VOL. 26 No. 25
Tobacco acres
may increase
BY DICK ANGLESTEIN
IJTITZ There could be a
significant increase in Lancaster
County tobacco acreage this year.
After stabilizing at between
l,i 000 and 14,000 acres for a
number of years, tobacco plan
tings may jump by 10 percent or
more, according to preliminary
indications from growers
The expected increase in tobacco
acreage is just one of several
situations prevailing as the spring
planting season moves .into full
swing
-Area tobacco farmers have a
new weapon in the fight against
blue mold in the expanded use of
Ridomil now in seed beds.
-Recent April showers and rams
have substantially improved soil
conditions in just the past couple of
weeks.
-An explosion of corn planting is
expected during the next week or
so as soil conditions now appear to
be quite favorable for good ger
mination.
-Costs of planting inputs are
showing increases over last year of
up to about 10 percent, excluding
House to hold hearings
on commodity voting practices
BYCURTHARLER
HARRISBURG Eastertime
did not slow agricultural
legislation either in Harrisburg or
in Washington, D C
In the state capital, the House
Agriculture Committee Tuesday
voted unanimously to hold public
hearings on HB 767 which calls for
the elimination of cooperative
block voting on ag commodity
referendums
In the nation’s capital, mean
time, there were almost as many
measures being proposed for the
Agriculture and Food Act of 1981 as
there were cherry blossoms on the
trees
HB 767, introduced by Clarion
County Representative David
Wright, would amend the state
Agricultural Commodities
Marketing Act to eliminate block
voting
At the hearing the lines were
sharply divided over the benefits of
such a measure Pennsylvania
Farmers Union supported the idea,
but large dairy co-ops opposed it
Pennsylvania Farmers’
Association policy is split over the
three changes, but PFA indicated
it will not support the measure.
The Grange opposes the measure
as written
If it becomes law, HB 767 will
take away cooperatives’ current
right to block vote for their
membership.
Under present law, if a co-op
member fails to vote in a generic
the price of fuel which jumped
substantaially following the oil
decontrol measures by the Reagan
administration
-Some farmers face a per
plexing choice of corn or soybeans.
Market expectations appear tipped
m favor of corn, but the lower cost
of inputs for beans may appeal
more to those farmers facing extra
tight financial conditions.
-Thus far, alfalfa appears to
have gotten off to a favorable start
toward a good first cutting
The recent rains have helped in
moving the emerging season
ahead on a more positive note, with
the hope that they will continue to
fall at the proper timely intervals
throughout the coming growing
season.
The anticipated increase in the
tobacco acreage is the result of the
generally good year just ex
perienced by many growers. A
good yielding quality crop brought
a price that was more than 10 cents
a pound above the price of the
previous year.
Then too, tobacco was one of the
(Turn to Page A 3S)
Legislative roundup
advertising program, the co-op
board may vote for him A farmer
can vote against the coop by
submitting a separate ballot.
In addition to changing block
voting, the measure also would
change Section 6 to increase the
majority needed for passage of a
Hallowell cites fire safety at Farm Show
HARRISBURG - State
Agriculture Secretary Penrose
Hallowell this week defended
overall management of the Farm
Show Complex, stressing that
protection of the public has always
been a “high priority” of depart
ment personnel.
Haliowell’s comments came in
reply to charges levied at a news
conference earlier in the week by
Auditor Gen A 1 Benedict that an
investigation of the complex
revealed fraudulent overtime,
mismanagement and faulty
plumbing that may threaten the
building.
Hallowell further explained that
the overtime mvestigation had
been requested by his department
and the results had been publicly
announced by the Auditor General
even before he had an opportunity
to see the report.
“I question his judgment in
making the announcement as he
did,” Hallowell said.
Allegedly involved in the
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 18,1981
Local farmers and veterinarians testified
this Tuesday on the restart of TMI-1 reactor,
proposed by Metropolitan Edison Co., They
Farmers say state plan
impractical, inadequate
BY SHEILA MILLER
HARRISBURG - Hearings
concerning the restart of
referendum from the current
simple majority to a two-thirds
majority
It also modify Section 8 of
current law to require a three year
review of such programs, instead
of the existing five year period
(Turn to Page A 34)
fraudulent overtime is Norwood
Henninger, of Gratz, Dauphin
County, former building super
visor of the Farm Show Complex
Na*s md features
Chat with Harry Sloat, A 24,
Twins 17 days apart, A3O; Adams
Apple Queen, A 32; Md. Grange
news, A 36; Sheep shearing, B 2;
Tested bull sale, B 5; Country art,
Cl 9; Watusi cattle, C3O; Farm
concrete casters, C 35; Greenwood
vo-ag, D2l
Regular columns
Editorials, A 10; Letters to the
editor, Al 2; Have you heard’, C 4;
Ida’s notebook, C 5, Joyce Bupp,
Cl 7; Milk Check, D 2, Farm talk,
D 5, Ask the VMD, Dl2, Sheila’s
shorts, Dl7
Testify on TMI reactor start-up
Metropolitan Edison Co.’s Unit 1
reactor at Three Mile Island held
here this Tuesday focused on the
impact it would have op area
farmers. Appearing before the
Atomic Safety and Licensing
Board were three local fanners
and two veterinarians who
practice within the 10 mile radius
of the nuclear plant.
The mam thrust of the farmers’
and veterinarians’ arguments
stemmed around their feelings the
Pennsylvania emergency plan for
agriculture during nuclear in
cidents is inadequate.
Paul M. Lytle, Jr. of Mid
dletown, a dairy fanner milking
100 head of cows, expressed con
cerns for his livestock in the event
Benedict said that Henninger
allegedly claimed $5,400 in over
time to which he wasn’t entitled
Henninger was dismissed on
Tuesday.
Horne «nd YottHt
$5O apple recipe, C 2; Home on
the range, C 6; Farm women
societies, C 8; Kid’s Korner, CIO;
Lamb queen recipe, Cl 2; Easter
egg decorating, Cl 4; Dauphin 4-H
leaders, Cl 6; Potter 4-H, C2l; 4-H
clowning project, C 24.
Pa Jersey meeting, A2O,
Franklin Guernsey banquet, B 3;
Franklin dairy club, C 18; Dauphin
DHIA, C 25; Juniata DHIA, C 26;
York Holstein tour, C3B; UDIA
meeting, Dl6
accused the Commonwealth’s emergency plan
as being inadequate and impractical. More
coverage on page A-20.
Deity reports
$7.50 Per Year
of an accident at TMI-1.
“They (his cows) are a lifetime
investment, but they are more
than that to me. Each one is known
to me by name and I consider them
my employees. I have never
missed a milking during the entire
time I have been farming.
“During the TMI-2 accident, I
stayed to take care of my cows.
However I had lined up three
trailer trucks to remove my cows if
1 judged that it was needed.
“I would not have abandoned my
cows for two reasons my at
tachment to them for the service
they have given me over the years
and the financial investment that
they represent.” he said.
.(Turn to rage A2O)
“Several hundred hours of
overtime had been submitted
during 1980 and we suspected
possible irregularities,” Hallowell
said.
“We requested the investigation
in February and Hennmger was
first suspended. When the Auditor
General’s Office didn’t make a
report, we brought Hennmger back
on the maintenance staff at the
Summerdale Labs.
“When we received the report,
which confirmed our tentative
findings, it was decided, coupled
with other management ob
jectives, to terminate Hennmger.”
Concerning the faulty plumbing
system and its effect on the Farm
Show Complex, Hallowell said
there is no evidence that there has
been any structural damage
because of the water. He also
termed the situation that water
was covering gas lines as not a big
problem
(Turn to Page A 34)