MICH-IGAN'farm NEWS the ACT/~N Publlr • of the MICHIGAN FARM BUREAU
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MICH-IGAN'FARM NEWS THE ACT/~N PUBLlr • OF THE MICHIGAN FARM BUREAU Vol. 42, No. 2 ••y by Michigan Farm Bureau 1, 1964 ..1:!t. - ~ . OUR AMERICAN HERITAGE-Eyes of Freedom look out upon to farm. Farm Bureau people have declared that \\man's search a bright American future from the great stone figures of Rush- .for progress should be encouraged by maintenance of op- more's mountain memorial. The light of freedom is reflected portunity, not hindered by illusions of security ... " in the hearts of farmers in their determination to remain free ~ -- - -~ - " -- Challenges of Fre!1dom Issue Remains "Freedom to Farm" The issues that many fanners thought they had buried don't want, in the way of a wheat "Registrations flowing in for the sixth annual Michigan Fann under the "No" vote avalanche in the May Wheat Referen- program. Bureau Freedom Conference suggest an attendance of about Farm Bureau members are 300 people," says J. :Delbert Wells, conference coordinator. dum, are very much alive and now before Congr~ss. urged to write their Congressman It is the old "supply-managemenf' routine allover again. and the President, reminding The Farm Bureau Freedom Conference returns to th.e attrac- The issue very much remains "who shall control the farms them in the words of one resolu- tive Conference Center Building at Central Michigan University, tion: 'We should not go further Mt. Pleasant, for the third consecutive year. The dates are of Americar' can, the entire program of politi- In the "McGovern" bill, politi- cal handouts, and go it alone - into the thicket of government February 13 and 14. controls, but should gradually ments which challenge America cians have quietly presented Con- something that the new wheat Interest in this annual confer- gress with the identical Wheat program is designed to make in- work ~r way" toward less regi- today. ence has grown steadily. "Three Certificate program which farm- creasingly difficult. mentatIon ... A Tactical Air Command group years ago, we had to shift to ers rejected. To gain whatever "benefits" from Langley Air Force Base in larger facilities because of the The bill, S.1946, differs from the program might offer, the Virginia will "tet in' to give the what the wheat referendum wheat fanner must comply with Telephone Changes growing registrations," declared conference a report on the Ameri- offered in that it does not call allotments and. other provisions The long-established tele- Wells. '!his growing interest in- can defense system. dicates that many of our people for a nationwide referendum, and of the old wheat certificate plan phone number for Fann Bu- Dr. Lewis Lloyd, economist of contains a so-called "voluntary" which, in Michigan, was rejected reau Center, Lansing, was still consider freedom to be the the Dow Chemical Co., will dis- clause. It is "perma~ent" legis- by an 80 per cent vote last May changed January 31 to make basic issue in the public affairs cuss the problems created by lotion, and with plenty of CDn- 21., way for improved service at of today." America's dwindling gold re- trol teeth. Gun-shy government officials the big "home office" head- Variety helps to make an in- serves. Under its provisions, fanners did not care to face another em- quarters. All calls for the teresting program -and the Mr. ]. Perez Sabido, instructor who choose not to accept the barrassing referendum turn-down Michigan Fann Bureau, Fann Freedom Conference has it. The of foreign languages of the Lan- controls that come with the bill by farmers. In S.1946 this has Bureau Services, Farmen Pe- scope of interest ranges all the sing Community College, will may do so without penalty - been carefully avoided. This time, troleum Cooperative and Farm talk on Cuba and the Communist way from experiences of a county other than having to farm in Congressmen, not farmers, will do Bureau Insurance, should now threat to Latin America. competition with the government the voting. chairman of a political party - be made to this new DUmber: NumeroUS other features give supports given freely to those Farmers, right now, have a and what it is like to serve on a Lansing, ~85-8121 the program depth and richness fanners who elect to go along. golden opportunity to let Con- Area Code 517 State Central Committee of a They are free to ignore, if they gress know what they want, or party -to international develop- of interest. TWO FebJuary 1, 1964 MICHIGAN FARM NEWS " " ... .President's Column Editorial Pretty Package But Powerful Politics Political Package Strength in Unity When Michigan wheat fanners joined those by Walter W. Wigbbnan, President of the nation in striking down the wheat control ~-lichigan Fann Bureau program in last May's referendum, they may When we stay as close at home as most of us have considered the issue settled for all time. do on our farms, often we are not aware of the Unfortunately this is not the way of politics problems facing us as agricultural producers; or of politicians. The federal fann controllers nor are we aware of the speed \vith which these are back with a new package of fann bills, problems catch up with us. gift-wrapped in fancier language and stream- More rapidly than anybody can predict, we in lined general. are seeing the consolidation of large-scale in- But the red tape holding it together remains dustries. as pennanently adhesive. Nobody knows how far this growth in bigness In the words of one Washington wit: or size can go and still be economically sound. 'The package appears new, There ar~ probably limits to it, as there are in but the contents are old, fanning. Three times as brassy Although it has already been proven that but not quite so bold." pers~>Dalsupervision by the owner is the most Where before Agricultural Secretary Orville efficient and economical type of farm operation, . Freeman boldly announced his brand of com- the individual producer is no longer effective in pulsory supply-management, this time the the market place. watchword is "voluntary." \\There before the If he hasn't already come to this conclusion, approach was made direct through the front he wiU in the near future. door -a softer, back-door approach is now However, much,of our produce is being sold used. Orville has said he does not intend to to processors who, in the final analysis, are be bitten by the same dog twice. - Committees Help Guide selling the finished product for us. Held out as bait to soften the bite is a num- In many cases we are selling to direct market- ber of farm bills that include direct govern- ing enterprises. There is nothing wrong with ment payments to fanners and a voluntary Michigan farmers have written policy statements on 128 subjects this. It is the pattern of the competitive free this year. These are supplemented by another 170 resolutions of approach to the wheat certificate scheme. enterprise system, and is what has made this the AmericanFarm Bureau Federation. But, -what happens when Introduced in the Senate is the McGovern there is no clear-cut policy to give direction on some thorny issue? great country of ours. wheat bill (S-1946) -which would enact the In those cases, the Michigan Farm Bureau board has several Farmers must learn to work together to build same certificate scheme that farmers rejected standing committees to guide them with recommendationswithin their own marketing organization, for this is in the referendum, with one difference; farmers policy or its interpretation. The Commpdity and Legislative Com- number one on the list of problems which who wished to, could try to ignore it. mittees are two examples. fanners must solve. But there are others. Wheat would be supported at from 65 to 90 Last month, the Legislative Committee helped decide a poultry The determination by many outside of agri- per cent of parity when "certificated" while for issue caused by unforeseen problemsresulting from last year's new culture to control some phase of the farming non-certificate wheat, the support would be egg law, which Farm Bureau supported. business was never stronger than it is today. related to the same complicated schedule of Before deciding whether or not to endorse changes in the law, Officials in the U. S. Dept. of Agriculture and the committeecalled upon the Poultry Committeefor further guid- world prices, feeding value of wheat and feed- ance. Actual poultry producers became directly involved. certain members of Congress seem determined grain support levels. This instance is one example of the care taken' by FB leaders to take over control of the total fann operation. There would be no wheat referendum under to assure that the "intent" of each policy statement is closely Labor organizations and the U. S. Dept. of the McGovern bill. Farmers would be eligible followed, and that all policiesrepresent member thinking. Labor are working night and day to get com- for price supports only in compliance with their plete control of all agr icultural labar, and allotments based on a national wheat acreage "somebody" is always working to control the of 55 million acres. FB Insurance Reorganizes transportation of farm commodities to market. There is really nothing voluntary about a Misinformed "somebodies" are trying to tell program that discriminates against those farm- The reorganization of the Farm Bureau Insurance Sales us what kind of agricultural chemicals to use in ers who do not choose to go along with the Division which began in December, has two basic objec- our crop production. government. Their "voluntary choice" -is be- tives, said Ivan Allison, sales manager for the insurance Farmers are careful in the use of chemicals tween no program at all, or the same program companies.