—Lancaster Farming. Saturday. September 7.1968
4
From Where We Stand ...
Support Grape Growers
The attempted nationwide union boycott
of California grapes in an effort to compel
grape growers to sign contracts with the
United Farm Workers Organizating Com
mitte is of direct concern to all farmers.
This initial endeavor could be the precedent
used to try to force compulsory unionism on
producers of any farm product, particularly
perishables.
. During recent weeks, representatives
of UFWOC and food trade unions have con
tacted food chains and other retail stores
and wholesale market concerns in Eastern
cities to get them to stop handling Califor
nia grapes.
Such efforts have been undertaken in
New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Mil
waukee, Buffalo, Washington, Chicago. De
troit, Boston, Cleveland, and other Eastern
markets. Some of the chain stores and
wholesalers in these markets are cooperat
ing with the union program by eliminating
or curtailing purchases of grapes. Most in
dependent stores and a few chain stores
have not joined in this effort. In many cases
independent stores and in a few cases
chain stores have stepped up their pur
chases and display of grapes.
THE PEAK PERIOD for distribution of
California grapes is from the middle of
August to November 1.
BEHIND THE BOYCOTT of California
grapes is the three-year effort of the United
Farm Workers Organizing Committee, AFL
CIO, headed by Cesar Chavez, ;to enlist
farm workers as members of the union and
to sign contracts with farmers providing for
recognition of the union as bargaining agent
for workers and for dues checkoffs for all
farm workers employed by farmers. The
grape industry has been selected as the ini
tial target.
UFWOC has not been successful in this
effort Only one or two percent of the farm
workers in California have joined UFWOC.
Most of these are workers employed by a
few large wineries who have signed con
tracts with UFWOC requiring union mem
bership of farm workers they employ in the
production of grapes for wine.
VIRTUALLY NONE of the workers em
ployed in the production and harvesting of
grapes for the fresh market are union mem
bers. In fact, in recent months, other or
ganizations of farm workers have sprung up
to oppose UFWOC’s organizing campaign,
One of these is the Agricultural Workers
Freedom to Work Organization which has
organized for the stated objectives of oppos
ing union harassment of workers on the
job and of ending demonstrations at work
ers’ homes at night by union organizers or
sympathizers.
On a number of occasions, UFWOC has
called what it terms a “strike” of grape
workers These have been more in the na
ture of demonstrations. The workers ac
tually employed have continued to work
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Deadline Nears For ASC
Committee Election Vote Page 1
Akers Cow Tops DHIA Report Page I
LANCASTER FARMING
Lancaster County’s Own Farm Weekly
P 0 Box 266 ■ Lititz, Pa 17543
Office 22 E Main St, Lititz, Pa 17543
Phone Lancaster 394-3047 or Lititz 626-2191
Everett R New sw anger, Editor
Robeit G Campbell, Advertising Director
Subscription pi ice S 2 per year m Lancaster
‘County S 3 elsewhere
Established Noi ember 4, 1955
Published e\ ei v Saturday by Lancaster
Farming Lititz, Pa.
Secohd Crass Postage paid at Lititz, Pa.
17543 - ;
Member of Newspaper Farm Editors AsSn.
and have not participated in the strike. The
grape crop is being harvested without parti
cular difficulty despite the harassment of
workers by union organizers. Grftpfe work
ers are not on strike.
THE MINIMUM WAGE in California
for farm workers is $1.65 an hour ($1.35 for
minors). Wage rates paid by California
grape growers to employees paid on an
hourly basis are about $1.70 an hour. But
most grape harvest workers are paid on a
piece rate basis and are easily able to earn
$2.00 to $3.00 an hour, depending on their
production.
California farm workers are also cover
ed by workmen’s compensation, state 'dis
ability insurance, comprehensive regulation
of farm labor housing, and other measures.
HAVING FAILED to sign California
grape workers as union members, UFWOC
has sought, with the active support of na
tional and local food trade unions, to force
growers and farm workers into "Union shop
contracts by getting food distributors to
stop selling grapes in Eastern markets.
The partial success of the boycott is re
ducing the sale of California fresh grapes
and the average prices received by growers.
The critical nature of the problem and
its potential impact upon all farmers by
exposing them to the same union treatment
necessitates action by all of us. It’s time to
buy and eat grapes. Now!
At least that’s the way it looks from
where we stand.
A $lO Haircut!
The National Observer starts off' a fea
ture article on inflation with “Haircuts for
$lO, minus tip. Food bill for a family of
four; $ll5 a week. Cost of a ‘medium-pric
ed’ car: $9,900. An average-quality man’s
suit: $250.” The Observer points out that
such prices appear fantastic, but they are
what we may expect to pay within a very
few years if the present course of inflation
and the depreciation of the dollar continues
unabated.
Even more alarming than the steady
advance of inflation is the apparent indif
ference of the people or at least many of
them to what is going on. The Observer
accounts for this indifference by drawing
attention to the fact that during the past 10
years, on the average, personal income (ex
cept for farmers) in terms of purchasing
power has kept ahead of inflation. Until
very recently, most individuals have en
joyed a complacent ride on the inflation
bandwagon, but the day of reckoning is
near. During the past two years, inflation
price increases has been catching up
to productivity. During the past two years,
the purchasing power of the paycheck of a
man with three dependents has declined.
As The Chase Manhattan Bank of New
York observes, “For many Americans the
apparent economic gams of the past two
years have been only an illustration creat
ed by inflation ” The price of unlimited
government deficit spending is cheaper dol
lars and lower living standards. The rem
edy lies in bringing government spending
into line with taxpayers’ ability to pay.
At least, that’s the way it looks from
where we stand.
Across The Fence Row
A good measure of wealth is: “How
much would you be worth if you lost all your
money and property?’’
Local Weather Forecast
(From the U. S. Weather Bureau at the
Harrisburg State Airport)
The five-day forecast for the period
Saturday through next'.Wednesday calls for
temperatures to average near normal with
daytime higfis in the mid'to upper 70’s and
overnight slows in t3ie 4 'so’s. Normal.high-low
temperature range Jor" the period is JBQ-58.
_ jftaln may total greater, than - Me-half
; mcs \Viih showers likely Monday and Tues-
; <3ay. T '
I fEMOMI MEIUIE
Lesson for September 8,1968
Baclfravnrf Scriptural Nahamlah I Ihrtufh 10*
Oavallanal RMNlinf} Psalms 111,
Soren Kierkegaard, the great
Danish thinker of the nineteenth
century, called the Bible "a letter
from God with our personal ad*
dress on It." The lives of many
men have been changed because
thr ha* fo’ - \d some portion of
the Bible to be
a personal mes
sage from God.
One of these
was a young
man who many
centuries ago
lived in Milan,
Italy. Despite
his -mother’s
_ .... deep concernfor
Bev. Althouse his SO ul, the
young man had lived a fairly
uproarious life. Yet he was con
cerned with the search for truth
and had sampled many of the
world’s great philosophies and
studied under some of the finest
teachers in Italy and, for that
matter, in the world. Still he
had not found what his restless
heart was seeking.
Take up and read!
One day he heard from an
adjoining garden the voices of
some children at play. Over and
over again they sang two Latin
words as part of their game:
"Tolle, lege,” which means "Take
up and read.” Acting impulsively,
he picked up a New Testament
lying close by and let it fall open
to" Paul’s letter to the Romans.
He began to read and as he did
there settled over him-the peace
for which he had so long sought.
Not only did the scriptures
bring him peace, however, but
they also changed his life’s vo
cation. He entered the church and
later became the bishop of the
church in North Africa. He is
still known to us as one of the
most profound thinkers of the
Christian faith . . . today we call
him St. Augustine,
For Full Market Reports
Read Lancaster Farming
To Beware of Silo Gas
I’d like to repeat this warning certified seed; the other inputs
as we go into the silo filling sea- into a grain crop will be the
son With larger silos and with same such as labor, fertilizer,
more liberal use of commercial and overhead; therefore, the
fertilizers, we seem to have more greatest returns have the best
dangerous accumulations of silo chances with certified seeds,
gas. Most of these gases are Don’t plant the unknown; it may
odorless, heavier than air, and be very costly,
some are colorless, however, one _ „ _ T ., " J ,
of the most common is nitrogen Save Nitrogen omparley
dioxide which is yellow Farm- On many farms the. prpblem
ers are urged to beware of these lodging with winter barley ie
gas conditions at silo filling time duces the gram crop In most
and fo/.K) days afterwards cases this il fine to rfei til
* • < - ‘ ity and too muclr
To Seed Grains . growers, are urged 'to'"use only
’ Small’grains' will be sbeded in phosphorus-potash fertihieis on
the next month and growers are- barley thjs Jail and' do not top
urged to use the best seed avail-' dress with anydeind oJ-uhaiaure.
The tinging of children- had
earned him to taka up tha Blbla
and raad and in to doing ha
felt convicted of hit many tint*
Peking God’s mercy and forgive*
neat, ha mada a new commitment
of hit Ufa. This was hardly •
new phenomenon, but an expert
Ksnee which Augustine shared with
many who had come before him
and also many who have fol
lowed him.
Several centuries later, for ex
ample, a German theology pro-
Assor made a serious study of
Romans in preparing some lec
tures. His study changed hia
whole concept of the faith and
when he declared these convic
tions, they revolutionized tha
Church. The Reformation began
because Martin Luther found in
the scriptures something that
seemed personally addressed to
him.
A renovated people
Nor was this the first refor
mation that took place because
someone discovered the scrip
tures. In the seventh century
B.C. the Temple had fallen into
disrepair because of a succession
of evil kings on the throne of
Judah. When Josiah became king,
however, he gave orders for the
temple to be restored and as the
renovations were being made,
Hilkiah, the priest, found some
ancient scrolls that comprised
much of what we know as Deu
teronomy. When the contents of
the scrolls were revealed to the
king, he proclaimed that they
should be read to the whole na
tion. Hearing the long-lost law,
the people repented and the re
formation of Josiah began. Tbe
result was more than a renovated
temple; they became a renovated
people.
Our name and address
Something of the same nature
happened three centuries later
when, in the re-establishment of
Jerusalem, Ezra read the Hebrew
law to those who had been denied
it during the Babylonian exile.
Once again, shown what God re
quired of them, thepeoplerepented
and entered into a covenant with
God, pledging themselves to live
henceforth as bis people.
This is what can happen when
people turn to thesedptures. They
slnd that something God has said
to someone else at some other
time has also their name and ad
dress on it. If has a personal
message and if we take it ser
iously, it is likely that we too
will be led to repent, renew our
covenant with the Lord, and live
new lives.
(B«smI #n by Df*isi#n
•I Chn»h#n Education, Nattencl Council ti th»
Church#* #f Chmf in the U. A* Rtl#«s#4 by
Cemmumfy frets Serv i«#)
NOW IS
THE TIME...
By Max Smith
Lancaster County Agent
able; in most cases this means