Al2—Lancaster Farurinc, Saturday, September 11,1982 OUR READERS WRITE, AND OTHER OPINIONS Sawing hardship , reaping havoc The Senate has just passed the first major bill on immigration reform in 30 years, and America’s farmers will be the worse for it. If the Immigration Reform and Control Act passes the House of Representatives in its present form, agricultural operations will be governed by rules that severely restrict their access to an essential labor force. It is no secret that illegal im migration is a national problem - some 425,000 illegals slip across our borders each year. With unemployment at its present level, tempers run hot when illegals are found holding jobs in America. To address this problem, provisions were written into the immigration bill that levy sanc tions against employers who knowingly hire illegals. Such a sweeping approach may sound good on the surface, but it will hobble fanners who must rely on seasonal labor for economic survival. There is no question that jobs can be had in agricultural labor for those who want them. A diligent worker can earn over $5O for a day’s work in the fields. 1 recall an instance in my own state of California where olive growers passed out leaflets in shopping plazas, advertising good pay for help during their harvest. Nevertheless, domestic workers refuse to take these jobs, con sidering them “too hard" or “beneath their dignity.” Farmers are thus faced with a dilemma: either hire the workers who are willing to perform these jobs, or let the season’s crops rot in the fields. Most will choose the former, and they inevitably hire illegals in the process. Over 500,000 illegals now work in American agriculture - 20 percent of the total work force - and over half of California’s agricultural laborers are illegals. Should these employer sanctions remain in -the im migration bill, fanners will be punished for the “crime” of simply trying to earn a living. Proponents of the immigration Distributor of Blue Ball, Pa. bill say it addresses this problem by expanding the current H-2 program for temporary workers. However, the H-2 program requires farmers to provide housing for temporary workers, as well as transportation to and from the workers’ country of origin. Moreover, the H-2 program forces temporary workers to stay with one employer, thereby making it difficult if not impossible to move where new crops are ready for harvest. This absence of an effective and workable guest worker program is not the only flaw in the bill. Far mers still have no recourse against agents of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, who can enter a farm unannounced and without producing a search warrant. Unlike other workplaces that require warrants for any inspection, the INS claims that - farms are exempt because they are open fields. During harvest season, when the need for seasonal labor is at its peak, INS agents can and have closed farms on suspicion of employing illegals. Farmers in California have reported losses from these raids as high as 1100,000. An amendment that I introduced to the immigration bill would have extended search warrant requirements to agricultural operations. In essence, the amendment would have guaranteed that farmers would receive the protection of the Fourth Amendment of the Con stitution, granting citizens protection from unreasonable search and seizure. Nevertheless, the amendment fell short of passage by seven votes. The House of Representatives is scheduled to begin its debate on the Immigration Reform and Control' Act in September. Unless provisions are added that will provide farmers with a workable guest worker program and search warrant legislation, I sincerely hope coat the bill is defeated. Manufacturer of ALL ALUMINUM TRUCK BODIES Livestock, Grain and Bulk Feed Aluminum Grain Body tMMMSm Refrigerated Trailers Sales & Service Sen. S.L Haynkawa R-California 717-354-4971 Devastating The budget recondlation measure passed by Congress August 18 is devastating to fanners and of no help to consumers. Sure to be signed into law by President Reagan, the measure can reduce dairy farmers’ income 'by one dollar a hundredweight within six months. The new bill, part of the administration’s total , effort to cut government spending, authorizes the Secretary of ; Agriculture to assess all US. dairy | formers 50 cents a hundredweight on all the milk they produce beginning October Ist of this year. , The money, deducted from farmers’ milkchecks, would be paid to the Federal Commodity Credit Corporation as an offset against the cost of the dairy price support program. Although the SOI cents deduction is at the discretion of the Secretary of Agriculture, Washington sources say there is little doubt that he will impose it. If government purchases of butter, powder, and cheese are still estimated to be at or above 7.5 billion pounds of “milk equivalent” on a fiscal year basis (Oct. 1, 1982 through Sept 30, Tuesday, Sept. 14 Albion Area Fair, Erie County, continues through Saturday. Greenfield Twp. Community Fair, Claysburg, Blair County, continues through Saturday. PennAg convention, Holiday Inn, Harrisburg, continues through Ula-jasnionea Thursday. Nematur demonstration, Tom In the July 24 issue of Lancaster ‘ Olyer farm, Blue Ribbon Road, Farming, Jerry Webb’s "Farm nf Gettysburg, 4 pm. Talk” column entitled “All Eggs in Being mmy mid-seventies, lof Wednesday, Sept. 15 One Basket” was a pleasure to 1 course holdto the oldways. Back Brothers Valley Community read. Ten years ago English farm “ J*® Fair, Berlin, continues through writers were pointing out much of P®* 6 ™-® with animals was judged Saturday. whathesaid. I Fair. Emporium, H.G.C. Sexton, in an article continues through Tuesday. "Turning Back to Mixed Far- 1 Solanoo Fair, Quarryville, con nung-'{Country Life, July 1,1971) touesthrough Friday wrote: Sinking Valley Community Farm “However, amid the break- Show, Skelp, Blair County, downs, the mixed farmer con- Analysts on May 3,1982 hit the nail mnHninw thmnghf^n^^y tinues the even tenor of his ways, Thursdav.Sent.ll untouched by such unnecessary Oley 1 Pair, evils as soti collapse and the * erks County ’ continues prevalence of crop disease and proaucea an exiraoroinary throuch Saturday, weeds. Crop rotations are the rule, operating environment one that Nortfa Fa a reasonable program that will involve ns in sharing some of the costs of the price support program, but this sledgehammer approach , is going to put thousands of good dairymen out of business. Milk supplies will drop and consumer prices will rise. (Turn to Page A 29) speaker Dr. Robert Eckroade on flock profiling. Eastern District 8 officers dinner meeting, 7 p.m., Leola Family Restaurant. Franklin Conservation District meeting, 7:30 p.m.. County Administration Bldg., Cham bersburg. , SPECIFICATIONS: Ceiling fan model ■ CFS6; Description - 56" vertical downward thrust farf; No. of speeds ■ 5 speed or variable; CFM air delivery • 19,200; Max. RPM -285; Floor area affected -1800 sq. ft.; Max. air velocity - 750 ft./min.; Volts • 110: Watts-95; Gross weight-24 lbs.