VOL. 26N0.*
Conspiracy charges filed
usainst PMMB, dealers
S,. BYXtJRT HARLER
- A
■hearing has been set in
■conspiracy charges leveled
■by a state employee against
■members of the Penn
■sylvama Milk Marketing
■Board and the state
■Association of Milk Dealers.
■ Named in the suit both as
■individuals and as members
■of PMMB are Board
Chairman George Brum
New ag secretary
to use food
as a weapon
WASHINGTON, D.C. -
John R Block, former
Illinois farming official
(lamed by President-elect
Reagan to be secretary of
agriculture earlier this
week, says he plans to use
food as a weapon to promote
peace in the world.
Former Illinois director of
agriculture and owner of a
large farm in that state,
Block was actually named
twice to the nation’s top
agriculture post.
On Monday, Reagan let
the appointment slip in
talking with reporters in
California before the named
had been officially made in
the nation’s captiol. Then, on
Tuesday, the appointment
became official as Block
fielded questions at a news
conference.
At the news conference,
Block defined food as “the
1-eatest weapon we have
ver the next 20 years” in
dealing with other countries.
‘The best way to use that
food is to tie countries to us,”
he said
They become dependent
on as. They can’t help it.
They need our food. They’re
going to buy it.”
Thus, the secretary of
agriculture-designate ap
peared to be shaping a food
Rural crime , a nightmare on the rise
BY SHEILA MILLER
LITITZ It’s late Saturday evening as the car gears
down and silently turns into the farm lane. The headlights
switch off as the carload of teenagers creep slowly toward
the sleeping farmstead.
looking for a dynamite way to top off their beer
annkmg Halloween party, the group of guys and gals have
oecided it would be fun to turn some cows out for a romp
through the pumpkin patch.
As the car drifts to a halt near the barnyard gate, the
‘flenagers pour out of the doors, trying to hold in their
c |*| men t and stay sober enough to prove they’re up to
The first boy reaches the gate and gives the latch a
yank It doesn’t budge. With a bewildered look, he tries
baugh of Huntingdon
County; and Donald E.
Lanius, York County.
Also named is Henry R.
Geisinger, executive
secretary of the Milk
Dealers Association, and the
Association itself.
The action was brought by
Jeanne Terrence, Pitt
sburgh, whose' work as a
consumer advocate includes
testifying at PMMB milk
vs. crime (oil) competition
for the future.
"As the countries become
more dependent,” Block
said, "they’re going to be far
more reluctant to upset us,
to get themselves into
trouble with us for fear not
only will they lose food,
they’ll lose everything else
as we deal with them. Food
is a great weapon to keep the
peace in the world, as I see
it.”
The hard-talking farming
official also had comments
(Turn to Page ABO)
Quarryville, Kirk’s bridges
top road users repair list
REFTON - Almost 200
farmers and truckers
packed the Refton Fire Hall
Monday night to let the
Pennsylvania Department of
Transportation know what
they think about the con
dition of highway bridges in
Southern Lancaster County.
In a session often in
terrupted by explosions of
noise or laughter, both
PennDOT’s Deputy
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 27,1980
price hearings.
A hearing, slated for
Monday, December 29, has
been postponed until
January 21.
Terrence is charging the
group with violation of her
rights under the First and
Fourteenth Amendments to
the Constitution and asking a
minimum of $lO,OOO plus
costs in the case.
She says the defendants
conspired to deprive her of
her nght to free speech and
to keep her from doing her
job as consumer advocate.
The action traces back to
the December 8 price -in
crease given Pittsburgh
area milk dealers by PMMB.
With strong consumer
backing, the Mayor of Pitt
sburgh challenged the in
crease
Two days later, the PMMB
board members met and
voted two-to-one to change
the location of the consumer
affairs division from Pitt
sburgh to Harrisburg.
Supporters of Terrence
changed the action was
taken by the board members
since they knew full well
Terrence is married and
would be unable to relocate.
Thus, a person the dealer
interests might see as a pest
would be eliminated from
the scene, they say
(Turn to Page ABB)
Secretary for Ad
ministration James I.
Schemer and the local road
users made several points.
A priority list for repairs
was drawn up by the
truckers, farmers, and
haulers at the meeting.
Top on the list is the
Conrail Bridge East of
Quarryville on Rt. 372.
Next is the Kirk’s Bridge
on Rt. 272 over the Octoraro
Creek at the Chester-
again by this time the commotion has set off the far
mer’sdog.
Startled and worried, the rest of the group begins to
back towards the car. Suddenly an overhead floodlight
ignites the barnyard with light and the kids dash for the
car '
Not concerned about stealth and quiet any longer, the
engine roars and the car speeds back out the farm lane,
only after having made a ditch-digging U-tum through the
farmer’s wheat field.
Peering after the car in the moonlight, the farmer
curses under his breath for being disturbed He checks the
locks on the gate and the barn doors, and wanders back to
Record numbers apply
for ASCS disaster loans
BY VIVIAN PAUL
Staff Correspondent
NAZARETH - Nearly 500
farmers in Northampton
County have applied for low
Lancaster County line While
actually a Chester County
Bridge, those at the meeting
included it as a top priority.
Also receiving attention
were the bridge? at Gap and
the Nottingham Bridge.
Schemer, and Rep. Gibson
E. Armstrong who organized
the meeting, agreed to place
those bridges at the top of
their priority list for repairs
or replacement.
(Turn to Page A 25)
yield crop loans with the
local ASCS office, and
$125,000 has already been
paid out
The deluge of applications
is a result of a devastating
drought which wiped out as
estimated 80 percent of the
county’s potato, corn, alfalfa
and soybean crops.
Judith Noyales, director of
the county office, said five
In this Issue
SECTION A; Editorials, 10; Pomsettia power steams
along, 16; Round hog housing, 18; Three-times milking,
20; Gingerbread village, 26; State seedsmen meet, 34;
World ag output, 35.
SECTION B: Research grant, 2; Angus youth, 4;
Bankers talk egg situation, 8; Dwarf soybeans, 9; Rural
weathenzmg funds available, 11.
SECTION C: Santa Claus, 2; Home on range, 6; Joyce
Bupp, 10; Dauphin DHIA, 12; Adams DHIA, 15; York
DHIA, 19; Berks DHIA, 24; Mifflin DHIA, 27; Milk
Check, 30; Farm talk, 35; Ag scholarships, 37.
the house to catch a few more hours of sleep before
milking
* * *
Was this just one more of Farmer Brown’s nightmares?
Unfortunately, rural crime is becoming more and more
of a reality for people living in the country these days than
ever before, whether their name is Brown, Kuhn, or
Martin.
The fear of burglary, arsen, and vandalism is not just a
bad dream for many farmers throughout the U.S. The
problem of crime in the country has become such a
problem that several universities, including Penn State
and Ohio State, have devoted time and money researching
(Turn to Page Al 4)
$7.50 Per Year
additional staff members
were added to process the
applications and about 200
farmers have already been
paid.
An additional 35 farmers
have applied for the feed
gram grant and some 10
applications have been
approved.
“We are hoping to get
(Turn to Page Al 3)