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Show Pa9e 2 Utah Farm Bureau News WHAT ABOUT FOOD PRICES? Perhaps it is time to say something about the price of meat. Isn't it interesting that the beef industry gets charged with increasing the cost of living-- as though everything else were in balance. Some leave the impression that when meat is at today's price level everyone eats meat and nothing else. Some commentators suggest that prices are high because raw farm freeze-a- nd should be. I products are not restrained by the wage-pric- e guess consumers are understandably concerned about the price of food, after all, food is a necessity if you expect to survive. The way farm prices, supply and demand causes the change in prices, have been treated in the past, farm people get the impression consumers think there is an endless supply and there would appear to be no end to quality food. Not long ago potato prices reached a level that appeared high to the public and pressure was brought to bear on politicians to prevent the price from going "unreasonably" higher. After many years of just breaking even or showing minimal profits, the public wants to protect their immediate interest in low prices. Such action, if allowed to predominate, could cause serious problems in agriculture. It wouldn't be long until consumers would be faced with the reality of high prices and no way to "cushion" them to reduce consumer costs. The public seems interested in healthy food and rightfully so, but emotion drives people to action that is unwarranted. For example, women have been treated by family doctors with estrogenic hormone for menopausal symptoms, and has not been demonstrated to produce cancer. The Food and Drug Administration is not serving the public welfare by presenting insignificant findings as if they constitute major health hazards. Residues, ranging from 8 to 100 parts per billion of DES, had been found in one of every 200 cattle slaughtered, according to a news article recently. A news-wear- y physician wrote to the editor of his local Arizona paper: "A dose of 2 mgm. daily often given to women suffering from jnenopausal symptoms, has not been demonstrated to produce cancer. If the beef content of DES has been 100 parts per billion in 0.6 percent of the specimens examined, one would have to eat 3333 kilograms (7,333 pounds) of meat each day merely to get a therapeutic dose!" The likelihood that a health hazard exists is negligible, and yet how can low food prices continue if modern methods, that have not been demonstrated harmful, are to be discontinued? Does the public really know when they have a good thing going for them? In face of simple economics, almost all foodstuffs, but meat especially, have been such an incredible bargain for decades, that when prices start at long last to seek a natural level in line with the national economy, it looks like another inflationary spiral. Consider the fact that along every step of the way, increases in wages and increased costs have been evident. How is it that strikers for higher wages have never realized that their wage increases will also increase the cost of goods they consume? While the average retail price of meat has advanced about 35 percent in the past 20 years, personal disposable income of U. S. consumers had increased, on the average, by more than 100 percent during the same period. And in addition, consider that on the average only about 5 percent that income is spent for meat. Now after all the talk of high prices, the livestock producer only now is back to where he was 20 years ago! Only through super efficiency, conmeat per hour, per acre, or unit of stant improvement in methods--mor- e feed-- is it possible that feeders have managed to stay in business. of Just last year, hogs were at $15.00 cwt. and cattle at per cwt. in 1964. Todays $38.50 cwt. doesn't seem like too much when costs of production are considered. What other industry could stay in business with one year in twenty prosperity? Isn't it interesting that so little attention is given to such prices as campers, recreational vehicles, movie tickets, a mountain cabin or a pair of skiis. NDS $18.10 4 -- Editors Note: At a time when farm labor relations activities under leadership of Cesar Chevez have caused national concern, this editorial from the Chicago Tribune February 16, 1972 is reprinted for the insight it reveals. Cesar Chavez would not like what some Calif omia farm workers are saying about his United Farm Workers Organizing Committee (AFL-CIO-). In a new motion picture film, The Road to Delano, several farm workers, including some who say they are UFWOC members, complain about loss of income and a growing loss of jobs as a result of the unions contract with grape growers and other farmers. The film was produced by the American Farm Bureau Federation, which has long been critical of the Chavez unions tactics as being contrary to the best interests of farmers and the workers it is supposed to help, as well as to consumers. One union member appearing in the film says: Now we say the boycott helped us be hungry. This is what we have to think the people of the East (for) who supported the boycott. Instead of helping us, they have destroyed us. Wages are substantially lower because employers must cut back on piece rates paid to workers to meet costs assessed by the union contract, according to some of the workers. Jobs are harder to find because growers are turning to crops that require less hand labor and because of d union hiring hall practices, they contend. There may be two sides to this story, but one thing seems clear. Chavez could not have organized most of the workers he now has without resorting to the boycott of farm products in retail food stores. By stifling sales of their products, the boycott puts severe economic pressure on growers to sign over their workers to Chavez without bothering with elections to determine if the workers want to join a union. Chavez has admitted as much by opposing all proposed legislation to declare the boycott illegal. This type of boycott is, in fact, illegal for other labor unions under the National Labor Relations Act, which exempts farm workers from its provisions. Chavez also has opposed proposals in Congress and in at least three states to require secret ballot elections to let farm workers decide for themselves if they wish to join a union. Encouraged by his success in the table grape boycott and the subsequent lettuce boycott, Chavez currently is boycotting the products of nine major California wineries. Other boycotts of strawberries, lettuce, and citrus fruits may develop this year. And most chain food stores, picketed by Chavez union and pressed by the other unions with which they deal, are all too willing to knuckle undo1 and take the boycotted products off their shelves. Congress has stalled for several years on legislation to end the disputes between this union and farmers. We need labor laws for agriculture that are fair to unions, workers, farmers, and consumers. high-hande- INSIGHT ABOUT Mel Woell prepared the following for broadcast over KSL on January 31, 1972 on Insight a Farm Bureau production. An American is a man who will run to the doctor because of a sore throat and then drive 90 miles an hour to his office on slick pavement-t- o make up the lost time. In fact, an American will express his concern about other crazy drivers but he wont buy a car that cant make 100 miles an hour. And - an American will talk about the irresponsibility of the younger generation -- but he hasnt the slightest idea where his kids are now... An American will watch ballgames all weekend and then wonder why the kids never read a book. Come to think of it-- an American is a man who knows the lineups of the teams, but he cant recite half the words to the national anthem. An American is the kind of person who worries about pesticides and chemical fertilizers, but doesnt want flies and mosquitoes around him, and wants his apples and tomatoes to be without blemish. Americans gripe a lot about the high prices of most everything they buy, but gripe even more about the low prices of things they have to sell. An American is a person who wants a lot of things that only government can supply, then complains about the high cost of government. An American is the kind of guy wholl gripe about his own government but gets upset when a foreigner does it... An American usually lives in the city-havmoved there from the farm. While on the farm, he worked hard to get enough money to move to the city-wh- ere he is now saving up enough money to buy a farm. An American is a person who, while living in the dty, complains about he lived on the farm, provided him with high food prices, which-wh- en starvation wages... pro-footb- all ing UTAH FARM BUREAU (Hi NEWS Published each month bv the Utah Farm Bureau Federation at Sak Lake City, Utah. Editorial and Business Office, 629 East Fourth South, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84102. Subscription price of twenty-fiv-e cents per year to members is included in membership tee. Second Class postage paid at Salt Lake City, Utah ... . UTAH FARM BUREAU FEDERATION OFFICIALS Elmo W. Homilton, Riverton S. Joy Child. Clearfield V. Allen Olsen Neil D. President Vice President Executive Secretory Sumsion Editor r ns wgaen jhh Drown Grantsville; Edward Boyer, Springville, Kenneth Brasher,nviiiicsi Jerold Johnson, Aurora ; Arlond Kawkins, Hurricane; Mrs. Willis Whitbeck,Huntington; Bennion, Stanley Jackson ogoen. w M im . |