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Show Poge 4 UTAH FARM BUREAU mh Feurm Bmnresiiyj We believe Farm Program Act prosupport the 1967 Wheat and Feed-Graiposed by the AFBF. We urge the American Farm Bureau Federation investigate the feasibility of placing itself in a position to act as a national counseling body to recommend supplies and production of foodstuffs needed to feed our increasing population and needy nations. We acknowledge the many factors which might affect production and consumption of foods and feel the Farm Bureau can best establish needs and make recommendations to producers. We further recommend any other changes in farm programs that would enable agriculture to move toward a free market where supply and demand would be more important determinants of production. To accomplish these objectives, we would recommend that price supports on wheat, feed grains, and dairy products be eliminated or reduced to a level that would serve as a support floor to encourage orderly marketing; that acreage allotments and marketing quotas be eliminated; and that legislation be enacted to prohibit the resale of government-owne- d farm commodities at prices that undermine the market. Resale prices of government owned commodities should be sold at not less than the higher of 125 percent of the current loan level plus reasonable carrying charges, 85 percent of parity, or the market price. A basic objective of all price support operations should be to strengthen the functioning of the free market rather than depress it. We Daylight-Saving- s ns Time are opposed to time and ask the various state Farm Bureaus and the AFBF to initiate action to revert to standard time. We daylight-savin- gs Importation of Livestock Red Meats And-o- r The pressure of Importation of livestock and red meats is becoming increasingly alarming to the point of serious damage to the domestic livestock industry. Excessive imports of any one class of meat at a lower price jeopardizes the sale of all classes of domestic meats. We urge the American Farm Bureau to increase its vigilance with respect to this problem. Imports of beef, lamb, mutton and pork should be further controlled by reduced quotas together with reasonable duties to prevent depressing the market. Foreign meat brought into the United States should be labeled as such. We insist that foreign countries shall not be allowed to use our market as a dumping ground for meat. euu ha fka nawn rf MW maw? ' SOOUIU' M wv Agriculture Department. Meat Inspection We confirm our belief that all meats sold for consumption by the public be inspected for compliance with applicable laws of cleanliness and wholesome quality. We urge theCongress of the United States to support the passage of HR 12144 which will allow expenditure of Federal funds to supplement State Inspection funds which will insure more complete compliance with meat inspection laws of both the States and the National Meat Inspection Act. Foregin Aid Our assistance to underdeveloped nations should be based on long range plans carefully prepared and agreed to by the underdeveloped nations with proper consideration of their ability to utilize this aid. Requests for foreign aid funds should be justified, nation by nation, and presented to Congress for approval. Congress should authorize appropriations on an annual basis only after careful review and reeval'jatlSTi o1 ine progress of the plans. SuOu a program of assistance should be designed to aid those whose allegiance is to the free world and whose governments oppose jn. j communism. Holiday Issue, 1967 NEWS Resolutions future commitments should be predicated upon: (1) A well defined program to provide technical assistance at a level which is consistent with each nation's current stage of development. (2) Granting loans on the basis of sound commercial standards when there is reasonable expectation of repay- ment. (3) Continued military assistance where this is determined to be essential to nations demonstrating a strong will to resist communist aggression. Reapportionment Because the U.S. Supreme Court decision declaring the policy of one citizen one vote, unless reversed, will destroy the historic right of states to determine their own apportionment and use the Federal Plan if they desired, be it resolved that Farm Bureau offer leadership to organize the efforts of all allied forces into a united and dynamic campaign and give priority to securing an amendment to the U.S. Constitution guaranteeing to states this fundamental right to determine their own apportionment of one house on some basis other than population. Grazing Rights and Water Yield From Forest Lands In some of our mountain valleys our whole economic climate is built around the livestock industry and the water we receive from the forest watershed. The Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management with their vast powers can determine the economic stability of these areas. The removal of livestock from the public lands, takes away the means of these areas to make a livelihood, pay taxes, support churches, and community development. In addition to these, studies Indicate our water supplies are being diminished which further reduces the ability of the people to live and support the economy. In many instances Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management administrators have cancelled or reduced permits without regard to the economy of the people who live in the area, even though by testimony of people who have lived on the range for many years and by former administrators that the range has improved substantially and is still improving. During the 1963 session of the Utah State Legislature this problem was recognized and money was appropriated for Utah State University to conduct a study of the forest watershed to determine the relationship between vegetation, grazing, and water yield. We ask that no further reductions be made until this study and others are completed and the results evaluated. We are encouraged by results observed so far in intensive management studies being carried on bv tha Utah State University aiiu ine United States Forest Service designed to develop practices and procedures that will obtain maximum water yield and utilization of forage. We hope these studies may continue until a full evaluation of present experiments can be obtained. Furthermore, we believe that for a bureau of government to have such powers over people without any recourse of people, except to the bureau itself is against the philosophy of our democratic form of government. We believe that when grazing permits are reduced or eliminated, the producers affected should have recourse to decision by jury. We also believe that if it is necessary to reduce or cancel permits, the individual should be reimbursed at fair market value. We commend the formation of the Public Land Law Review Commission to review all public land laws and make recommendations for their improvement. We recommend that Farm Bureau continue to take an active interest in presenting our views at all hearings of this Commission. Separation of Powers we stand for the Constitution ;Iie united States, with 0j government as therein set forth, Cluii fully independent in it's own field. We extol the policy of open agreements openly arrived its three depart at. deplore legislation by Executive Decree, as we do the late decisions of the Supreme Court which are tantamount to initial Acts of Congress. We view with grave concern the manner in which some congressmen have acquiesced in the unlawful usurpation of this power. We Civil Rights There is marked tendency on the part of the courts and particularly the United States Supreme Court to overdefend human rights at the expense of property rights or the rights of law abiding citizens. Criminals and underprivileged people should be granted certain protections, but not be permitted privileges greater than the protections granted to the great sector of the population. We urge Farm Bureau to continue to work for the sound interpretation of the principles of our constitution and the laws in this regard. We also feel that there should be better enforcement of the laws dealing with criminal acts. We pledge our support and express our appreciation to individuals who are assigned to enforce the laws. Surtax We recommend that the Farm Bureau maintain opposi- tion to the passage of the proposed federal surtax. Colorado River Project Water being so vital to the well-beiof Utahs we of 23 the share Utahs urge protection Agriculture, of the Colorado River Project. ng Government Policy in Viet Nam We feel that wherever and whenever American troops are committed to military actions such as the present conflict in Vietnam, military commanders under the direction of the Defense Department should have the full support of the nation in doing whatever necessary to bring such conflicts to a speedy and honorable conclusion. Government Spending Farm Bureau reaffirms its stand on big government and Since the projected expenditures of the Federal Government Indicate a deficit of $25 to $30 billions of dollars for the present fiscal year, we feel this to be a real threat to the economic stability of our government and will add to the already inflationary trend now in effect. We recommend Farm Bureau exert all its influence to hold and reverse this trend. deficit spending. Food Prices Todays food prices, when measured in hours of labor required to buy, are the lowest they have ever been in the history of our country. We urge Farm Bureau at all levels to use all means possible to bring this information more fully to the attention of the general public. Federal Aid We are concerned over the present trend to seek and accept federal aid in many of our social and economic functions. We still believe that it is fundamentally sound for local units of government as well as for persons to depend on their own resources to accomplish most worthy activiHpf. Fedclil alu should be used only when there is no possibility to do the job with local effort. All information and experience is conclusive that whenever the federal government subsidized an activity, it begins to dictate conditions of operation. This is particularly true with respect to aid to our public school propTot Willie local government should remain xi ce irom federal domination we most emphatically defend the right of our schools to be governed by the local board. We are opposed to the trend of our National Government to attempt to guarantee everyone a minimum income. We feel that the only guarantee should be that of an equal opportunity for education and employment. |