- UncfUw Firming. Saturday. o*c. 13, 1975
10
EDITORIAL COMMENTS
McHale cooked own goose
Pennsylvania's lame duck
Secretary of Agriculture. James
McHale cooked his own goose, as far
as I'm concerned
My own opinion of him over the
years has been something of a “pluck
a couple feathers out of him today,
and give him one for in his hat next
month" type of situation if all things
are considered In other words, (or
every three or four points against
him, he'd occasionally score a point
favorably That's understandable He
nor any other person can be expected
to “win 'em all "
McHale's overall scorecard comes
up decisively negative, in my opinion,
for most of the same reasons that
have been mentioned by others who
have opposed him - farmers, agn
busmessmen, senators, and ex
tension officials, alike
McHale cooked his own goose
because last Summer, when the State
Senate first began to really put the
heat on him, and eventually voted
against him, McHale came back
fighting with words which went
something like this (expletives
deleted)
“I will serve the governor and do
whatever he asks me to."
That, Mr. McHale, is getting your
priorities mixed up.
True, Governor Shapp appointed
McHale, which in a way makes him his
boss. But a Secretary of Agriculture
should be responsible to farmers and
to agriculture as a whole - not to the
governor or his welfare - oriented
No great expectations
The ouster of James McHale as
Pennsylvania Secretary of
Agriculture deserves a certain
amount of sympathy. He was only
doing his job, and I doubt it’s an easy
one. Unfortunately for him, and much
of Pennsylvania agriculture, he was
most likely doing his job as Governor
Shapp would like to have him do it.
With McHale out, we can only hope
that we’ll receive a Secretary of
Agriculture who will perform on
behalf of Pennsylvania agriculture to
a greater degree than did his
predecessor. We can hope, but we
can hardly expect it. The same man
who appointed McHale, Governor
Shapp, will also appoint the next man.
If McHale’s replacements turns out
to be a carbon copy of him, and op
position is voiced from the grassroots
level, it’ll most likely take a few years
to remove him After all, it took five
years to oust McHale So all we may
end up with is two different ball
carriers for the same game plan
Governor Shapp has demonstrated
he is not a man to give up easily.
Pennsylvania agriculture must now
show that it is equally determined
That means scrutinizing each
possible candidate for the job very
closely and making as much noise as
possible if an mdividial is not the
BY DIETER KRIEG, EDITOR
ideas Serving Pennsylvania
agriculture and serving the state’s
governor are two different things
McHale stated himself he would do
whatever the Governor wanted him
to do What about agriculture then 7
Having been kicked out of office by
the very people he was supposed to
be representing, McHale was handed
what might be termed a
"dishonorable discharge."
I can’t help but wonder what might
have happened if this entire situation
were turned around 180 degrees
Suppose McHale had been the true
spokesman for farmers, as he per
petually claimed to be, and he had the
enthusiastic support from Penn
sylvania’s agricultural circles He
would probably have received the
wrath of Governor Shapp, because
what most farmers want and what
Shapp wants are two different things.
If this hypothetical situation had
arisen, McHale might have lost his
job, as he did now, but he could have
left with honor McHale apparently
decided he's rather haye the majority
of Pennsylvania’s farmers angry with
him, instead of the Governor
With an attitude such as that -
choosing the Governor and politics
instead of farmers and agribusiness, I
have some reservations about
McHale’s constant claim that he
spoke for the farmer. He spoke and
acted on behalf of the Governor, and
when he openly admitted that fact
last Summer, he cooked his own
goose.
right one. The ultimate goal should be
to divorce the Secretary of
Agriculture position from the
Governor’s c^ice.
Chances are that most governors
nowadays are as unfamiliar with
farming as what most farmers are
with nuclear physics. A governor may
make the headlines in the papers
because he raised his own tomatoes
last summer, but when was the last
time he raised a couple of blisters and
a bunch of callouses? When was the
last time he got up at two o’clock in
the morning to help deliver a prized
calf 7 Has he had to contend with
gram prices which are sharply lower
than last year’s even though costs of
production are up significantly? And
no fair having another business on
the side to make up for farming
losses Does he know what it’s like to
have an “Excellent” daughter of
Arlmda Chief crawl through the
barbed wire fence one night and
when he gets her back he discovers
her udder is a bloody mess?
Farmers know what their problems
are and what they need. They and
agribusiness are the ones who should
appoint their spokesman in
Harrisburg, otherwise the sign on the
door might just as well say
“Secretary" rather than “Secretary
of Agriculture."
HUMBLE
SOVEREIGNTY
for December 14,1J75
Background Scripture:
Matthew 12:15-21; 13:34,35;
21:1-5.
Devotional Reading: Isaiah
42:1-9
Just a little less than a
year ago I walked the road
upon which it is believed that
, Jesus rode on the first Palm
Sunday, from Bethphage
where he mounted the ass, to
the so-called “Golden Gate”
by which he entered the
walls of Jerusalem.
As I burned down that
road (Americans in the Holy
Land hurry so that they may
"chalk-up” more holy places
during their visit!), 1 paid
little attention to the gravel
street beneath me. Suddenly
I felt myself lurching for
ward and hitting the ground
with a terrible thud.
For a few moments I lay
stunned in the dirt. Then,
painfully I picked myself up
and did my best to brush the
dirt from my bleeding hands.
Palestinian children on their
way home from school
glanced indulgently at me as
they went by. I was em
barassed, for it was evident
that 1 had stepped into a deep
pot-hole in the road.
The humble king
As I sheepishly resumed
my walk, hobbling on my
swollen ankle, I felt
chastized by my fall and into
my mind there came the
words: “Behold, your king is
coming to you, humble and
mounted on an ass”
(Zechariah 9:9). Jesus did
not stride down this road in a
hurry, he preceded as a
humble sovereign! It was
with far greater respect and
reverence that I walked the
Palm Sunday road that day
because of a pot-hole!
Christians often bear their
discipleship with a kind of
benevolent arrogance. Their
rationale seems to be: If you
have the truth, act like it!
Church people often “turn
off” others because they are
simply overbearing.
Matthew paints a different
picture for us in his Gospel.
Isaiah’s “servant”
Messiah
Even more interestingly,
he chooses his colors from
the Old Testament.
For example, there is the
image of the Servant -
Messiah portrayed by the
prophet Isaiah. In a day
when many people looked for
a bold and mighty warrior
king, Isaiah prophecied a
different kind of Messiah. He
would be not so much the
mighty conqueror, but a
servant: “Behold, my
servant whom I have chosen,
my beloved with whom my
soul is well pleased ...”
(Matthew 12:18).
Humility, not arrogance,
seems to be the key to the
Lord’s annointed one who is
to come as God’s Messiah;
He will not wrangle or cry
aloud, nor will anyone hear
his voice in the streets, he
will not break a bruised reed
or quence a smouldering
wick. (Matthew 12: 19,20)
Matthew sees this image
fulfilled in Jesus’s own
conduct. Even his entrance
into Jerusalem is ac
complished with humble
dignity : “Behold, your king
is coming to you, humble
...” said Zechariah the
To Obtain Farmers
Tax Guide
Income Tax reporting time
is approaching when all
available records and
assistance will be needed to
make the proper report.
Again the Tax Guides are
available through the In
ternal Revenue Offices or
from our Extension Office.
We urge farmers to get one
of these guides and to get
them to the person filing the
income tax report. Frequent
changes in the regulations
make it necessary to keep up
to date in order to receive
proper credits and con
cessions. Training sessions
have been held for Income
Tax folks and we urge that
all farmers give proper time
and effort to thus required
obligation.
To Salute
Local Dairymen
Dairying is the leading
farm income in Lancaster
County as well as in the state
of Pennsylvania. At a recent
meeting of the County Dairy
Herd Improvement
Association it was stressed
that over 245 herds had
produced over 500 pounds of
butterfat per cow during the
past year. The high herd
produced an average of
19,216 pounds of milk and 709
pounds of butterfat per cow
on 35 cows. This is progress
in daily production and is in
line with tjie trend that
farmers are aiming to
produce more food and fiber
per farm unit. The dairy
herds in this county have
long been recognized as
including some of the best
animals in the country and
the local DHIA group can be
proud of their ac
complishments. The demand
for breeding stock from local
herds going into other states
and other countries con
tinues to bring fame to local
dairymen.
To Utilize
Corn Cobs
A generation ago corn cobs
were a useless by-product
with very little attention.
Now they are in strong
demand on many fronts and
should be utilized as a
valuable farm product. In
beef and dairy rations this
source of fiber is one of the
very best; corn and cob chop
should continue to be used
rather than shelling the com.
Recent trends in the com
storage business have
favored the shelled com
because of the less space
needed. However, the cobs
used as a filler and as a
prophet, and Jesus was the
perfect portrayal of that
picture.
Yet, the portrait has two
dimensions: humility and
sovereignty! Jesus’ ministry
combined both these
elements. Through his
humility there shown a
sovereignty, an authority
that could not be mustered
by even (he most arrogant
and powerful of men. There
was power in Jesus, but it
was a quiet, humble power
that persuaded rather than
coerced.
It is to that same humble
sovereignty that you and I
are called.
t
Max .Sin Ult
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Irlrplionr t'U-iiS'd
source of fiber and roughage
has considerable merit.
Ground com cobs are also in
strong demand as livestock
bedding and as a mulch
around trees and or
namentals. Cobs left in the
field are useful as a fertilizer
but warrant additional
utilization before being
returned to the soil.
To Consider
Correspondence i
Courses
The winter months would
be a good time to gain more
knowledge about certain
enterprises on the farm.
Most all of the land-grant
universities, including Penn
State in Pennsylvania, offer
correspondence courses in
all areas of agriculture and
home grounds. These lessons
are sent and returned by
mail at a nominal cost and
are very practical. We urge
local folks to consider this
source of additional in
formation while performing
their normal occupational
duties each day. Circulars
describing the various
courses and costs are
available at our Extension
Office.
Farm
Calendar
Tuesday, Dec. 16
Ephrata Young farmers
meeting for a Christmas
party at the Ephrata
Junior High School
auditorium 7:45 p.m.
National Farmer’s
Organization will be
showing a film “Hard
Times in our Country” at
the Union Fire Hail in
Walnuttown • Berks
County. 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 17
Hinkletown Adult Farmers
will meet for a program
on conservation practices
for the Clean Stream Law
at the Summit Valley
Elementary School -
Brimmer Ave., Newv n
Holland 7:30 p.m. V*
Wednesday, Dec. 31
Mid-winter No till con
vention in Hershey.
m
Instant