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Show NCN-C!RCULA':i- Volume XIII, . No. !- 1 1 Shuman Addresses 50th Utah Farm Bureau Convention Government farm control and pricing programs have failed because no bureaucratic administrator can foresee market Charles B. Shuman, changes, of the American Farm president Bureau Federation said in addressing the annual meeting of the Utah State Farm Bureau Federation. The current price and production debacle in wheat and feed grains demonstrates once again that government administrators cannot substitute for the market Administration remains dedicated to its outmoded plans, even though Secretary Freeman says farmers find the 1967 price drop hard to swallow.' So the Secretary of Agriculture adjustments in his farm control machinery for 1968 and cut back wheat and feed grain production. He promises the most attractive program we have ever had in feed grains.' Without this program in 1968, the Secretary says returns to feed grain producers would likely be about 30 percent less than in system, Shuman said. It has long been obvious that no 1967, and incomes of livestock and poultry producers also would single administrator or government agency has any magic power be adversely affected (in 1968) as to determine how much should be a result of the abundance of cheap produced and at what price. This feed.' It's gratifying to know that the Secretary realizes the reis a function that can only be performed by the market. lationship of cheap feed to livestock Grain and livestock producers prices, as livestock producers alwill pay heavily in lower prices ready are apprehensive as to what Reelected Utah Farm Bureau leaders are S. Jay Child, left, vice present; Mrs. Willis Whitbeck, and Income in 1967 because the cheap feed will do their prices. are farmers Administration In other women's words, guessed wrong, Photo Courtesy Salt Lake Tribune leader; Elmo W. Hamilton, president. asked for increased production and faced with the old bureaucratic game of seeking to correct one predicted good prices. of Freemistake with another dose of the Secretary Agriculture man in a recent speech admitted same old remedy. With the form parity ratio near that farm program decisions were this for the years partly responsible depression low, U. S. agridecline in farm prices and income. culture cannot afford a continuation By Ken Bice However, he did not blame the farm of the current form production and control programs which have the program, but increased world proA young man named A. B. Boss was told by his doctor that his nerves were duction for his dilemma. 'No one, ultimate objective of making for-me- rq shattered and to go into the country and relax. This was in 1907, and Mr. Boss the Secretary said, not myself, not dependent on government was a Cleveland lawyer. He had simply been working too hard and figured-th- e the scientists and economists had payments for a larger and larger the second sign to predict this.' portion of their income. We must rest would be temporary and that before long, he would be back at his desk. But move before it is too late to disThis is an interesting admisthe way things worked out, he set in motion a movement which changed the face of sion as government managers have mantle this outdated and complilong maintained that they are better cated maze of fruitless restricagriculture in die United States. to decito start to make is and the way production qualified tions, He went to the Cumberland Mountains, in Maryland, where he had been raised as ' sions than farmers. In fact, the eliminate acreage allotments, a boy. He bought a buckboard and a horse and began driving through the country marketing quotas, marketing Secretary of Agriculture and some of his instant study committees' certificates, and base acreages for lanes breathing the mountain air and relaxing. have warned that if farmers were wheat and feed grains and let the It wasnt very long before A. B. Boss had all the relaxing he wanted, and he market system determine our propermitted to make their own decisions they would drown in a sea of duction needs and returns,'' began looking for something to occupy his busy mind. Before long every farmer in the area knew A. B. Boss as that city fellow who was always asking a lot of Shuman said. surpluses. not was The proponents of government matter of As a fact, it Boss wanted to know everything. Why were the worms in that com? nt also argue the increases in wheat allotments questions. How much that wheat and feed grains producand the calls for increased feed Why did you get 20 bushels when another man down the way got 27? tion would have been even higher grain production that caused the manure do you put on your crops? Why? Why? Why? than the current record output if boost in production as much as the The farmers also learned to appreciate Boss because he not only asked questions all controls had been removed for rosy price predictions of the Ad- Bureau 50 Years Off Utah Farm ....... . I supply-manageme- 1967. As a matter of fact, it was not the Increases in wheat allotments and the calls for Increased feed grain production that caused the boost in production as much as the rosy price predictions of the Ad- ministration. It is inconceivable that farmers producing for the market would have gone on such a wild production ministration. It is inconceivable that formers producing for the market would have gone on such a wild production binge. The inducements of government and payment support programs together with the repeated references of government leaders to huge world food needs, constituted a combined humane and profit appeal. It also must be recognized that when the Secretary of Agriculture makes a wrong decision under form control programs it has a widespread effect on a large number of farmers. If an individual former makes a wrong decision, it is not likely that all formers will make the same mistake at the same time. binge. The inducements of govern-progratogether with the re-mand payment support peated references of government leaders to huge world food needs, constituted a combined humane and profit appeal. It also must be recognized that when the Secretary of Agriculture makes a wrong decision under farm In spite of the 1967 form procontrol programs it has a widedebacle, which is only (me spread effect on a large number of gram in a long succession of colossal farmers. If an individual former blunders in the last 30 years, the makes a wrong decision, it is not Administration remains dedicated likely that all farmers will make to outmoded its plans, even though the same mistake at the same time. Freeman says formers Secretary In spite of the 1967 farm pro1967 find the price drop hard to gram debacle, which is only one swallow.' in a long succession of colossal Continued on P. 7 blunders in the last 30 years, the ms ent but supplied answers. everybody he talked to. . If he picked up a good idea or tip, hed pass it along to The formers problems became his own problems. He wrote the Department of Agriculture for pamphlets and papers on crop production. He bought a mimeograph machine and began running off copies of instructions he extracted from the Department of Agri- culture literature. What he couldn't find out from the Department of Agriculture he attempted to find out for himself. He began agriculture experiments on his little piece of land. His experiments proved to the doubting eyes of agricultural experts the wisdom of using inoculated seed. When he couldn't get around the country fast enough in his buck-boar- d, he bought a car. That little roadster acquired the nickname of manure spreader. This was because the formers said: Why that thing is raising the yield of corn aU over this county." Feeling that there was more that could be done to help the farmers |