—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 5, 1973
10
You CAN Do Something
About Farmland Taxes
For farmers, the May 15 primary is one of
the most important elections ever. A
referendum on the ballot will determine
whether or not the Pennsylvania con
stitution can be changed to allow laws that
will permit the taxation of farmland on the
basis of its use rather than its speculative
value.
Under present Pennsylvania law, all land
must be taxed according to its market
value. Land which is 15 miles from the
nearest town has a market value which
approximates its value as an agricultural
resource. The farmer who owns that land
therefore pays taxes on the basis of his
farm’s value as farmland.
A farm which borders on Lititz, say, or
Lancaster, is also taxed on the basis of its
market value But this farm’s market value
is a far, far cry from its value as farmland.
And there are farmers who are being
forced to sell their land for development
because they can no longer generate
enough income on those farms to pay their
taxes.
This is an inequitable situation. The
farmer is being victimized by economic
factors beyond his control.
The unfortunate fact is that while a
The Tide
Recent news about the fight against
mental illness has been encouraging in
deed. More mentally ill patients are
recovering More research into the causes,
prevention and cure of mental illness is
getting underway. More communities are
providing comprehensive mental health
centers for early detection, early treatment
and rehabilitation.
We can safely say that the tide is
beginning to turn in the fight against
mental illness. But, as we rejoice, let us also
remember that there has been no massive
breakthrough. The gams are real, but they
are small. Mental illness still remains the
nation’s number one health problem.
There are still over 350,000 patients m
our mental hospitals, with thousands more
coming all the time. There are still 20
million Americans who will suffer some
National Goodwill Week
National Goodwill Week will be observed
May 6-12, 1973. It is intended to draw
public attention to Goodwill Industries of
America, which is the nation’s outstanding
voluntary, non-profit organization
dedicated to the rehabilitation of han
dicapped men and women.
A severely-handicapped person often
suffers from psychological blocks that
make it impossible for him to expose
himself to the competition of the world
around him But in Goodwill Industries’
training shops, handicapped people are
given the opportunity and encouraged to
learn how to put their abilities to
Logic and Food Prices
Pereless logic has never been a common
attribute of the human race. Sadly, this is
being proved again as many reach the
conclusion that Phas 111 has failed and rigid
price controls or perhaps a freeze are
needed to halt inflation
As The Wall Street Journal points out, an
important part of the jump of the cost of
living has been due to increased food
prices, where Phase 111 controls are no
different than Phase II controls were
farm's value may go up because of its
potential value as a factory site, housing
development or a shopping center, its
value as farmland stays the same. You
can't grow more corn on a piece of ground
simply because the tax assessor says it’s
worth $lO,OOO an acre.
The farmland tax issue has gained wide
support from leaders in all walks of life,
from both political parties and from farmer
groups. A group calling itself the Clean and
Green Committee is promoting a yes vote
to news media, voters and influential
people and organizations throughout the
state.
The Clean and Green Committee isn’t
putting a lot of effort into contacting far
mers, however. Their funds are limited, and
they’re betting that farmers will vote for
the amendment because it’s in their own
best interests. And it’s probably a pretty
good bet that farmers who do go to the
polls will vote yes.
Primary elections, however, are not
noted for drawing a lot of voters. If you're
not in the habit of voting in primary
elections, this is a good year to start. Go to
the polls. Vote “Yes” on “Joint Resolution
Number One”, for your own sake, and for a
clean and green Pennsylvania.
is Turning, But • •••
form of emotional disturbance that could
benefit from psychiatric care. There are
still tens of thousands of recovered mental
patients in danger of breaking down again
because they cannot get a welcome, a
home and job.
Fortunately for the people of Lancaster
County, the local Mental Health
Association is carrying on a continued
assault against mental illness and working
to relieve the plight of the mentally ill.
During Mental Health Month, May 1 to
May 31, the Lancaster County Mental
Health Association will attempt to mobilize
everyone’s interest to relieve the
emotionally disturbed. Support the work of
the Lancaster County Mental Health
Association because you can make a dif
ference.
productive use. For these people, Goodwill
Industries substitutes hope for despon
dency and provides a way back from
dependence and helplessness to a
productive life, with all the sense of
achievement and self-respect which that
implies.
This fine organization deserves the
broadest recognition for a job well done in
the best tradition of voluntarism and self
help that is the strength of our nation.
Every community of any size across the
country needs both the spirit and the
services of Goodwill Industries.
People forget that the increased cost of
many food items, including meat, is due to
increased costs of production and to in
creased demand for these food products.
Freezing prices at low levels that
eliminated producer profit is no way to
increase supply which, in turn, is the only
way to reduce the pressure on prices Let’s
quit kidding ourselves. Controlling the
federal budget will control inflation and
that is the end of the story.
•*•%•• ♦*•*•*•*•*•*•*•** * *
| NOW IS
I THE TIME . . .
Max Smith
County Agr. Agent
Telephone 394-6851
To Practice Tractor Safety
Most tractors will be put into
action in the next several months.
Operators are urged to practice
every known safety practice in
order to prevent a serious ac
cident. In the rush to get the work
done haste comes into the picture
and many hazards are present.
The danger of a tractor flipping
backwards or upsetting is
present under many conditions. A
tractor operator cannot move
fast enoough to save himself if
the tractor flips backwards; time
studies show that a rearing
tractor gives its operator just
two-fifths of a second to move out
of the way This is not enough
time to save yourself. Improper
hitching (too high) to the tractor
axle is a common cause of flip
ping and also gunning the engine
when stuck in deep mud is
another common cause; it is best
to back out of deep mud. Proper
speeds and no young “hitch
hikers” are ways to prevent
accidents.
To Harvest Winter Grains
At Proper Maturity
Themakmg of winter gram into
silage is one of the best ways to
preserve a maximum amount of
feed nutrients, However, much
depends upon the stage of
maturity when cut. In the case of
winter rye, it should have been
cut when the head was in the top
of the plant or just emerging.
Other small grains are best when
cut between heading time and the
TO LIVE AGAIN
Lesson for May 6,1973
Background Scripture; John 1*9*13,
Ephesians 2:1-10, Colossians 3*l-17.
Devotional Reading: Ezekiel 11*17-21.
Recently there has been con
siderable interest in the concept
of reincarnation, the idea that we
are bom into this world, not
once, but a number of times to
live several lives and thus grow
in the spirit to some level of the
soul’s maturity.
Many people are
fascinated with
the possibility
that they have
“lived before,”
and may well
“live again” in
some future life
or existence.
He gave power
Unfortunately, too many people
become so fascinated in what they
might have been, that they utter
ly forget to be concerned with
what they can be right now. Even
if there were “past” and “future”
lives, these could not be half so
important to us as experiencing
life right now. Sometimes, to the
person who asks me whether I
think they might “live again,” I
am often tempted to ask them
whether they are really “alive
now ”
That’s what the good news of
Jesus Chust is about: life here and
now' We believe in a life beyond
death, but we also believe in a
life before death in all its full
ness Christ comes to give us
power foi such a life: “But to all
who received him, who believed
in his name, he gave power to
become children of God” (John
early milk stage-blossom time is
a good maturity stage for grains
crops. When we permit these
grains to get more mature the
stalks become too much fiber
(more strawy) and not as
palatible. The adding of some
feed preservative such as a
molasses feed or some ground
cereal grain such as corn, oats, or
barley will help soak up the ex
cess moisture and increase the
palatibility. Wilting is very
essential to good small grain or
hay-crop silage.
To Clip Pastures
The forage crops are maturing
rapidly and many pasture
grasses will soon be shooting seed
heads; this is the signal for time
to mow these areas to control
weed development and to en
courage the growth of younger
grass. Mature grass is not as
palatible and the plants will yield
more total forage if mowed
several times during the season.
The first mowing on many local
pasture areas will be due within
the next few weeks. In past years
most fields needed mowing by the
last week in May; this year the
forage season is at least a week to
ten days ahead of schedule.
Regular mowing of the pasture
areas is strongly recommended
for top appearance, yields, and
week control.
1:12).
Yet, it is true that many of us
reach a point in life where we
are simply going through the
motions, repeating old, tired rou
tines. We need to be given the
power to “live again,” not in some
distant “incarnation,” but this
one! We need new life now. We
need, as the writer of Ephesians
puts it, to be “made alive” again
(2.1) This experience goes by
many different names and des
criptions. It matters little whether
you call it “conversion,” “new
birth,” “regeneration,” “new life,”
or “renewal;” these words all
point to a common reality: new
power and direction for an in
dividual’s life.
“Dead through our trespasses”
The writer of Ephesians not
only tells us what we need, he
also helps us understand why we
need it We have become “dead’,’
because of the kinds of life we
ha\e lived For example, Ephe
sians says: “when you were dead
through the trespasses and sins
. . .” Thus, the focus is to allow
Christ to make us “alive” once
again:
But God . . . made us alive to
gether with Christ . . . and
raised us up with him (2:5, 6)
The Apostle Paul made the
same allusion in 2 Corinthians
5 17- If any one is in Christ, he
is a new creation; the old has
passed away, behold the new
has come.
There are many people today
who know that they need “to live
again” They are people whose
lives ha\e Become stifled with sin,
with conflict, with disappoint
ment, with selfishness, with trag
edy, with suffering, with boredom
and indifference. Whenever the
world has taken the life out of
us, we need to seek his power
that we might be helped to “live
again ”
vßased on outlines copyrighted by th«
Division of Christian Education, National
Council of the Churches of Christ m the USA
Released by Community Press Service