4—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 9, 1966 From Where We Stand... Favorite Washington Game Pin The Tail On The Farmer On March 31, the U.S. Department of Agriculture put out a news release saying that farm and food prices had leveled off. The report showed that average prices received by farmers between mid-February and mid-March were down somewhat, and lower retail food prices were promised with the pre diction that farm prices would show further price declines as the year goes on. On the same day, March 31st, Pre sident Johnson told the nation that one of the primary culprits in the cur rent inflationary spiraLwas food prices. Food means farmers, so, in effect, John son was saying to the nation of con sumers -that the farmers not John son’s own wild spending spree were causing inflation. He urged American housewives to boycott foods that were too high-priced. Now is it possible the President isn’t on the same USDA mailing list that we are? Or perhaps he just wasn’t briefed by agriculture secretary Free man. More likely, he was simply look ing for a scapegoat, and who makes a better federal scapegoat than the farm er? This “pin the tail on the farmer” game is also played another way. It’s called manipulating surpluses. The way it works is to encourage farmers to create surpluses of certain products and put theSv. into government storage. Then, when the market price for these commodities gets too high, in the Admin istration’s judgment, government stocks can be dumped at below parity prices to drive down the open-market price. A current example of this techni que is the recent increase in the sup port price on soybeans. Freeman an nounced it was being raised 25 cents per bushel to a level of $2 50 cents for the 1966 crop to give farmers more in centive to grow soybeans. He said the annual carryover of beans was insuffi cient to meet demand What he meant was it was insufficient to put enough beans into government storage so he could dump them on the open market when he felt the price was too high next year In recent months, both Johnson and Freeman must have been consider ably frustrated for they had no sur pluses with which to drive down some of the first equitable farm prices in years Thus the other gambit, tell the housewives it was their duty to boycott the higher-priced farm products It should be evident to even the most near-sighted citizens that the present administration doesn’t care two figs for the farmers’ well-being To the Johnson-Freeman team the farmer is Incentive For More Soybean Production Seen in Support Hike In addition to extending the wheat and teed giain Mgnu'p tune to Apul s la->t Lancaster Farming Lancaster County’s Own Farm Weekly P O Box 266 - Lititz, Pa. 17543 Offices: 22 E Main St. Lititz, Pa 17543 Phone - Lancaster 394-3047 oi Lititz 626 2191 Don Timmons, Editor Robert G Campbell, Adver tising Du ector SttbsuipUon puce—s 2 per -in La nr aster Count}, year 53 elsewhne Established November 4," 1955. Published every Satur day by Lancaster Farming, Lit itz, Pa. j; * \ *• * % simply a food-growing machine design- . - ed to nourish the Great Society flock at i cost, or less. ★ When Money Flows Down, Power Flows Up Gov. George Romney of Michigan recently addressed a group of Young Republicans on the subject of the “new centralism”, or super-federalism, of the Johnson administration. Romney pointed out that “Federal funds for federal projects built to feder al specifications are being poured into big cities. And as the money flows down, power flows up.” It has ever been so, but now this trend seems to have taken on the momentum of a national drive. Romney expressed the fear that the federal coordinators who will supervise each of these projects locally will eventually become as “federal mayors”. He predicts they will one day, if this trend is allowed to continue, supplant local, elected authority, and will be come the real policy makers and operating heads of the major cities. As one alternative to this direct federal pipeline to our major cities, Romney suggests federal tax money should be fairly distributed to include state and local governments. Another, and more basic alternative, is that when problems can be solved on a local level of government this should be done, rather than running to Big Daddy every time there is a community crises. Basic decisions, as charity, should begin at home. If we want our deci sions made by bureaucrats in Washing ton, the latter will be only too happy to comply. If we continue to grab greedily at the tainted bait of federal money, we are wantonly giving away our most prized possession freedom. And one by one that will include all the freedoms. Want a prediction? We predict that by 1968 this over-federalized approach to government will be the key national election issue. And while we’re predict ing, we would not be surprised to see Gov. Romney in the role of the Re publican Presidential Candidate. He is building an attractive image suc cessful businessman, successful adminis trator of a major state; vigorous and dynamic personality; but above all, a man of principle who has had a snoot ful of federal waste and paternalism. The fact that he openly denounced the conservative Republican candidates in 1964 may also work to his advantage. Time will tell, and there will be dozens of candidates on the scene between now and 1968, but we’ve just got a dumb hunch that Romney looks like a winner ■week. Secretary of Agricul ture Freeman also announced an mtiease ot 2o cents per bushel m the suppoi t price foi -oi beans, bunging the puce let el to 50 per bush el lot the Ifi ciop teai In making the announce ment Fieeman said “Todaj’s action sues sot bean pioduc e’l s an incentite loi added planting bt ipi ending definite assuiance ot a substantial m ciease in the minimum puce level toi the coining soybean c i op He suggested that soybeans oltei tainieis a good cash al tername to com with the lattei continuing in surplus In spite of the me leasing bean supply in lecent >eais kj; is not keeping up with ■de mand Fieeinan said He wants iiioie annual cantoyei o£ so beans -Fieeman said the higher support pure will he ie v-ewed pilot to any Ir*1 r * G 7 suppoi t annount einent • Beekeepers (Continued from Page 2) chairman ot Hoiticultuie Ex tension at Penn State He has been truit specialist since 1047 Bittner is a >nienibei ot several piotessional societies and the Pennsylvania Hoiti culluie Association In lOfis he tiaveled aiound the vvoild obsen-ina ti uit pioduction in ranous countnes A smoigasboid dinnei has been anauged at 12 75 per pei son Resen ations should be made betoie Monday - Weather Forecast Fair skies *rate high on the weatherman’s list of promises for the next seveial days, particulary for the Easter weekend. However, temperatures will average a little below noimal through most of the five-day period. Precipitation is expected to 'be very light for the entire period, with perhaps a total of .1-inch occurring as showers Saturday night. • ur 7 whir* ow tiUglon baa mors pr«. ‘int, _ / tig* and influence than aver, thi \k V®}tlll 15* "*v world 1> vary stubborn la j,cjjjjjj z\ ' > resistance to tha Ideal* and tin ! * A SPEAKS Ufa of tha church, Tha church ’ atanda for God; the contemporary - -i-- y', ' world livta a* If God were dead. t C \ ~ T , j The church honor, thehome; tha world tear* It down. Tha church ■MiiiWMrWiiißittiiii'iM.'M meachei chastity and calls un- chastity tin; tha world (to judga by the movies) find* unchastity merely funny. And "" will boon he a weekh clu’ie a sharp set ot niowei blades is ,a v \ ? r >'i important ie f l" ,ie luent ,in-dping a good l (),) 0 Tilts is ebiie (, ‘' ' true with the blades on tary moweis Jlany I,O " |S owneis tail to keep shall) and the .grass n» hen" -oft. „(>t oii(« ‘ j -slilitld'i be sharpened tunes during the season laige areas are to lj e weekly. > " 3 k. 5 ~ > -V V 4 J? "