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Show Farm Prices Ikl adeOn Farm, Co-op Leader Says "Whether we like it or not, we are living today in a 'Legislated 'Legis-lated Economy' where farm prices pri-ces are made in Washington not in the market place. Furthermore, Furth-ermore, I don't think any change in government administration, either the Federal or State level will, or can, alter that fact materially." ma-terially." This was the challenge of UCA Manager W. B. Robins as he addressed a group of more than fifty Farmers Union mem bers assembled in the Newhouse hotel late in January to discuss Utah farm problems and draft a farm program. Charging farmers' organizations, organiza-tions, including their cooperatives, coopera-tives, with the responsibility of safeguarding farmers'" interests in legislative halls in addition to protecting them in the market place, the UCA manager asserted assert-ed that as the population of the United States increases and the complexities of business, labor and agriculture become greater, legislation will be used more and more as a means of keeping the economy in balance. "Business will continue, to press for and get billions of dollars dol-lars of subsidies in the form of depletion for oil and minerals, fast tax writoffs on plant con- struction, below-cost, not to. mention direct subsidies to the steamship lines, airlines and railroads. "Labor will continue to fight for and achieve higher minimum wages, time and a half, retirement retire-ment plans, guaranteed work week and other benefits. Business Busi-ness and labor are well organized. organ-ized. By staying on the job and by working year in and year out they continue to promote the gains they want from the economy and from their government govern-ment through legislation. "If the farmer is to stand up to big business and big labor, he must continue to organize. If he should fail to fight for legislated legis-lated protection in the market, he will reap devastating prices which easily could bring on a farm depression which in turn could disastrously drag the entire en-tire economy with it." Appealing for more active cooperative co-operative leadership with proper pro-per responsibility at the local level, Mr. Robins cited the trend to centralization of responsibility responsibil-ity and control in business and other phases of American life as an unhealthy manisfestation. He cited the federated type coop co-op organization used by UCA and its affiliated locals wherein responsibility lies locally as an important force in the direction away from "stifling" effect of , over-centralization. |