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Show AN OPEN LETTER EDITOR'S NOTE: Ames K. Bagley, executive secretary of the Utah Utah Manufacturers Association, stated that the following letter was a real challenge to other groups and that the Farm Bureau had taken a truly patriotic and unselfish position which we commend and support.. sup-port.. Dear Friends: Information from Washington, D. C. indicates that organized groups are giving very weak support to proposed reductions in federal expenditures. There is a general feeling that cuts should be made in all de-patrments de-patrments except those directly affecting the particular par-ticular industry closest to us. The Utah State Farm Bureau Federation representing repre-senting over seven thousand farm families and the American Farm Bureau Federation representing over one million four hundred thousand farm families has undertaken to analyze the proposed federal budget bud-get carefully and we feel that at least ten billion dollars dol-lars can be cut from the budget without any ill effects. We are frankly amazed that business organizations organiza-tions evidence so little concern over the continual increase in-crease in our public debt. Perhaps there is more con" cern than is evident on the surface but unless action is taken in a positive, vigorous way it is almost cer-1 tain that the present wasteful extravagant practices! of the federal government will continue. ' Agriculture, through the Farm Bureau, is voluntarily volun-tarily asking that $200,000,000 be cut from the agricultural agri-cultural part of the budget. This money if appropriated appropria-ted can be put to equally good use as the millions and billions in other departments. If it is cut out without proportionate cuts in the other departments, little effect will be realized in the amount of the budget ( and agriculture and the country will have gained ' little except the satisfaction of agriculture in having : made an honest attempt. We therefore challenge in- i dustry and labor to make similar requests for cuts in : expenditures in departments which affect you di- , rectly. If we all work together toward establishment of a sound national economy, we will make a real con- : tribution toward national defense. Russia is unquestionably unques-tionably afraid of our productive power. If we lose this power through continual dissipation of our national na-tional resources and the weakening of our financial structure, and our faith in the ability of our country to make good its obligations, we will without doubt eventually destroy that which we are willing to go the liimt to protect. Will you join us in insisting that departments of government which directly affect you cut out all waste and unnecessary spending as we have done in the Department of Agriculture? This means vigorous, aggressive action to convince Congress that this must be done. Very truly yours, UTAH STATE FARM BUREAU FED. (signed) Frank G. Shelley Executive Secretary |