VOL. 30 No. 48 On opposing sides-Keith Eckel, president of the Pennsylvania Farmer's Association, offers testimony in opposition to the confirmation of Dr. Richard E. Grubb as state Secretary of Agriculture. Dr. Grubb, right, was confirmed by the Senate in a 47-1 vote Tuesday. Grubb confirmed overwhelmingly as State Agriculture Secretary BY JAMES H. EVERHART HARRISBURG - Despite the opposition of the powerful Penn sylvania Farmers Association, Dr. Richard E. Grubb has been con firmed by the State Senate as the new Secretary of Agriculture. The legislators ratified Gov. Dick Thornburgh’s nominee in a 17-1 vote Tuesday. Grubb said Wednesday that he was encouraged by the size of the rote, and considered it proof that he administration and the egislature take agriculture ieriously. Tlfe Pennsylvania Farmer’s Association had opposed the ap rointment in confirmation leanngs Monday before the Senate’s Committee on Agriculture and Rural Affairs. Keith Eckel, president of the S FA, said the group was opposed to the nomination of the Penn State administrator, because of his ■dative inexperience in production agriculture and state government. The Secretary of Agriculture, £ckel said, must have “firsthand ixpenence and a working dationship with agriculture and ign-business,” in order to be an ‘advocate and spokesman” for the ndustry in administration councils. “Dr. Grubb has pursued a career •utside the realm of agriculture for he past 25 years,” Eckel con cluded. “He has chosen to become i university administrator, not an ntncate part of the agriculture ndustry ” The Senate Ag Committee, vhich endorsed the nomination by | 7-3 vote, heard nothing but avorable comments from the four >ther witnesses who testified at the 'earing. Groups supporting the 'ommation included the Grange 'nd the Pennsylvania Farmers union. Charles Wismer, State Grange I Four Sections Master, said his group is “con fident that Grubb is the leader agriculture needs in Penn sylvania.” “Dr. Grubb has already proven at Penn State University that he is an excellent administrator,” Wismer noted. “His successful career at the University is exemplified by his service under three university presidents.” Grubb has been serving as Acting Secretary of Agriculture since he was nominated in June He replaces Penrose Hallowell, In recognition of National 4-H Week, Oct. 7 to 13, Lancaster Farming devotes several pages of this week's issue to Pennsylvania 4-H’ers. Look for stories on outstanding 4-H members and leaders on pages 820 and 21 and in E section. Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 5,1985 who resigned in April after serving six years in the Thornburgh Cabinet. Despite the opposition, Grubb said in the confirmation hearings that he believed he could work with his opponents for the betterment of Pennsylvania agriculture. He also defended his qualifications, noting that he had been born and raised on the Centre County Farm where he now lives, and received his undergraduate and master’s degree training in agriculture. INSIDE this week’s Lancaster Farming (Turn to Page A 37) Milk price set at $11.60 for 45 days BY JAMES H. EVERHART WASHINGTON - The U.S Congress has given itself another 45 days to adopt a Farm Bill, by passing emergency legislation extending existing dairy price supports until Nov. 15. The measure, adopted by the House and Senate earlier this week, effectively removed the pressure to enact a Farm Bill by the time existing provisions ex pired Sept. 30. The act freezes the support price at $11.60 per hundredweight, ef fectively preventing prices from climbing to over $l6 a hun dredweight, as they would have if the old legislation had been allowed to expire. It was signed into law by the President, despite threats from the administration that no extensions would be accepted. The House was expected to complete its consideration of the Farm Bill early next week. The Senate, meanwhile, was scheduled to begin consideration of its own Farm Bill legislation on Oct. 15. The Farm Bill package moving toward approval in the House contained a dairy title quite similar to the measure recom mended by the House Agriculture Committee last month. The dairy title would establish standby authority for a diversion program, and include a cost-of production formula in its support pricing mechanism. USDA Secretary John Block has threatened to recommend a presidential veto if the Congress Junior exhibitors turned out in force to compete at the Eastern National Livestock Show this week. Look for coverage of junior beef events, as well as Wednesday's market hog show and the open Polled Hereford show on pages A 26 and 27. $7.50 per Year * passps a bill containing diversion authority. He said a diversion program would impose a “cruel, compulsory assessment on dairymen." The dairy title approved by the committee imposed no limit on the size of the assessment. However, an amendment adopted this week on the House floor established a 50- cent-per-hundredweight cap on assessments. The legislators also added an amendment empowering USDA to make one million pounds of nonfat dry milk available for casein production. An open bid among manufacturers would be used to distribute the products. Other amendments to the dairy title prevent the USDA from considering whey in their estimate of milk price supports, and raise the government’s red meat pur chase during any diversion program to 250 million pounds. The Senate bill differs markedly from the House version, especially on dairy price provisions. The bill drafted by the Senate Agriculture Committee would lower prices until the government’s dairy purchases dropped below five million pounds annually. Currently, they are running about 12 million pounds. The wide differences between the two bills, officials said, in dicate a need for extensive negotiations between the two houses. The two sides are expected to hold conferences on the Farm Bill by the first week in November, observers noted.
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