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Show January 1972 Utah Farm Bureau News that they can live like the people who are shedding such big tears while espousing a kind of economics that would tie farmers of the 1970s and 1980s to the farm size of the 1930s and 1940s. And Butz Speaks Out on Agriculture Editors note: Excerpts from Address delivered by Earl L. Butz, Secretary of Agriculture at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Farm Bureau Federation, Chicago, Illinois, December 6, 1971. Its certainly good to be here. After what Ive been through the last few weeks in Washington, its great to be back among my kind of people. I am grateful for your invitation to meet with you here today to exchange ideas. Your board, meeting here in this hotel a week ago today, endorsed my confirmation by the Senate. I want you to know that I appreciate that support. It had something to do with my coming here to make my as first public appearance Secretary of Agriculture. Your help the past week is not the only help Im going to need, either. This is a big job that I am taking on. President Nixon calls it (me of the most difficult jobs in Washington. Based on my experiences of the last month, I think his appraisal of my job may be the understatement of the year. There are some real problems facing agriculture. Just to name a few, they include: inadequate income farm costs over-producti- on farm labor the use of farm chemicals revitalizing our rural com- munities maintaining family farms and, access to foreign markets for U.S. farm products As I take on the job of Secretary of Agriculture, I will need your help in finding answers to those problems. We will be looking for ideas, and my door will always be open. You are invited to use it. likewise, I expect to be knocking on your door also from time to time. Ill need the kind of hdp and sound counsel that come from the way you develop your policies from with a very the "round up dem.,. : ic process where you discuss farm issues at local and county meetings, at your state meetings, and then bring your elected delegates here to establish your policies for next year. I have always regarded that as a great procedure, and I heartily endorse it. We need and want to get everyone in this nation into the process of deciding our issues of the day small farmers, young people and big farmers adults the poor and the well-to-d- o minorities and the majorities -Democrats and Republicans and those who are for Secretary Butz and those who arent for him. - self-governi- ng - - - - - None of us should be afraid to stand up and speak up nor to take the heat that comes from speaking frankly, and honestly. It is a part of the democratic process. I hope you will continue to be vigorous spokesmen for agriculture each of you, in your own community, in your state, and in Washington, - - D.C. And I intend to be right with you speaking up on behalf of farmers. Not speaking for farmers. Thats your job, your responsibility and your right as farmers and as members of a free, volunteer farm organization. You do speak for yourself, and dont let anyone take that away from you. But as Secretary of Agriculture I intend -with all the vigor I have to speak in behalf of farmers and ranchers to the President, to the Cabinet, to Congress, to consumers and to the American people. - Rural people bring to this nation an abundance of strengths and traits that the nation needs, and this generation and the times need. Your farm family life is home centered, community centered and church centered. You place a high value on such traits as work, production, integrity, depenand what dability, some call patriotism. I say its a patriotism something that will never go out of style. All of those qualities that are second nature to farm and rural people are important for the strength and vitality of this nation and its society. As we move from a predominately rural to an urban nation, we stand in danger of losing some of those fundamental virtues that have served us so well in decades past They are more important today than ever. Lets never surrender them. What you stand for is important. self-relian- ce old-fashion- ed - new-fashion- ed The resolutions that you develop at this meeting will tell what you stand for as an organization. Knowing you as I do, that is what you and your board and your officers will live by, and live up to, during the coming year. As I have read the principles that you have written into those resolutions over the years, I know that you have a great deal to be proud of. They show high principles of leadership and awareness and compassion. You can hold up those resolutions in your hands and put your shoulders back and be proud of what you stand for, proud to be farmers, and proud to be Farm Bureau members. I have had some experience during the last three weeks in this business of what one stands for. I have had many people, Presidential candidates and would-b- e candidates, and members of high councils of political organizations tell what I stand for. Sometimes I couldnt recognize what I heard them say I stood for. I felt the need to have in my hand a set of resolutions that I could hold up that told the world where I stood. And I dont mind telling you now some of those things that Earl Butz stands for: Butz for Farmers 1. First, I am for farmers. It may seem unnecessary for me to say that. But not everybody is for farmers. I am, and I want you and everybody else to know it. 2. 1 am for farmers getting a fair economic return, both on their labor and no one works harder -and a fair return on their investment - and agriculture is the biggest business in the nation. A fair return on farm labor and in- - vestment means higher farm prices and net returns. And Im for that. Work Stoppages am for farm products being to able move to market at harvest time when the crop is ready. And 3. 1 Im against farmers losing millions of dollars, as they have during the dock strikes and the work stoppage at the elevators here in Chicago. Im against that kind of disregard for farmers, for consumers and for our overseas markets. Chance to Grow I am for small farmers and young farmers having a chance to grow and dream and have those dreams come true. Im not in favor of perpetual poverty. That means that small farmers and young farmers must have a chance to grow into an economic unit that keeps up with the times so that they can live like other people. So 4. - everybody with any barnyard horse sense knows better. Women Conveniences 5. 1 am for farm women having conveniences and decent things in their homes that they can be proud of and enjoy; That takes more farm income, and more opportunities for work for those who want it, so that farm women can have those conveniences. That, among the farm women I know, is the kind of womens liberation that they are off-far- m for. Bargaining Power am for farmers having more bargaining power so that they can have more say over their prices and terms of sale so that they - the farmers remain in control of 6. 1 - farming. am for farmers having strong volunteer farm organizations that 7. 1 develop their policies in a democratic process, after study and discussion, from the local communities on up. And Im for preserving the freedom of farmers to do that. 8. I am for farm cooperatives that enable farmers to work together to market their products, to have electricity and telephones, and credit. And Im for farmers running and owning these organizations. 9. I am for rural development and economic growth in the countryside so that farmers and rural towns people can enjoy schools, health care, housing, and community services that are on a par with larger cities. Im for the kind of strong local, private economic activity that will generate the growth and the vitality that will make this possihle. Labor Legislation 10. labor I am for reasonable farm Labor legislation. are and seasonal requirements of for much unique agriculture. Assurances must be maintained that such labor will be available when and where it is needed. Otherwise, highly perishable food will never be harvested. Farm Drivers Exempted The Department of Transportation today announced that drivers of farm-relate- d trucks will be permanently exempted from certain portions of the revised 3 By DOT decided to grant immediate and permanent relief by way of partial exemption for drivers used in general farm work. Driver Qualification Regulations, BMCS Director Robert A. Kaye which became effective January 1, said: 1971. The application of the stringent new qualification rules to drivers used in agriculture had become a controversial matter, involving both safety and agricultural interests. During the past several The seasonal and intermittent of interstate farm operations; the general short range of the majority of farm trips; and the lower incidence of exposure of farm vehicles to highway collision risks has convinced us of the need for revision of the existing commercial vehicle driver qualification regulations insofar as they applied to drivers of vehicles controlled and operated by far- nature months, the Federal Highway Administrations Bureau of Motor Carrier Safety has studied the problem extensively and consulted with the Department of Members of Agriculture, and farm group mers. Congress, The action taken by the Bureau, representatives. Following further will become effective which review of all comments received from interested parties, BMCS has January 1, 1972, will eliminate two of the most controversial problems. It will extend needed relief to drivers of lightweight farm vehicles and to 18 year old drivers of heavier units operated within 150 miles of the farm. The revision provides that: Farm vehicle drivers operating trucks weighing 10,000 pounds or less are totally exempt from the Plan Your Estate Estate Planning is a must for Farmers & Ranchers In a report published in the Kansas City Times Thursday November 26, 1970. Their agricultural editor Roderic Turnbull reported of the activities of a meeting of the agricultural credit conference of the American Bankers Association. He quotes Dr. Robert S. Smith of Cornell University as saying that Farmers face an ever increasing problem with taxes and the distribution of their estates. A great many farmers devote a working lifetime to accumulate assets and wealth to make themselves and those dependent upon them financially secure. Too commonly those who have worked hardest and have been most successful cannot bring themselves to spend the time and make the effort required to assure maximum use of that wealth to meet family objectives after death. Control Inflation Farmers like many others have a natural reluctance to accept the 11. 1 am for controlling inflation inevitability of death and many in this country. Inflation takes its times have no plan whatsoever to toll on many fronts, but nowhere legally control the assets they have more strikingly than in the area of spent a lifetime earning. farm costs. The marked rise in Perhaps because of the fact that farm costs over the last decade, farmers and ranchers deal with more than the rise in farm prices assets that are not readily exreceived, has kept the parity ratio changed over a stock market they at an intolerably low level. have a tendency to overlook the I know that all of you are fact that in almost every case delighted with President Nixons liquid assets are needed within decision to retain a viable nine months of death to pay estate Department of Agriculture at a taxes and other settlement costs. Cabinet level streamlined to zero An alarming fact was disclosed by in on the interests of farmers and a recent survey of thousands of ranchers. estates in all parts of the U.S. I we assure that have The figures are general but they you May the full support of President Nixon do all indicate a definate lack of and his staff in the White House as planning and a obvious shortness we move forward vigorously to of liquid assets in estates of all preserve the family farm structure sizes. in American agriculture; and do our utmost to assure a level of ESTATE SIZE income for farm folks that will let them share adequately in the great American affluence; we try to strengthen our rural communities all through America so that our; young people may find good opportunities for purposeful employment and peaceful living in areas where they grew up; and finally to bring to all of us in Agriculture a deep inner sense of dignity and pride in our profession. It is to the accomplishment of these noble goals that all of us in the United States Department of Agriculture unite in full partnership with all of you in this, the nations largest volunteer farm organization. Page TAX (administration & debts) ACTUAL CASH ON HAND IN CLUDING LIFE INSURANCE SHORTAGE ESTATE SIZE AVERAGE COSTS AS A RESULT OF DEATH INCLUDING FED TAX. ACTUAL CASH ON HAND CLUDING LIFE INSURANCE SHORTAGE IN driver qualification rules. Farm vehicle drivers operating straight trucks weighing in excess of 10,000 pounds, within 150 miles of their farms, are totally exempt from the driver qualification rules. Farm vehicle drivers 18 years or older, operating a tractor-traile- r unit within 150 miles of the farm, are exempt, except they must be physically qualified but need not be physically examined and certified until January 1, 1973. Drivers employed by custom granted total exemption while transporting operators are custom harvesting machinery to or from a farm, and while transporting the custom harvested crops to storage or market. Beekeepers transporting bees during seasonal movements are exempted from the Driver Qualification Regulations. In addition to the farmer exemption, BMCS has reduced the minimum age limit from 21 to 18 for drivers operating any vehicles weighing 10,000 pounds or less and who are com-meric- al otherwise qualified, whithout geographic location. Proper estate planning can reduce these figures greatly and can help to set up sources of available liquidity to help to stem this financial drouth. Country Mutual Life, our Farm Bureau Life insurance company will be happy to assist and advise you in getting your own estate plan set up. Remember estate planning is just as important in the long run as crop planning or careful breeding. Everything worth while in life can be improved by careful thought and planning. See your Country Mutual Life agent now and make sure your plans are properly set up to your best advantage. |