A2i—Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, August t, 1911 Dairylea Clyde Rutherford President Dairylea Cooperative Pearl River, N.Y. This thing we call “bloc voting” is nothing more or less than the land of representative voting that takes place in government, churches, school boards, cor porations, and other business and social institutions all over the nation. It is a mystery to me why a bill to curtail representative voting is being championed by a farm organization which makes policy decisions by board of directors action as a matter of routine. I’m sure that this sponsoring organization will say that it goes to the grass roots for all ot its policies. Well, so do the dairy cooperatives. We are structured into locals, districts, very often subdistncts. We have delegates elected by members. We have resolution committees who receive members’ proposals. We hold annual meetings at which delegates vote on all major policy matters. And so on. From this structure, we have established policies relative to milk promotion, marketing orders, pricing, and other industry issues. As these matters require decisions, the Board of Directors is empowered to act on them. And if, as board members, they don’t represent the will of a majority of members, then the members can throw the rascals out at the next election. The Pennsylvania legislature in 1961 passed P.L. 1541, No. 657 which required that m voting on state marketing programs, co-ops must inform members ahead of tune about what position is being taken. Members have the right to vote differently from their co-op and their vote would then be FARMSTED® I Buildings - Engineered For Farmer Erection 50* x 75' x 14' SPECIALLY PRICED TILL AUGUST 31, 1981 TO QUALIFIED BUYERS SUTLER MF6. CO. Attn P.E. Hess Box 337, Oxford. PA 19363 . Dealer Inquiries Available in- Pennsylvania Counties • Armstrong, Indiana, Erie, Crawford, Warren, Elk, ■ KNOXVILLE Cameron, McKean, Clinton, Lycoming, Sullivan, I CONSTRUCTION Wyoming, Luzerne, Columbia New Jersey Counties - | Knoxville, Pa. 16928 Sussex, Morris, Passaic, Atlantic, Cape May 1 j PH 814-326-4188 No Dealer Fees. ! Name Addn County City Phone (Include area code) deducted from the total vote of the co-op. This is a tedious and cum bersome attempt to circumvent the representative votuig that should be accepted as the proper function of a cooperative. Nevertheless, it was voted into law. Now, this weakened version of representative voting is to be eliminated altogether and replaced by a law which forbids representative voting by co-ops. And so we come full circle to where the divide and conquer experts can again skillfully play on a minority of farmers and thereby exert control in this case, control over the State’s marketing programs. Without the ability to use representative voting, it is easily predictable that we could wind up before every referendum in a war ot propaganda which could be won by the most aggressive yet irresponsible minority group. It is far easier to rally support tor a catchy slogan than it is for a well thought out, unsensational but constructive program. Representative voting bloc voting if you prefer to call it that — protects producers from rule by militant but often misguided minorities. It relieves producers of the almost impossible task of operating a farm and at the same tune following in intimate detail the complications ot commodity economics. It guarantees that voting on issues will be by a sub stantial part ot the affected commodity group, and it is totally in harmony with the democratic processes which prevail in this country. 1 urge the Legislature, before striking a blow against representative voting, to remember the statement by Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes m 1915. In a case CBUTLERy Zip — State My naiut is Barbara Woods. My husband, children and 1 operate a dairy farm in Franklin County. We’re milking 6U head of Holstems. My husband and 1 belong to Pennsylvania Farmers Association and Pennsylvania Farmers Union. We are past members of Eastern Milk Producers Co-op and belong to several other agricultural cooperatives. I am a member ot the Franklin County Board of the Penn State Extension. I know where my county stands on marketing programs. We’re not against marketing programs, but we don’t want them force ted. Every producer should have the right to vote or not vote. Should 1 choose not to vote, 1 blame only myselt tor whatever happens. And I can do something about it by use of my vote on the next referendum When a cooperative is allowed to block vote tor its membership, my control power is virtually lost. That vote is cast by a board of involving a question ot voting rights, he said: “Where the rule of conduct applies to more than a tew people, it is impracticable that everyone should have a direct voice in the adoption. The Con sitution does not require all public acts to be done in town meeting or an assembly of the whole. Then: rights are protected in the only way that they can be in a complex society, by their power, immediate or remote, over those who make the rule. There must be a limit to individual agreement in such matters it government is to go 0n...” I urge the Legislature not to approve House Bill 767. | A. E. ENGEL. INC. C&M SALES INC. ORVILLE MACK I PO. Box 216 flDtl P.0.80x 47 I Marlton, NJ. 08053 Honesdale, Pa 18431 Nazareth Pa 18064 | PH.609-983-4404 PH 717-253-1612 PH 215-759-1331 Ag speaks out on pros and cons of ' Franklin Dairy Producer with Doi FARMSTED I Buildings Galvafyme Wails and Galvalume Roof Sheets* * 20 Year Warranty B.T CONSTRUCTION P 0. Box 535 Biglerville, Pa 17307 PH 717-677-6121 directors, who are in turn elected by a delegate body. 1 am two steps and many numbers removed to try to change that vote. 1 can affect only indirectly one watered down vote. it cooperatives truly teel that their vote is representative ot their producers—they have nothing to tear. The producer will vote ac cording to the way the co-op would have voted. As elected officials, all of you know the difficulty in getting people to vote. Let’s not take that right away trom anyone, especially not the producers. It’s their money and operation you are toying with. Lets make farm organizations and cooperatives do their homework and get the producer to vote. Today, more than ever, with escalating fuel and production costs and decreasing milk sup ports, a two-thirds approval is needed for passage ot a marketing program. A simple majority is awfully hard to swallow when it affects one’s income, but a two thirds is hard to argue against. A two-thirds passage doesn’t make it more appetizing. But one doesn’t lose, feeling that an awtul lot ot farmers felt as strongly about it as you did. The smaller the producer, the more critical these deductions may be in lus operation. His vote is just as important to his operation as a large producer's vote and should be counted as such. Marketing programs should not be considered lightly. Anthing that attects my income atfects my operation and I’m sure that’s true ot all producers. A marketing program can cost production trom several hundred dollars mto the LEROY E. MYERS, INC. Route #l, Box 163 Clear Spring, Md 21722 PH 301-582-1552 oor Iwa D. E. SMITH, INC. POGOINC. FOUR COUNTIES HASCHEN TRI- Mifflintown, Pa, 17059 1841 Jerry’s Road CONTRACTOR AGRICULTURAL AGRI PH.7I7-436-2151 Street,Md 21154 R.D.,80x249 ) SYSTEMS R.O PH 301-692-5350 Coalport Pa. 16627 i P.O. Box 505 Swedesb PH-814-672-5751 | Chestertown, Md. 21620 PH:6C $ PH: 301-778-5800 BRIDGEWATER O. A. NEWTON NICKI BUILDING SYSTEMS & SON CO Bli] JvJC. Bndtevilte. Delaware 19933 301 N.I PH: 302-337-8211 arf PH.717-727-286* ■: thousands. My dollar investment is very important. The accountability ot a marketing program should be riJeasurable. If, within three years, the marketing program is not showing returns for its investment, a referendum should be called. I’m sure Pepsi doesn’t run promotion or advertising programs three years before pulling it it it isn’t productive. If things are going well with the program, it will be con tinued. 1 feel a three year recall will strengthen the marketing program by making it more ac countable to the producer. In closing, 1 strongly feel that all ot the changes offered to the Agriculture Act are extremely beneficial to the producers. It cooperatives are truly represen tative of their producers and if farm organizations are truly rep resentative of their membership passage of House Bill 767 will only stand to strengthen their position because it is truly the position ot the producer. However, if that position is not truly reflective ot the producers position and House Bill 767 is defeated, you have given away the producers right to vote and his right to fair representation. Either way you vote on House Bill 767, the cooperatives win. The co-op will block that way or the producer will vote the way the co op would have. However, it they do not represent them producers, and they very well may not, your op-, posing vote will cost producers their vote. Please support House Bill 767. You have nothing to lose i’he producer does. ★ VARIOUS SIZES HBj ★ THESE BUILDINGS El (Butler will furnid Drawings) Inter-State My name is Darnel L. Mar am a dairy farmer from Man! Lancaster County and president of Inter-State Producers’ Cooperative, Industrial Highway, Southam; Inter-State represents over Pennsylvania dairy farms over 3,300 dairymen in the M Atlantic Region. li As 1 understand the issue fe us, the proposal is to elmunat procedure whereby coopera can collectively represent members through the so-c, “bloc vote” procedure, proposal would only pemul dividual voting and would i any cooperative the represent* right which is given all corpt Boards and Legislatures. Dairy cooperatives consider privilege of “bloc voting” as a 1 tool to support the federal state marketing programs w assist the industry cooperatives in producing marketing an adequate suppl pure and wholesome milk al tunes. The application ot "bloc vot ' is an extension ot the democi process of representative vo from the fanners to their ele Board members. As stated ear this is the essence of cooperative institutions government bodies. There u sound or logical reasoning w would lead one to deny procedure to-cooperative deci making. Over the years, d£ cooperatives have supported "1 Voting” tor the following reaso Bloc voting enables coopera members to take unified actio LEASE I See Yoi Agri Built For Deta 'HI AND WIDTH AVAILABLE IGINEERED FOR SELF ERECTIOI action and Foundation IN STEEL TRI-STATE MARI LDERS DIST. INC. f road Street Route 256 k Pa. 16127 Deale, Md. 20751 ?-458-7243 RH. 301-867-1447 IDEAL FOR GRAIN OR MACHINER STORAGE
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers