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Show Page 2 October 1974 Utah Farm Bureau News County leaders train for fall policy development work Speaking to leaders from Garfield and Kane County Farm Bureaus, Neil Sum-sioUFBF. field services director, explains the process by which the members themselves set policy for Farm Bureau. This meeting in Panguitch was one of nine held around the state in late September to instruct county workers. n, - y meetUFBF board member Ken Ashby opens a policy development 2S policy ing in the Iron county Farm Bureau office in 'Cedar City. Some attended the counties development workers from Washington, Iron and Beaver kick-of- f session for fail resolutions work. multi-count- Imagine how I felt to learn that my son had been convinced by his instructors and what hes read about unemployment that some deficit spending is necessary to keep the economy running. Thats a common line these days among some liberal economists and some poli- VIEWPOINT By Booth Wallentine Consumers seek export controls, cheap food UFBF Executive Vice President ticians. about your How Predictions of a decline in the 1974 corn crop from the record high in 1973 are sparking a consumer campaign for farm export controls. A group known as the Consumers Federation of America (CFA), which claims to represent more than 100 consumer-relate- d organizations including labor unions, is pressuring Congress for restrictions on farm exports. The controls are being pushed ' by the CFA as a means of cutting food prices. The CFAs campaign ignores inflation, which has been the major factor in pushing up farm production costs as well as contributing to wider marketing margins. While food prices have risen in recent months, it should be remembered that since April of this year, wage rates have been rising at an annual rate of 12.7 percent. Julius Shiskin, U.S. Commissioner of Labor Statistics, reports that the 12.7 percent figure is double the rate of increase recorded earlier in the year and about the same as the recent increase in consumer prices. The hourly earnings index included an average annual increase of 10 per cent under collective bargaining agreements in the second quarter of 1974. Also, more than 250,000 workers have been added, since the beginning of the clauses in their year, to those who are covered by cost- - of-- living escalator union contracts. The groups that advocate export controls on farm exports to drive down domestic farm prices are the same ones calling for tax relief, price and wage controls, public employment programs, more government spending and nationalization of the oil industry. . Those who are campaigning for export controls ignore the economic facts made possible by export sales means lower of life. Increased output average production costs on farms, higher incomes for farmers, and lower food costs for consumers. The dollars earned by commercial exports are vital to our countrys international balance of payments and are needed to pay for higher costs of imported oil, and other essential raw materials. with the symptoms of inflation Export controls, like price ceilings,-deaand divert attention from the need for effective action to reduce the main cause of inflation, excessive government spending. l family? Well, we talked a long time about Inflation talk with son think I convinced him that deficit spending is the cause of inflation, not the cure for our economic w'oes. But I ask you this question: How about your son or daughter? Have you checked out their political and economic attitudes lately. that. Has a good visit with my son the other day. Hes a high school senior with a keen interest in political affairs. He works six hours a day at a local ice cream parlor, so he has more than a passing interest in the economy too. old We talked about inflation. Because he buys his own clothes, gas, etc., he understands inflation. But he wasnt quite sure what causes it. So I explained that- inflation comes when we have more money than we have goods and services. . - And I told him the borrowing power of the federal government had been overused, creating an artificially high money supply. This, coupled with a downturn in worker productivity, had been the primary cause of inflation. In short, I said, the real culprit is deficit spending by the federal government. I Its a tough time to be young, you know. In my sons lifetime hes seen one president assassinated, an- - -- other candidate struck down by a bullet, still another candidate maimed for life. Hes seen one president driven from office for his support for an unpopular war and yet another president forced to resign for misconduct. So our young people have been witnessing political instability. Combine this with all they hear and read about economics, and you have a potentially confused youth. May I be so presumptious as to ' suggest a ' good visit with your youngster one of these days soon? New building reaches full height POSTMASTER: Please send Form 3579 to Utah Farm Bureau, 629 East Fourth South, Salt Lake City, Utah 84102. Published each month by the Utah Farm Bureau Federation at Salt Lake City, Utah. Editorial and Business Office, 629 East Fourth South, Salt Lake City, Utah 84102. Subscription price of fifty cents per year to members Is included in membership fee. subscription price: One dollar per year. Non-memb- er Second Class postage paid at Salt Lake City, Utah UTAH FARM BUREAU FEDERATIpN OFFICIALS Elmo W. Hamilton, Riverton S. Jay Child, Clearfield C. Booth Wallentlne Elwood Shaffer . . President ' Vice President Executive Vice President Editor DIRECTORS: Frank Nishiguchi, Garland; William Holmes, Ogden; Jack Brown, Grantsville; Edward Boyer, Springville; John Lewis, Montlcello; Jerold Johnson, Aurora; x Kenneth ward Boyer, Springville; John Lewis, Montlcello; Jerold Johnson,' Aurora; Kenneth R. Ashby, Delta; Mrs. Pauf Turner, Morgan; Robert Johnson, Randolph. Almost all the brick work is done on the new Utah Farm Bureau building south of Salt Lake City. Inside work is moving along well, with completion scheduled for early 1975. . |