have 'a reasonable profit, or go broke just-Jike farmers. - - lYessir, it'gives a farmer a nice warm - feeling 'to know the .publicity of "ins" gov ' emmental - representative is directed to justifying profits for other folks in’ the food business, "while ignoring his -some what unpleasant predcament. Could it be that word has not yet -reached' Washing ton ihcrt farmers' costs cflso axe rising? - - J Or is-that -important? There is .a %ontirfuin& and 'growing clamor 'for farmer control of agriculture. This is -all well and .good, but 'the-first logical question is Who will lead in '.gaining this control? -• -The relatively, young, but remarkably ,-rrrdture and successful, Commodity Coun cil and its member groups have gained considerable backing, 'but still lack -en ough -active membership to carry weight needed. .Namely, .among farmers. "The 'okhlne' farm groups—Grange, Tam .Bureau ■ arid Farmers Union are still an there .battling. Only .thing is, the r most'effective punches often are landed -an teach -other; although Grange and Partners Union occasionally work tagefh ter in Washington on farm 'legislation. This "big three" of farm political groups is seldom seen together, unless m regard to such programs as the "Agricultural Hall of Fame." hi fact, rb hasn't been too many years since a Federal court in Utah -awarded NFU $25,000 in Uoel judgment from ATB, as an aftermath of propaganda battles m the west. Also, FB now is decidedly cool toward - commodity organizations, staunchly sup ported by the Grange, after early claims that a commodity-by-commodity ap proach couldn't succeed without FB or ganization and guidance. NFU_hcfs had relatively lit le effect on the present administration's farm pro —gram, despite the ''fo.mahty'' election of NFU's president, James Patton to head ‘ the International Federal of Agricultural ‘ Producers (opposed by the single vote of EB). They reaped publicity with the Cattlemen's March durng the southwest ern drought, .'but newspaper clippings make poor fodder, even mixed with mo lasses. Dcvldsan Agriculture Secretary Ben son. has told Congress he is ready to toss' in the towel and give up, the battle to support farm prices and con trol production. “You must admit,” he told the Senate Agriculture Coiri mittee, ‘“that our‘ a'ttempts to control production have fail ed ” “Why”, hw asked, “contin ue a program that is bank rupt’” He says farm products this year will cost taxpayers al most $7 5 billion and that all the country has to show for that is “artificially high” prl ces and S 9 billion worth of excess farm crops in govern ment storage. The way to correct the sit uation he contends, Is to let farm prices seek their law of supply and demand level. It ■doesn’t make sense, he says, to pay farmers to produce for the government Kill or Cure It is bitter medicine that Henson is prescribing for farmers It is the kind of ■blunt talk that few farmers ******* THIS WEEK —ln Washington With Clinton Davidson Time To Quit ever expected to hear from a Secretary of Agricultpre. Benson liold "Congress that if it will give him a free hand he will -start slashing price supports to the point where production will move into use ratherlhan into sto- rage,’ the cost of which is almost a billion dollars a year Hign price supports, Ben- ~~ son says, are the cause of dec i l ?® d , av f r ‘ excessive production. Lower a ® e and that farm in prices, he argues, would cau- declined by one se some farmers to quit far mmg and others to reduce - Thoss ( who disagree with their production Food prices h jr)a ' cite. USDA figures to too, woul d go down. show _ .that the average of Congressmen who are op- f arm income is less than half posing his proposals argue of that of the average factory ‘hat their adoption would - worker, and that the average bankrupt at least a million worker can buy 50% farm famines and drive them hiore food now With pay for' penniless into cities where an "s work than he could already there are almost § in 11)40. million unemployed. They also use USDA figu- A Difference Opinion - res to «how that only a frac- Not everyone, and that ‘tion- of the $7.5 billion in probably includes a major- “farm program costs” -actu ity of Congress, agrees with ally is received by farmers. Secretary Benson. They po- A third of that cost goes for int out that in the past six export of food and fibers to years prices received by far- (Turn to page 11) Grange is' still hobbled by its "19th Century" secret-organization s‘atus .in many areas, with the ceremon ies repelling many proppeceive members; -although the middle-of-fee-road Grange program is looked upon -with * iavcr fey many "farmers. The possibility of - larmer-cooperat.ve is clouded by the ccrcum stances of -com-.- petition between 'groups and individual leaders. Human nature being what it Is, ’many leaders of minor or splinter ' farm groups are to unite for, fear of losing power and position. -Em- -v "ployees are likewise opposed to unity - * talk for fear of dosing -their jobs and se-. cuiiey. With so many key ing personal interests -ahead of the} com-' men .goal, both Co-ops and , -pbhtical - groups are handicapped in the Redder- - ship role, ‘ " Which leaves us wife "the original question of leadership for American agri- '} culture. 1 Despite the miserable chaos., of t- the - : - federcd "farm 'program," it dtUl . appecfrs . the USDA must supply unifying leader-' ship atony time.n the near future.-It'is' the'only organization with adminislrat ve. bodies in every rural county of 'the U.'S.,' providing the framework for -unification. Such an all encompassing organiza tion is an absolute necessity for uniting U. S. famers. It must provide decisive power, arbitration -systems and admmis fcatve personnel to coordinate the divid- - ed..complexities of American agriculture.^ We feel these divisions ’today,''with * ‘Pennsylvania farmers competing with "cheap" milk, eggs and -meat;' while * plagued with the "high" pnce of sup ported feedstuffs. At the same time, for mers near- major markets are pressured' by need to expand marginal operations; while remote farmlands are idled by acreage allotments, the So:l Bank or sheer economic necessity. Eve.y segment of the American econ omy receives some governmental sub sidies; be they tanffs, fast tax wrte-offs, minimum wage laws, public roads, cost sharing cr cash. Agriculture is "included. Virtually every segment of the Ameri can economy is "organized for protection m some manner, doctors, lawyers, mer chants, industrials, labor, truckers, rail roads, airlines, newspapers; the list is endless and includes all major industries —except agncultu e. All of these groups voice objection to subsid-es for agriculture, while demand ing more aid to themselves^-The fact re mains American agriculture as we know it today, cannot survive, unaided, unorganized and controlled from outside. BUT Who shall lead? .Lancaster County’s Own Weekly P O. Box 1524 I Lancaster, Penna. Offices: 53 North Duke St. Lancaster, Penna. Phone Lancaster Express 4-3047 Dan McGrew. Editor; Robert G. Campbell, Advertising Director .& -Business JVfcnager TO SPRAY FOR WILD GARLIC Esta iiahed November 4 1955 ' , ~ , ~ . , . 4 i„ every Saturday by men should be on the alert for till Lancaster Farming. Lancaster, Pa; of- wild garlic; in some years the ii L?ncal'er p\ “** March haS been the time t 0 st3lt ' Joy. 5 Pa ' ,,rilUonal cntrv at l ' To ’ nT weed control with the ester form of 2, 4-D Th’s Subscription Rates- $2 per year: much easier to kill while young and before pastun three years $5. Single copy trice ‘ tn '- v gel started. .! i * lal Association. Lancaster Farm mg t 1 " «lWe Material: Mark 14. SS through. - IDvrotioaal IKa'dlnf: Psalm 23-1-11. tens’Trial .Xt^oqiar MarchUS, 1969 - r 'npHE CtHTßTrtrles the , . ■*• "or io -tt Js.lnteAded. . Sometimes - Jiiif'story rryertestbe -court's ver who‘topi?' tuck *£t 'itWe 'trial 'tin -see that the court. That la tn. the practices help reduce the weather risk TO STOP SOIL EROSION—Spring-time is one 1 good times to establish either straight strips or 1 strips on your farm; if you are still iarming up 3li ' the grade, you might consider the strips and one 1 improve your farm as well as your'farm income ® vention of soil and water losses from your farm 15 ant; don’t think that it is not happening to you ® difficult to recognize on some farms. *** 4 * > -C. The Time ... BY WAX SMITH TO USE X.AMB AND PIG BEOfl These brooders that furnish additt and dryness are very good, mam have been saved through their use, is bad for any new-born creature! is one way to get them started ml way. Should he a good investment worked for others. ’than he,guessed ■ 1 do with J c , u question by vihici. In that'trial v.< Qft question that i„ What will y 0„ d J 0 " Anj» t| dilate asked n what ko do with i judge, -he 1 lied He never would { ■asking a Jewish on statesmanship, Yet "he goes thr ( farce of-asfcing tl bloodthirsty mob,, this innocent prjjj thought'they w e , fence;,but they sentence on- thenu, 'of the people i S no history, it is not a, nor the -voice oi { it'is; apt-then, Jera&iiem. Mobs have wills, they ft 'Orth; .'one this have W The yerdlct of hist God.is seldom in j, T|*faflt*Flni»n y Of course, even i, some twain* behind . thit dignia ' of' chfief-priesti t - scribes/ These w«i Pilate wi -Roman; 'he cared ’ -for,’-local customs, notion#. He did not derataad-why this ] tne object of so mu Pilate mid, "Whai . donc?' r tt is very p • was hot "stalling really was puzzled , scribes and'the «ld« priests "were his u r,esearoh'team whet out of tfifeir court , occasions were rati quirmg reporter h of-those chief pn« _ noon of Good Fn-i they had in the tm perhaps have said i, were there. We mill -suit. We were const the advice that chai emor’s mind. That have been at large! it had not been fori - But .is was murdet For thepe fact-finders All .they .had was pi tion, name-calling Ti - the result; but not * "we never] crime? - (Based on outline* the Division of Chra National Council ot i Christ in the X T . S Community Press Sen