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Show August, r . . 1973 - UOtmi&HMEMT... Puzzle: Why doubters keep controls One of the most puzzling aspects of government price controls of the past several years is that top Administration spokesmen question their effectiveness, but continue to keep them in force. Each new control program creates new con- fusion and chaos in the food industry and the logical and obvious solution to the current mess would be to throw out controls and let the market perform its normal function. Perhaps the biggest blunder under Phase IV was to continue the freeze on beef prices until September 12. As a result of this action, beef is disappearing from meat markets, and black Corporations NOT taking over farming The story persists that large corporations are taking over farming. A recent financial analysis of farm corporations by the USDA should lay this story to rest, at least for now. Only a little over one half of one percent (0.6 percent) of all farms included in Bureau of Census figures for 1969 were corporations. They accounted for about 14 percent of farm sales that year. Nine out of every ten of those corporate farms, closely held corthough, were 10 shareholders, less than with porations meaning they were esentially family owned. Out of the some 3.2 million farms in the United States in 1969, only 1,797 were true corporation farms - the kind that are supposed to be taking over agriculture. They accounted for only 2.9 percent of all farm sales. Its true in agriculture, as in almost every other business, that a small percentage of workers produce most of the results. In sales, many companies figure that the top 10 percent of their salesmen make 90 percent of total sales. So its no surprise that larger, professionally managed corporate farms average far higher business receipts than sole proprietorships, for instance. On the other hand, less than 3 percent of farm sales can hardly be called a takeover. so-call- ed REFLECTIONS By Elwood Shaffer Leader-luck- y Utah Utah is lucky! Watching her farm leaders at the recent Mid-YeConference confirmed that this state turns out rural people. Part of the credit goes to the fact that many of our country dwellers, along with city folks, get plenty of leadership training in a lifetime of church and civic activities. Back in pioneer days, the pattern of rural life in this state built up around farm communities, with the citizens going out into the country side by day to farm their ground, then coming back into town at community life may be night. That close-kn- it another reason for the excellence of our rural leadership. It cant hurt that Utah leads the nation in the educational level of her people. This atmosphere of learning and thinking is bound to upgrade the performance of our Farm Bureau workers. We have another thing going for us in the Beehive State. Enough of our population is still rural that theres more understanding here for farmers and their problems. number more In the Legislature, our farmers and ranchers in their ranks than most states. Bills that have to do with solving the problems of farmers have more chance than in the ar top-not- ch law-make- rs beef price ceilings. Yet Secretary of Agriculture Earl L. Butz, commenting on the lifting of the freeze on all food and meats except beef, said that the freeze and helped push was counterproductive farmers into cutbacks in livestock and poultry programs because it removed or diminished profit incentives for expanding production. I think farmers will respond to a price much more readily than they would respond to a price which is arbitrarily set by government if it happens to be on the downside, Secretary Butz said on July 19. Secretary Butz also admitted that the turning point for many livestock producers was in March 1973, when the Administration imposed lids on retail and wholesale meat prices. Until then, farmers had indicated substantial increases were in store for meat animals, particularly hogs. When the ceiling were applied, livestock producers reversed their plans for expansion. Herbert Stein, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, also said on July 22 that it was debatable if the economy was better or worse for the experience of living with wage-pric- e controls for almost two years. But of even more significance is a recent statement by Treasury Secretary Shultz that bringing federal spending in line with income, not Phase IV, is the key to curbing inflation. Shultz wants to balance the budget for fiscal 1974, and he says it can be done. Year after year of federal budget deficits are the basic cause of the nations inflation. To pay for these deficits through borrowing, the Federal Reserve has been pushed to increase the money supply. Since 1967, the money supply has grown at more than 6 percent annually, and in the last three months the money supply has increased at an 11 percent rate. The sane course for the Administration to follow is to get rid of the economic stabilization programs now, permit a return to a free economy and markets, and balance the federal free-mark- et VIEWPOINT By Booth Wa Dentine UFBF Executive Vice President Congress: Keep in touch One of Utahs Congressmen recently asked me why he didnt hear much from Utahs farmers and ranchers. I get mail from other people in Utah but I often wonder how farm people feel on some issues, he said. Fact is, Utah Farm Bureau communicates with our lawmakers in Washington about once a week. Sometimes we have extended telephone conversations, sometimes it is a telegram or letter. But thats not enough. We need more individual farmers and ranchers who are willing to write a letter or pick up the telephone and call a Congressman or Senator. To be a Congressman is a very lonely job at least as far as the home folks are concerned. Lawmakers get back home from time to time, but for the most part it is a real struggle to keep in close touch with the folks who sent them there. A case in point is the recent OSHA ruling on fruitgrowers. OSHA (Occupational Safety and - Health officials issued standards emergency, temporary severely budget metropolitan sections of the country. Check the record of farm bills sponsored or backed by Farm Bureau in Utah; youll be impressed with the very high percentage that pass ... with nearly unanimous votes in many cases. Most of those bills make good sense to everyone. But there are plenty of states where logic doesnt always prevail. (Could you say that about the U.S. Congress too, at times?) Farm Bureau : markets are springing up. In spite of protests from the meat industry, Administration spokesmen say they will not yield and are sticking to the announced termination date on Fine (arm bill record Here are the votes on a few bills supported by Farm Bureau. Greenbelt amendments (lower taxes Relaxed on farm land): Senate 254); House 69-66-26-House limites on child labor law: Senate g vehicle sign: Senate 27-Mandatory 64-House State property tax reduction of 3 mills: House Senate 26-Most of the votes werent that lopsided, of course, and a few votes went against the Farm Bureau position. But all in all, it was a good session of the Legislature this year for farmers. As weve said before and will repeat many times, what is good for agriculture is good for everyone who eats. City people in this state are lucky that our farm leaders and legislators are outstanding individuals. Theres always more to get done. There are always inequities to correct and improvements to make. New methods of spotting and working on farm problems in Utah are explained in this issue, in a report on Farm Bureaus new resolutions research committee. Weve got the leaders to get the job done. Yes, Utah is lucky ! 0. 0; slow-movin- Administration) limiting apple and peach growers ability to irrigate their crops after using pesticides. Farm Bureau held meetings across the fruit belt of Utah, we participated in court actions to oppose the ruling, and finally, after much effort, the courts set aside this unworkable rule. But a bucketful of letters from farmers in Utah to our men in Congress would have helped. Senator Wallace F. Bennett responded to our plea for help and was a key figure in slowing the regulators down. So lets keep in touch with our lawmakers. They need to hear from you. Heres how to contact them: Telephone - Area Code 202 Or write: The Honorable 225-31- 21 United States Senate (Or House of Representatives) . Washington, D.C. 20510 0. 0; 1. 45-1- 5. 0; , UTAH FARM BUREAU ITU NEWS Postmaster: Please send 'Perm' 3579 to Utah Farm Bureau, East Fourth South, Salt Lake City, Utah 14102. 429 Published each month by the Utah Farm Bureau Federation at Salt Lake City, Utah. Editorial and Business Office, 429 East Fourth South, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84102. Subscription price of twenty-fiv- e cents per year to members is included in membership fee. subscription price: fifty cents per Non-memb- er year. Second Class postage paid at Salt Lake City, Utah UTAH FARM BUREAU FEDERATION OFFICIALS ElmoW. Hamilton, Riverton Jay Child, Clearfield C. Booth Wallentine Elwood Shaffer S. President Vice President Executive Vice President Editor DIRECTORS: Frank Nishiguchi, Garland; William Holmes, Ogden; Jack Brown, Grantsville; Edward Boyer, Springville; John Lewis, Monticello; Jerold Johnson, Aurora; Kenneth R. Ashby, Delta; Mrs. Willis Whitbeck,' Bennion; Stanley Jackson, Ogden. |