Snyder urges farmers n By SALLY BAIR Staff Writer LANCASTER - Senator Richard A. Snyder urged farmers to make their voices He commended Lancaster heard despite their County farmers for their diminished voting strength, efficiency, but noted' that “Lancaster County has a their .great efficiency has special right to be heaijd,” he caused a reduction in said, because of the youth numbers and therefore a loss and vitality of the farm §of strength in the legislature, population, and he told the Never-the-less, he said, farm families attending the farmers should use their Lancaster County Extension v voice. Elected to the board of directors of the Lan* to ly -, : . s. caster County Extension Association are, from left Herr, Larry Weaver, and Donald L. Hershey. PURINA SATURDAY, FEB. Association annual meeting Thursday night that they should speak out on issues and stick by their best in stincts. RALSTON COMPANY SAND LIVESTOCK SYSTEMS, INC. NEW BOLTON CENTER P SEE PENN-JERSEY HARVESTORE SYSTEMS INC. 1 I AP ON PAPE 40 FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS. j Warning that the “danger signals can’t be ignored,” Snyder said that the nation is becoming poorer and weaker from too many giveaways. Noting that the number of people in county and state government ex ceeds the farmers, Snyder said that farmers should demand that their dollars be spent more wisely. Snyder’s remarks were centered around how Thomas Jefferson, a well- Invites You To UNIVERSITY of PENNA. to make views known educated and successful farmer, would feel if he were here today. He said Jef ferson would worry because you can’t market crops if the economy is in trouble. Snyder said too much of the wealth is being used in non productive ways in this country. He called unemployment compensation one such non productive use, saying that in some cases it is so generous that there is no AND Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 10,1979—1 S Senator Richard A. Snyder incentive to return to work. Five years ago, Snyder noted, the compensation amounted to $6O per week. It has now climbed to $152 per week, tax free. Workmen’s compensation has been stretched, too, according to Snyder, and now has become a kind of “insurance”. Its benefits have increased from $6O per week to $225 per week. Snyder stated that the welfare rolls have more than doubled in the last ten years, and attributed that increase to a “deliberate effort of the welfare establishment” to increase the number of people on the rolls. Saying that the system invited fraud, he claimed that the welfare department itself says that 2% billion dollars of the budget goto waste and fraud. kssMus Other non-productive uses of the nation’s wealth in clude overgenerous verdicts on law suits and the vast sums spent by industry on environment, when carried to extremes by regulatory agencies. Ite noted that the minimum wage has priced many young people out of the market, and he deplored government contracts which are used to gain more federal money. He also spoke against the govern ment paying interest groups to testify at public hearings. Snyder urged those present to “keep on rebelling.” He said that is the only way to cut out the “malignancy” of wasteful spending. While making it clear that he supports those programs which assist those truly in need, he questioned how much non-production the economy can afford. Snyder said we must compete with other nations and must stay militarily strong. To combat this extensive non-productivity, Snyder urged the farmers to write letters to legislators and to editors. He said they should be sure and vote and to at tend public meetings and speak out when they have something to say. Resolutions passed by organizations also have an impact as do representatives of state organizations. He said there is a need for “balanced judgement.” '(Turn to Page 39)