Show Worse Than Corn Blight I P i Through their spokesman the American Amert Amer Amer- t ican Farm Bureau Federation nearly two million farm families have sought relief from standing long-standing federal farm programs that have made farmers dependent dependent dependent de de- pendent on government subsidies for foran foran foran an important part of their income These farmers know that political minded minded minded mind mind- ed farm programs are a failure and a heavy drain on taxpayers The failure was was highlighted by an Associated Press dispatch that reported prices paid farmers far mers for raw products dropped three per cent iri in August 1970 for the largest largest lar lar- gest single month decline since October 1948 The Farm Bureau has been a steadfast steadfast stead stead- fast advocate of a return to greater reliance on a free market in ture It has sponsored legislation in Con Congress ess to that end but its efforts I have been stymied m by an interplay of eror sa l political c forces that t has no o relation to 1 economics economies the principles of a free market or a sound agriculture indus try In pointing out that the Admin i farm bill was a greater threat to farmers than the corn blight Charles Charles Char Char- les lea B. B Shuman president of the AmerIcan American American Amer Amer- ican Farm Bureau Federation declared ed Also it is likely that proper proper proper pro pro- per measures will be taken to combat the corn blight within a relatively short time but it appears to be more difficult difficult difficult dif dif- to get rid of the government intervention intervention in in- blight that has plagued farmers farmers farmers far far- mers for more than 35 years In the long run the consumer taxpayer taxpayer tax tax- payer would have bave the most to gain by bya a return to free market agriculture He lie would be assured an abundant food supply supply supply sup sup- ply at the lowest prices commensurate with the times By the same token agriculture would be encouraged to produce produce produce pro pro- duce the nations nation's food and fiber with the greatest possible efficiency and economy economy econ econ- omy commensurate with a fair return to the farmer This in short is the heart of the free enterprise philosophy approach approach ap ap- to farm legislation that is being pursued by the nations nation's largest largest- farm organization |