—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 27, 1976 10 EDITORIAL COMMENTS Crime, unions, and co-ops An NBC-TV News presentation this week told of how the Teamsters Union is abusing its power and how some members, especially some leaders, are involved in gangster activities. The special report, one of a series being aired on the "NBC Nightly News,” gave detailed accounts of how Teamster bosses and underground racketeers work together in such crimes as truck hijackings, large-scale thefts and fencing of stolen goods. What’s that have to do with far mers? Plenty! Just ask yourselves how many of your goods move by truck, airline, railroad'or ship. NBC News pointed out that the companies which are being ripped off by Teamster and Mafia-backed racketeers prefer to let the crimes take place because to do otherwise would mean trouble from the union. The increased costs of goods and services due to thefts and other union shenanigans are passed on to the consumer. That’s everybody. So how many dollars of the price on that new tractor or TV-set or dish washer are going to underworld figures? By how much has the price of meat gone up due to Teamster manipulation? Last week we ran a page 1 story concerning union power in California. And an editorial in this space pointed out some of the cruelties of union More farm controls? A national food or agricultural policy has been called for from time to time by various groups and in dividuals. While intentions for such a program may be well and good, it should be pointed out that some potential dangers to our free en terprise system could be created by such legislation. Bringing the government into agriculture to an even greater degree could be a step in the wrong direc tion. “National food policy” might sound good politically. But the words might well mean “government food policy” or “controlled food policy." British novelist, George Orwell, once wrote: “Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.” Jeffrey St. Johns, a nationally known columnist, noted m one of his recent editorials that the phrase which has really been mislabeled for political purposes is “federal or state funds.” According to him the proper term should be "taxpayers’ money." All of a sudden we read a different meaning into it. I am afraid that the idea of a national food policy would boil down to nothing more than more bureaucracy and control. Serving 7he Central and Southeastern Pennsylvania Areas BY DIETER KRIEG, EDITOR strong-arming, which stops' at nothing. This week we received a report of a union attempting to get a foothold among egg producers in at least one region of the Northeast. A number of conclusions can be deducted from all of this. One of them is that it emphasizes the need for farmers to stick up for themselves, lest some other group try to control us. It strengthens the idea behind farmer cooperatives too. First of all, farmers are not able to bargain ef fectively with their buyers on a one and one basis. And secondly, but equally important, if farmer cooperatives ever go under, there’s going to be a grab for power and influence. Will farmers allow themselves to be taken over by the likes of the Teamsters and the AFL-CIO? I hope not.. The National Farmers Organization (NFO) isn’t the answer either, since they model some of their strategies after those of ‘Big Labor’. Furthermore, the U.S. Labor Party, (some members of which have openly proclaimed themselves to be com munists) is collaborating with the NFO for some of its agricultural policies. The important thing to remember at this point is that these movements and organizations exist. This country does not need their shallow brand of philosophy. The idea for such a program, in my opinion, is conceived and promoted by people who possibly don't un derstand nor appreciate the goose that laid the golden egg: free en terprise. I question the motives of congressmen and senators who pick up the idea for political purposes. George McGovern is an example. In December of last year the South Dakota senator released a report calling for a “national food policy." In his 258-page report he calls for Congress to establish "an office of nutritional health evaluation” within the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. As if that cystic growth in Washington hasn’t already been too much of a burden. The 1972 Democratic presidential candidate also wants such a program to be more concerned with “public interest” rather than market forces. Unfortunately, shallow thinkers both within and outside of agriculture will grab a hold of such "national" ideas because they themselves lack the pride and initiative to stand on their own feet. Somehow they have been led to believe that answers to our problems lie in Washington or Harrisburg. As a result we’ve seen increases m welfare rolls, abuse of (Continued on Page 12] THE CLOCKWATCHER Lesson for March 28,1976 Background Scripture: Matthew 24. Devotional Reading: Matthew 24: 1-8. Occasionally we read in the newspapers stories about persons or groups who are convinced that die world is going to “come to an end” on a particular date in the near future. For the most part, we tend to treat those stories with “tongue-in-cheek,” for we really don't share their convictions. Yet, at the same time, we can’t help but feel a small degree of relief when that day has come and gone and the world is still intact - more or less. We are a little like the man who said, “I don’t believe in ghosts, but I’m afraid of them!” ‘No one knows!’ One reason for this reaction to pronouncements of impending Judgement Day is that as Christians we are rather uncertaion to what Jesus meant about his Second Coming. Scholars and theologians disagree. Many early Christians, in cluding Paul, believed at first that Jesus’ return was immanent and some of the teachings in the early church were predicated upon that expectation (for example: Paul’s advice not to marry!). Eventually the early church had to revise these expectations and we have been in dispute and doubt ever since. Each century has had its prophets informing us that the Second Coming was “just around the comer,” and there are those who today believe that the con ditions prerequisite for the Return of Christ are to be found in our own world today. Yet, every age has had its adventists who were equally convinced that the world had “had it.” The fact is, we really don’t know when Christ will return and what that Second Coming will be like. Not even angles know Ironically, many of the sa>ings of Jesus have been used by interpreters to establish specific theories (usually proclaimed as “given truth”) about the return of our Lord. Yet, the one thing that Jesus did say clearly about his return was that the date and time could not and would not be known. “But of that day and hour,” he said, “no one knows, not even the angles of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only,” (Matthew 24:36). “Watch therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming” (24:42). No man, not even the angles or Jesus himself, will know! How strange, then, that, despite those clear war nings, Chrisitans today spend so much time trying to determine the one date Jesus said we would not know until it was upon us. What, therefore, is the point of Jesus’ warning? It is not to calculate the hour, not to determine for God who will and will not be among the “redeemed,” not to stand in readiness upon a moun taintop nor cringe in an l To Read The Label I’m amazed at the number of folks who use one of the pesticides improperly and then come to our Extension Office for assistance. All of the spray materials have been tested and approved under certain conditions for special crops. If these in structions are ignored, more harm than good could result. I’m reminded of a call to a potato field near lititz some years ago where the potato vines were dying; after a farm visit and some in vestigating we learned that a weed killer chemical had been placed into an old fungicide container during the winter months; the farmer thought that he was using a disease prevention chemical. The plants were badly stunted and yields decreased. In one of our 4-H Club Demonstrations given by Audrey Yunginger and Kathy Ney of Marietta, stress was placed on keeping materials in their original container and reading the label thoroughly before using. The recommendation continues to be very im portant. To Consider < Western Ewes At a recent meeting of local sheep producers Prof. Benjamin Morgan from Penn State, stressed the use of western ewes to produce top quality market lambs. This is not a new practice in this county for I have helped unload several carloads in underground shelter. Rather, it is to be “ready” whenever and however he comes. “Blessed is that servant whom his master when he comes will find so doing.” (Based on outlines copyrighted by the Division of Christian Education, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Released by Com munity Press Service.) RURAL ROUTE NOW IS THE TIME. . .| ft- J Max Smith County Agr. Agent Telephone; 394-GBSI recent years. * Several breeders reflected interest in buying additional ewes and I’d be glad to coordinate their needs and forward the order to Ben Morgan. Bob Harnish of Conestoga, R 2, has used western ewes for many years and reported complete satisfaction in their lamb production. As [Continued on Page 11] Farm Calendar Sunday, Mar. 28 The National DHIA con ference takes place today through Wednesday at the Baltimore Hilton. Monday, Mar. 29 Schuylkill Cointy PFA directors meeting at the Extension Office. “Conversation Night” with allt of the Republican candidates for Congress at 7:30 p.m. in the Coca- Cola Building, Manheim Pike, Lancaster. Tuesday, Mar. 30 Farm financial management meeting, 7:45 p.m. at the Owen J. Roberts H.S. vo ag room. Wednesday, Mar. 31 Lancaster County Holstein Club has bus tour .to Bradford County. Thursday, Apr. 1 j Pennsylvania Poultry-* Federation Fund Raising < Banquet at the Host Farm, Lancaster, 6:30 p.m. Commercial operators pesticide certification program, 12:30 p.m. at the Farm and Home Center, Lancaster. Lancaster County Consumer Protection Commission general membership meeting at Lancaster City Council Chamber, 8 p.m.. Friday, Apr. 2 Elizabethtown FFA banquet at Rheems Fire Hall, 7 p.m. By Tom Armstrong kj 5 $ '0
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers