10—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 7, 1972
In its perpetual quest for more tax
dollars, the Pennsylvania Department of
Revenue has decided that firms which let
contracts to poultry growers aren't really
in the business of farming.
Therefore, contractors like Pennfield,
Weaver’s and Wolgemuth Brothers, should
be liable for a six percent sales tax on feed,
fuel and litter they buy for their flocks
being grown under contract by contract
growers.
This move threatens the state’s entire
poultry industry, and has vast implications
for other contract operations in the state
The revenue people, for now, are testing
their decision with a case against
Wolgemuth Brothers in Mount Joy. If the
revenue people lose their case, poultry
producers aren’t likely to hear any more
about the matter
But if they win, everybody loses. The
farmer, the contracting companies, the
consumer, even the tax department.
According to one industry spokesman,
about 85 percent of the state’s layers and
broilers are grown under contract.
Growing chickens in Pennsylvania is
already more expensive than it is in many
other areas. Feed, for example, costs more
because the bulk of it has to be trucked in.
Land is more expensive, so’s labor, and
taxes are higher.
An extra six percent tacked onto the
industry’s feed bill could be the final blow.
Many contractors will find it cheaper to
have their poultry meat and eggs produced
by out-of-state growers.
Forcing poultry growing out of the state
would result in a net loss of tax dollars,
because it would eliminate many jobs.
Packaging and processing operations
wouldn't be hurt as much as feed mills, of
course. The group who’d suffer the most
serious loss, of course, would be the state's
small farmers
Chickens grown under contract are a
sideline with many farmers in our
southeastern part of the state. But they are
an important sideline, often making the
difference between a good year and a bad
one
The state sometime ago ran into a similar
LOUP CITY, NEBR , SHERMAN COUNTY
TIMES “No one expects you to go out and
get the fumes out of the sky single-handed
But in every community there are things
you can do to help even in a million little
ways, starting right at home 1 For instance,
you might return all wire hangers to your
dry-cleaner and laundry... these can be re
used Save on unnecessary paper-bag
disposal. do as the Europeans do, take
along a smart, re-usable shopping bag of
your own. Keep a litter-bag in your car.
There are some people who even keep
small plastic bags in their purses for
cigarette and candy wrappers, junior’s
gum, things like that. And get to know your
community recycling centers. Find out
what materials they want, and do what you
can to support them. Try it, and help
reduce pollution by eliminating much of
what usually goes to huge disposal plants
to ‘go up in smoke!”'
HINCKLEY, ILL, REVIEW: "There is
tremendous concern about who actually is
contributing to the coffers of the political
campaigns. We’re more concerned about
who will be contributing after the politician
is elected."
CLIFTON FORGE, VA, REVIEW: “The
Assoicated Press reports . . . that the
federal government is having a rough time
getting rid of worn-out money. We have a
rough time holding on to it. Federal
Reserve banks are beginning to grind up
A Sales Tax That
Hurts Everyone
Grassroots
situation with mink ranchers. Mink ran
chers were told that they weren’t engaged
in farming, and they’d have to pay sales tax
on mink feed. Naturally, the ranchers
fought. And they won. Feed for mink is not
taxed. If that logic makes sense for minks, it
makes sense for chickens.
Part of the argument for sales tax is that
it’s a more equitable means of raising;
funds than, say, a head tax or a flat-rate
income tax. Ideally, a sales tax extracts the
most revenue from the people who are
best able to pay it. The people with money
to spend.
In the supermarket, for example, we pay
sales taxes on non-essential things like
soft-drinks and paper towels. Meat and
potatoes aren’t taxed. The logic behind this
is that the people scraping by shouldn’t
have to pay extra for the necessities of life.
The people who can afford the luxury of
soft-drinks and paper towels are obviously
able to pay a little extra.
At least this seems to be the logic behind
starting a sales tax. This logic becomes
obscured, though, in the frantic-scramble
for tax money.
The effect of a sales tax on the poultry
industry’s cost of doing business could be
an increase in the price of poultry meat and
eggs. Poultry meat and eggs are two of the
most reasonably prices sources of protein,
a fact which makes them very attractive to
families with limited food budgets. A rise in
the price of eggs or chicken would hurt
these families.
A sales tax on poultry feed, fuel andj
litter would be a serious blow to the
Pennsylvania poultry industry. The cor
porations which contract for poultry and
eggs would have the expense of moving
their operations out of state.
Consumers could wind up paying more
for their chicken and eggs.
The people of Pennsylvania would lose
because they’d be getting fewer tax dollars
from poultry industry wage earners.
Small farmers would lose a major source
of income. Some farmers could make it up.
Some would simply make do with less
And, without a doubt, some would have
to leave farming
Nobody could gam from such a tax
Opinion
cash instead of burning it. The step against
air pollution leaves behind a lint-like green
materia'. The Treasury Department is
searching for commercial buyers for the
lint. They might consider sending some of it
back to the taxpayers.”
OBERLIN, KANS., HERALD: “Whenever
a judge suspends sentence on a
lawbreaker if he promises to get out of
town, it is easy to wonder how often this
person could repeat the offense in a dif
ferent town each time and never have to
serve a stretch in jail. Serving time does
not necessarily convince the lawbreaker he
should go straight. But the ‘get out of town
by sundown’ warning is a neat way for a
judge to wash his hands of the duty of
meting out justice to the guilty ... If we
want law and order we are going to have to
see to it that our courts are doing their job.
Sending trouble on to the next town isn’t
doing the job."
WELLINGTON, OHIO, ENTERPRISE:
“When an individual spends more than he
earns he ends up bankrupt. When a
business spends more than it takes in, the
result is bankruptcy. When a government
spends more than it takes in taxes, the
result is depreciated currency followed by
inflation. And the person who suffers most
from inflation is the one who has no way of
catching up, like the retiree on a fixed
income. Our 20 million Senior citizens are
not apt forget this on Election Day.”
NOW IS
THE TIME . . .
Max Smith
County Agr. Agent
Telephone 394-6851
To Prevent Farm Fires
National Fire Prevention Week
is designated as October 8 to 14
and all farmers are urged to
evaluate their fire prevention and
fire fighting procedures. As we
enter the fall and winter season,
there are more fire hazards and
greater risks included. Heating
equipment including chimneys
and flues should be checked and
repaired. Fire extinguishers
should be put into working order
and all members of the family
should know how to operate
them. The phone number of the
local fire department should be
posted at every telephone. Water
supplies to be used in case of fire
should be determined when
making fire prevention plans.
Fires are always very destruc
tive and costly ; plans should be
made to prevent them and to
control the fire to a minimum of
damage.
To Control Livestock Parasites
Both internal and external
parasites will reduce the ef
ficiency and health of all
livestock. An eradication
program should be practiced on
all farms. Local dairymen and
beef cow producers should treat
their young stock annually in
order to keep down the in
festation. Since animals have
been produced on many of our
farms for a long number of years,
the parasite build-up needs
controlling. Cattle feeders that
WHOSE CITIES?
Lesson for October 8,1972
■ockground Scripture Genesis 1119,
Zechariah • 1-1, John 17 15 18,
Acts 19 23 41, 1 John 2 15-17,
Revelation 21 10, 22-27
Devotional Reading Psalms 125
Judging by history the ultimate
fruits of most men’s civilizations
seems to be a legacy of romantic
rums In Rome, Athens, Yucatan,
Peru, we see all that remains of
once-proud empires. We see the
pyramids of Egypt, the wall of
China, and the
ziggurats of Iran,
and wonder
whether our mon
uments will fare
any better.
The story of the
tower of Babel
seems to indicate
Rev. Althouse that man is wrong
to build his cities,
that his ambition is an affront to
God. Yet, it is not man the build
er that disturbs God, but man the
egotist. The problem is not with
his building of cities and monu
ments, but with the vain motiva
vation behind all of this.
In the story, God does not seem
disturbed when the people say:
“Come, let us make bricks, and
burn them thoroughly.” What did
disturb the Lord, however, was
when they said: “Come, let us
build ourselves a city, and a tow
er with its top in the heavens,
and let us make a name for our
selves , . (Genesis 11:4).
“Come, let us build . ..”
Whenever men try to build all
are buying new cattle, especially
calves, should treat the animals
for stomach worms early in the
feeding period. Many cattle
imported from the southern
states carry heavy worm in
festation. Special attention to
parasite control will increase the
net returns from the livestock
operation.
To Prepare for New Corn Crop
Corn picking season is ap
proaching when many cribs will
be filled and bam floors covered
with grain. Both rodents and
grain insects can take a heavy
toll of stored grain. In the first
place, old corn should be
removed from the bin or crib
before the new crop is stored. In
many cases grain weevils, or
other insects, may be in the old
com and will be carried into the
new gram, if they are put
together. The old grain should be
cleaned out and fed or sold,
before the new crop is placed into
storage. The use of Malathion or
Methoxychlor as a residual spray
on the sides and floors of the bin
is suggested to eliminate possible
insect infestation. Rats and mice
will feed on the grain unless the
crib or bin is protected. This is
very difficult when the ear com is
stored on the bam floor or other
temporary place. Good storage
plans try to reduce the insect and
rodent damage.
by themselves and for the pur
pose of making a name for them
selves, they are on the wrong
track with God. God wants us to
build our cities but he also wants
us to acknowledge that we cannot
build enduringly without him He
wants us even to build our monu
ments, but not to ourselves or our
own glory.
This is still a concern in today’s
world We get carried away with
our own grandiose schemes and
forget to whom the cities belong.
-“I don’t want any of that in my
town,” said a certain mayor some
time ago Someone quickly re
minded him that it wasn’t his
town, that it belonged to all the
citizens.
“The faithful City”
When men forget whose city it
is and build to “make a name” for
themselves, the seeds of disunity
and confusion are sown. It is our
vain ambition, our selfishness and
pride that build the walls be
tween us and keep us apart.
When we usurp God’s own place,
we call down destruction and tra
gedy upon ourselves. It is then
that our city, our nation, our
world, instead of Babylon the
golden become Babel the con
fused, the divided.
When our pride gets in the way
we neither understand each other
or hear the voice of God. Our
building becomes a curse instead
of a blessing As the Psalmist put
it: “Unless the Lord builds the
house, those who build it labor in
vain” (127:1). So it is with the
cities.
The prophet Zechariah saw a
vision of a rebuilded Jerusalem:
“Old men and old women shall
sit in the streets . . . And the
streets of the city shall be full of
boys and girls ..(Zech. 8:4, 5).
We can still have cities like that
if we remember whose cities they
are.
(Based on outlines copyrighted by the
Division of Christian Education, National
Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA.
Released by Community Press Service.)