Stay
(Continued From Page I)
stores. Sometimes the price
differential was as high as 40
percent. The juggers want us to
eliminate price controls, they
say, so they can sell milk even
cheaper and save the consumer
more money. What they really
want to do is get shoppers into the
store by offering cheap milk, then
make big profits on other food
items.”
Alampi noted that his depart
ment was saving consumers
some $2O million a year in the
price they pay for milk. He based
that figure on the difference
between retail prices in New
Jersey and other northeastern
states.
In his speech to the dairymen,
Alampi scored the consumerists
demanding lower food prices.
“If it were not for the
tremendous efficiency of the
American farmer, food prices
would really be high and the
consumer would really have
something to complain about. But
because of the efficiency of the
American farmer,” he said, “the
average consumer in our country
spent only about 16 percent of his
income after taxes, for food in
1972. This compares with just 23'
percent just 20 years ago in
wssssssas
«- '#'*?# v \ &%&$£
1952.”
, “Pood, expenditures as a per
centage of total'private spending
in 1968 (the latest figures
available) were 24 percent in
Great Britain, 28 percent in
France, 32 percent in West
Germany, 35 percent in Japan, 42
percent in Taiwan, 48 percent in
Poland, 60percent in Ghana. The
latest figure for the Union of
Soviet Socialist Republics is for
1960, and that wasJ>B percent.
“We hear so much about the
high cost of food, but did you
know that if food prices had gone
up as much as wages since 1952
you would be paying 55 cents for a
quart of milk at your grocery
store. You would be paying $2.67
for a pound of round steak; $1.61
for a dozen eggs and $1.51 for a
pound of hamburger.
“Industrial wages rose 140
percent in the last 20 years, 7
percent per year, while farm
prices rose an average of six
tenths of 1 percent. Thus farm
prices increased only 12 percent
during the 20 year period.
“Probably no segment of
American agriculture is as much
aware of the cost-price squeeze
as the dairyman. You know about
increased cost of food for human
consumption but you also know
about the increased cost of feed,
and the feed situation has been
especially acute in the Nor
theast.”
“The United States Depart-
Scrap
(Continued from page 1)
Consumer Representative Nina
Gowell voted for the increase;
Lin Huber voted against it. It was
effective March 13. Un
fortunately though, milk dealers
opposed your increase and are
now appealing it m court. Why?
For years these same people
have said minimum retail pricing
by the Pennsylvania Milk
Marketing Board has protected
the farmers. The action now
taken by the dealers has exploded
this myth. In fact, the opposite is
true.
Retail price controls benefit
dealers and chain stores. Not the
farmers. Under the present law,
some chains make as much as 47
cents per gallon on milk. Yet
dealers have gone to court to
oppose a modest and deserved
increase in prices for farmers.
mentof Agriculture reported that
as of January 1,1973, feed prices
in the Northeast were 30 percent
above January, 1972. Since that
time many feed costs have in
creased even more. Although we
have had some modest increases
in milk prices they have not
covered the increases in cost-not
only feed costs but others as
well.”
This
is when
get that
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This is pay day.
This is when it all comes back.
The fertilizer. The seed, The interest. The
machinery. The thinking. The work.
With a profit, if all the inputs did their
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The seed is a key. Some hybrids have a
superior capacity to produce. To give
you more corn, from the same soil and
season
Profit- minded corn growers have learned
Funk's G-Hybrids can be depended
upon to do just that. To produce top
yields. Year after year. Dependably. In
good seasons and —like many years—
when conditions are tough at critical
times. .
Year after year, corn growers with
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That good feeling you get when you
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Landisville, Pennsylvania 17538
HWBRIP
•■■OBMKN TO THI WORLD
We Are Proud To Be A Pert Of Americen Agriculture
The all-important point is this.
If retail pricing is abolished, the
farmer’s price will remain
protected under Senate Bill 130
which I have recommended to the
Legislature. Efficient dealers
will have nothing to fear from
this reform, for the truth is that
today eighty-five percent (85
percent) of dairy farmers across
the nation thrive under non
regulated consumer pricing.
Senate Bill 130 protects the
farmer’s price, forbids milk from
being used by stores as a loss
leader, and strengthens dealer
bonding. Kickbacks will be a
thing of the past. Retail prices
will go down and help increase
sales of Class I milk.
Nevertheless, the present milk
control still prevails, and Milk
Marketing Board chairman
Harry Kapleau, also attending
the meeting, said that price
hearings will go on as scheduled.
A hearing for the South Central
Market Area 4 will be held in
Harrisburg on Monday. It will be
open to consumers and dealers as
well as dairy farmers..
During his speech to the dairy -
farmers, McHale said, “There
are more people asking for my
ouster than there are cows in
Lancaster County. I’ve been
talking about people too much, I
guess, and not enough about
production agriculture.
you
Funk’s is a Innd Nairn
Numbers Iduntify Vamtiss
funk nrnom
lIMTBniMATiaNAL, INC.
International Headquarters
Moomln|ton, Illinois 61701
Tin limitation of warranty
and remedy on lb' lay
altechad to each bay of Funk’s
G-Hybrid sold is a part of
the terms of sale tberaof.
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 28,1973
“I believe that the Secretary
of Agriculture should be con
cerned about all the people in
rural Pennsylvania. I believe it’s
important to have good farm
prices, and we’re working for
them. But I also ’' rt Ueve it’s
important to have tran
sportation, good hea. i care and
a better standard of living for
everyone in the rural areas of this
state.”
In his talk, he touched on many
topics. Referring to the drive by
President Nixon to increase farm
exports, McHale said, “I’m tired
of having the farmer shore up
this country’s balance of
payments position.”
He disagreed with con
sumerists who are saying that the
cost of living, particularly with
respect to food prices, is too high.
“Consumers have to get used to
the idea of paying a fair price for
the food they eat. They’re not
complaining about the high cost
of living, they’re actually com
plaining about the cost of living
high.”
The secretary also said that a
national land use policy is
urgently needed, and told the
group that they should vote for
Proposition 1 on the May 15
primary ballot. This is the
referendum which would allow
the constitution to be changed to
allow farmland to be taxed ac
cording to its use rather than its
speculative value.
McHale ranged widely in ms
speech and said among other
things that he feels the current
energy crisis was “created” as a
means of driving small in
dependent gas station operators
out of business. This move could
adversely affect farmers with
higher fuel prices. The secretary
also predicted that interest rates
would soon rise to ten percent,
another move which could
seriously hamper fanners.
Scholarships Announced
A $2,500 scholarship pro
gram by the Chino Mines Di
vision of Kennecott Corpora
tion is being offered for the
school year starting next fall.
Five New Mexico college stu
dents from four universities
will share. This is the 19th
year Kennecott’s New Mexico
division has offered the
awards.
BUTLER
mixissm
Continuous Flow
Grain Dryor
Choose from 5 models t»
match your harvest rate.
Capacities vary, by model,
from 183 to 436 bushels
per hour.
FARMILL
CONSTRUCTION
and REPAIR
Soudersburg, Pa.
Ph. 717-687-7659
17