Al6—Lancaster Famine, Saturday, May 3,1980
Farmers, legislators meet, discuss pending issues
HARRISBURG - Far
mers from Lancaster County
and across Pennsylvania
met with their legislators
Tuesday in Harrisburg.
The all-day mee
sponsored by Pennsylvania
Farmers’ Association,
started with lobbying on
Capitol Hill and ended with
the traditional legislative
banquet Tuesday evening in
Camp Hill.
In his talk to legislators,
PFA Vice President D.
Eugene- Cayman covered
farmers’ requests for
exemption from the one
percent capital stock tax on
farm corporations, the need
for energy priority for farm
operations, milk security
legislation, and asked
legislators to enact laws to
give farmers say in
bargaining.
About 470 people were
present at the banquet in
cluding an estimated 70 state
representatives and
senators.
PFA President Eugene
Thompson told the
legislators that some 400
northeast Pennsylvania
fanners could lose at least
$32 million annually because
of the current truck weight
limit of 73,280 on Penn
sylvania highways.
He noted only six states
east of the Mississippi have
Northampton-Monroe County Farmers at the legislative dinner included, from
left. Harold Fabian, Bethlehem; Bob Jones, Bath; Representative Russell
Kowalyshyn; Representative Edmund Sieminski; John Ackerman, Easton; and
Roslyn Kahler, Nazareth. Also at the table were Ted Posey. Orangeville; and Ted
Hack, Stillwater.
not raised their weight
.limitation to 80,000 pounds as
favored by PFA.
Thompson called the lower
weight limit “a major trade
barrier” and said neglect by
the lawmakers to raise the
limit “surely will eliminate
some of those dairymen
from the farming business.”
The Indiana County
dairyman earlier in the day
called on Governor Richard
Thornburgh to seek a quick
solution to the problems
involved in the safe removal
of krypton gas from con
tainment at Three Mile
Island.
“We are concerned that
further delay could result in
possible deterioration of the
containment building and
cause uncontrolled venting,”
Thompson said.
“The agricultural com
munity in Pennsylvania
could not withstand the
economic loss that would
follow uncontrolled ven
ting,” he added.
In his evening address at
the banquet, Gayman
pointed out that fanners are
this nation’s largest con
sumer. He told legislators
that the average farmer has
over $250,000 invested in his
operation.
“Preservation of the
family farm is a vital con
cern," Gayman continued.
Lancaster Countians were among those hosting Representative Kenneth E. Brandt, Bainbridge;
their state legislators. From left are Senator Ralph EarLNewcomer, LFA President; and Represen-
W. Hess, Spring Grove; Helen Wivell, Columbia; tativeJuneN. Honaman. Landisville.
“Almost everything has to
do with fanners jumping
economic hurdles.”
He said the number one
farm imput is land and said
PFA sees a need to protect
the farmer’s property rights.
In particular, Gayman
called for legislation which
would allow land taken
through eminent domain to
be resold to the owner at the
original price up to 10 years
after condemnation.
Present law eliminates
return of such land after
three years and is blamed
for getting government into
land speculation.
The Franklin County
dairyman said farmers need
an exemption from the
capital stock tax for closely
held family farms.
He said the best way to
assure a farm can be passed
on to one’s heirs is to-in
corporate it, but added that
present corporate tax bills of
CLEARANCE SPECIAL
,> CORN PLANTERS
w/disc openers - deluxe monitor w/
individual row control for point rows -
fertilizer attachment & herbicide or
insecticide applicators.
ROW PLATE-w/disc openers - fertilizer attachment
herbicide or insecticide applicators.
ROW PLATE-w/disc openers - fertilizer attachment
4 ROW USED COMPLETE AS IS - $400.00
All reduced for immediate sale
at
4 ROW AIR-
V
Tractors
Equipment
$2500 to $7500 a year make it
prohibitive for farmers to
take this route.
LANCASe FORD TRACTOR, INC.
THE FRIENDLY STORE WHERE YOU GET MORE
1655 Rohrerstown Road, Lancaster, PA
Flory Mill Exit off 283
Phone: 717-569-7063
Cayman spoke of the need
for sufficient fuel for tillage,
(Turn to Page A 22)
/
/