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Show October 1971 UTAH FARM BUREAU One fact needs to be kept clearly in mind in all the controversy. Almost any product you can name, Day light saving time is ob- if taken in excessive amounts, can served on a nation wide basis, with be harmful to man, animals or the exception of one or two states, plants. from the last Sunday in April until Nearly all of the experiments the last Sunday in October. This is that are used as a basis for trying done under an act of Congress that to justify the bannings of pesticides sets the dates. The act also, have been those in which doses provides that individual states from ten to hundreds of times the cannot vary from these dates. amounts that would be used in The act does provide, however, normal use were fed to exthat an individual state legislature perimental animals. There are no can exempt that state entirely instances known of harm to men or from the provisions of the act and animals from the use of any not observe daylight time. If the pesticide, when applied in the legislature does not act, the state recommended manner. automatically observes federal Recently there was set up in the regulation. Federal Government the EnThe Arizona Legislature vironmental Protection Agency. exempted that state from the This bureau has the responsibility federal act several years ago. This for regulation of the use of is the only western state pesticides. To aid them in their legislature that has so acted. Bills work the Congress is considering a have been introduced into every new pesticide control act. The session of the Utah Legislature to House Committee on Agriculture exempt our state from daylight held extensive hearings on the bill time, but none of them have earlier in the year and has now received much support. reported out its version. A bill supported by the American Major provisions are as follows: Farm Bureau has been introduced 1. Classification: All pesticides into the Congress of the United will come under one of two groups-tho- se States that would begin daylight for general use, and those for time (xi Memorial Day and end it restricted use. Those in the first on Labor Day. The Senate Com- category include insecticide merce committee reported the bill sprays and other chemicals which out of the committee after are not dangerous to human beings amending it to the period between or the environment. Those in the Memorial Day and September restricted category are highly 30th. There has been no action on toxic to man or the environment this bill by either house of and are to be used wily by or under the immediate supervision of Congress. Utah is on the western edge of approved applicators. The apthe mountain time zone. This puts plicators themselves will be us almost a half hour ahead of sun divided into two groups: comtime when we are on standard mercial and private. Farmers will time. Up until just recently, the comprise the great majority of the western edge of the state was in the private applicators. Pacific time zone. This was 2. Maximum fine of up to $25,000 and the and up to a years imprisonment is changed, however, boundary now follows the Utah provided under the criminal Nevada line. Daylight time puts us penalties section for companies almost an hour and a half ahead of and their responsible officials (up sun time. This makes for short to a $1,000 fine and up to 30 days mornings and extra long evenings. imprisonment for farmers) who knowingly violate the law. The civil penalties section provides a Farm Loans maximum fine of $5,000 against a There is a strong move on foot to company (up to $1,000 against a rewrite the Federal Farm Oedit farmer) who has ignored a warAct. Everyone agrees that the act ning that he was engaging in a needs major revisions. Some of the prohibited use. 3. Appeals from the EPA would provisions of the new proposed act that are in controversy are: go directly to federal Circuit most of the Courts of Appeal, with proceedings 1. Repealing provisions of the present act which based on records in the case spells out in the law the limits of compiled at EPA hearings. 4. Federal agencies may be activity and delegating all Farm Federal the to authority exempted from coverage by the Credit Board to make rules. President if he deems emergency 2. Provides for making loans to conditions exist where it is in the if they choose to live public interest to use pesticides in the country. irrespective of restrictions set 3. Provides for financing forth in the law. services such as 5. The new legislation authorizes as such farmers services used by the federal law to preempt state record keeping, tax service and and local laws in regard to all Day Light Saving Time would be covered. The present requirement is that farmers are covered when workers for 500 they man-day- employ s. Also, farmers would be required to pay overtime one and one-ha- lf times the regular wage for hours worked after 40 hours a week or eight hours a day. The various exemptions from overtime now applicable to cotton gins, sugar processing and some other handling of agricultural products would be repealed. In making policy on this issue Farm Bureau members will want to analyze the impact these proposals would have on their operations and the impact of a general increase in the minimum wage on our economy. Utah Weather Reporting In terms of agriculture weather service, weve been involved with the fruit frost forecast 8 or 9 years and this has grown into a campaign to get a meterologist for the state of Utah. Last spring and a year ago there were several meetings held where representatives from various agricultural organizations and colleges met to evaluate the needs for better weather reporting service. The group decided the project was worthwhile and a letter writing campaign was initiated. It turned out that no appropriation was made from the House or the Senate. Further action by Senator Moss and Representative Gunn McKay along with help from Senator Bennett and Representative Sherm Lloyd the $20,000 needed was received in the form of a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric adAdministration. This ministration had received some $3 million more than during the previous fiscal year and this encouraged our Congressmen to seek funds there. Apparently this sum of funds will be forthcoming each year so long as the need for such a program can be demonstrated. It will not have to be sought for each year as a congressional appropriation might have required. This $20,000 will establish one position for one year and will be of considerable help to the stockmen who need more accurate reports during the early spring lambing and calving season. The fruit growers have during recent years Page 5 of the more extreme proposals, particularly in the populated areas where control of firearms has been suggested as a means of controlling crime that appears to be out of control in many quarters. In the recent issues of .the Congressional Record an incident was reported how government agents had broken into a home, shot the head of the house as he was getting out of his bath tub. Items were taken from the home in the pretense of enforcing the Gun Gun Control Laws Control Act of 1969. Some feel that registering arms may leatr to 'time when firearms will be taken to prevent crime, uprisings, or other dubious activities. Others feel of course that guns were designed for killing and therefore ought to be outlawed. Some examples, such as England seem to be what is thought to be typical law abiding societies where-gunare not present. Farm Bureau members should consider in the policy development process what is a valid interpretation of the Constitution, how it should be applied and what farm people should support or oppose in regard to use of The second amendment to the U.S. Constitution indicates that the right to keep and bear arms Some New Laws assisted in establishing some reporting equipment that will help this service become a reality at an earlier date. Cooperation from all segments of agriculture will now be required to give direction, and help determine what will be the duties of the meteorologist. shall not be infringed. With this in mind Farm Bureau members across the country have wondered how this will affect their use of firearms to prevent losses from predators, firearms for sport, protection and collection. Other uses probably fall under the legal implications of the Constitution. Recent years have brought forth many new laws regulating the use of firearms. Many extreme bills have been proposed. It is recognized by many that the trend is toward more public acceptance s 1. Noxious Weed Act. County Commission is given full authority under advisement with State Agriculture Commission to carry on a complete noxious weed control program. 2. Farm Burning. The new Pollution Control Act permits agricultural burning little limitation. eerhiuiiniteirsS lockers . . . Save dough ou fthatt doe iremiti mm non-agricultu- ral non- farmers who provide related services such as air dusting. 5. Permit loan authority to secure funds on a single security for all the units of the farm credit service by uniting the security of all the units. 6. Giving authority to Farm Credit Board to have control over selection and salary of personnel employed in the districts. Federal Land Bank or Production Credit directors in the various areas of the state should be invited to P. D. meeting to discuss the issues. Pesticide Control Act The present public concern over the quality of the environment has caused a lot of controversy and misunderstanding about the use of pesticides. The Federal Government has always had a testing and control program on pesticides. Before any product was allowed to be put on the market it had to pass many laboratory and field tests. Primary concern of this testing was to see if the material was harmful to human beings. . and labeling packaging requirements. However, the states may place higher restrictions on the use of pesticides within their boundaries if they want to take such action. 6. Indemnities are authorized for those who have pesticides left on hand if and when the EPA Administrator should recall material from use. The bill as reported does not contain a previously included section which would have prohibited importation of any agricultural commodities into the United States from a country that does not have at least equal restrictions with respect to the use of pesticides as are enforced in this country. Minimum Wages number of bills have been introduced in the United States Congress which would raise A minimum wages. These bills could cause the general minimum wage to go up from $1.60 to $2.25 per hour in the course of two years. Also they would require that farmers who employ workers for more than in the high quarter of 100 man-day- s employment of the prior year with very 3. Greater emphasis given to vocational education including the Sevier Valley program at non-farme- rs insurance. 4. Provides for financing . COST LESS during a durable, LONG LASTING life span, are MORE CONVENIENT for meat and saves money on frozen food purchases. Choose from three models: 15 CUBIC FT. UPRIGHT 20 CUBIC FT. 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