'lot. 34, No. 9 SEPTEMBER 1, 1956 EDITORIAL Soil Bartk ~1u CL L. y The true purpose of the Soil Bank Act of the 84th Congress is to aid in returning agriculture to a market-place status and help free the farmer' The farm pl tform from government allotments, quotas, and controls. Republican n tion I on nti n in" It constitutes a desperate and last-ditc effort to apart on their m jor recomm nd tion national reduce agricultural surpluses and help bring current farm policy to as ure II-b I nc d, farm production into reasonable adjustment with prosperous agriculture. consumer demand. T e Democ ts ould r turn to ri id It is now the law of the land, but whether it price supports for the b ic crop of h accomplishes the objectives for which it was de- ton, rice, tobacco and p nuts. Th . signed will be largely determined by the manner the list to include peri habl and th r in which the Soil Bank Act is administered. Great favor direc pa rments or ub idi s t care needs to be taken that operations under it do "full pant not result in still further increasing agricultural pro- The epublic n declare for t d duction and surpluses. "full parity" prices in th mark ut d - The hope of reducing surpluses lies in the acre- pendance upon ub idi age reserve section of the Act, Sub-Title A. The . OUR FLAG flies aily from a new 30 fool flag pole in fron of tl e 'arm Bureau Center office build- They endor ed th Eisenho r ti 1 key sentence is: ing at Lansing. hown in the picture are Pres' nt Ward G. odge (c nt r) and Miss Barb a Foster. Agricultural Act of 1956 ith fie ibl pn president of t e Junior F rm Bureau. as t e flag was raised for t e 'f:t lime A gust 8. The flag. "The rates of payment offered under this sec- to protect farm prices, and the Soil B nk and flagpole and:tw flags with standards for the offi ces ere gifts of t e Junior Farm Bure u, Others tion &hal be sue u t. encourage producers to in the picture are Miss Lois Schmidt. s cretary-tr surer. and Bob n Wert. 2nd vice president. vation Reser e to a i t in adju ting produ underplant their otments e than one year." mand. At an informal conference of representatives agriculture and other interests from many sections of ice ,Flag eo e t rs I They urged more freedom of ction or f rm r in the farm program rather than more r gim nt ti n. of the nation with top officials of the U. S. Depart- ment of Agriculture, I heard considerable emphasis Citizenship m I Fann Bureau's Position. the leadership of the American F rm Bur u m t B fore th Th American fla a flies from a expressed regarding this provision. new 30 foot flagpole in front of the platform committe s and said to th m: Those present unanimously emphasized to the the Farm Bureau Center office 1 "The most satisfactory approach to our f building at Lansing. Department officials the importance of providing The flag, flagpole and two ne lem is e pan ion of both foreign an dom tic mark t I gilt-trim lag assemblies are the greater inducements for the farmer to enter into by policies designed to hold international trad t 1 igh gift of the lJ'chigan Junior Farm three-year rental contracts instead of one-year agree- Bureau to their parent org niza- level and continuing efforts to impro our di t. ments. tion. The flag assemblies are t stand in the outer lobby of he I "Farm programs mu t include mu h mor th therwise, if only one-year contracts are en- front entrance, and in the board of price supports-re earch and ducatioi to in r couraged, it was felt there would be a strong prob- I directors' room. efficiency, to d lop new market , to find n w u ability that the soil ba k program would still further The formal fla -raising zas presentafion 8 . e- and . I l1g for farm products to improve' ann cr dit f iliti nd augment government owned surplu es instead of re enting the Michigan Junior n 'of many other f tor. Farm Bureau in the cerernonv reducing them. were Miss Barbra Foster, state < U 1':<: ir t mploy dad d d pt Th e 0 bijecti". e IS opportunity. f or f ann f min '1· to president, Miss Loi Schmidt ec- Increased fertility in the rotated areas annually p i Ii t 19' 8-3; di ector of earn high net incomes. Price support an help, pro- retary--treasurer, and Bob Van removed from the soil bank and returned to the Wert of Calhoun Coun y, second FRS • le for ut t e, 1 30-33; id d h I f hoi ducti I pial l' pre entative for fertiliz r VI e t y, comp ernent our re c oice pro uctron anr vice-pre ident. production of surplus crops would defeat the pro- EZRA T. BENSON, "- cretaryof Receiving the. gifts on behalf of al s, 1934: distrlct • le m~n, distribution sy tern by ranging upward and downw d ~935-38' m ger of f' I'm machin- . . . gram. Encouragement of participation on a one the U. S. Departm t f Agricul- the Michigan Farm Beau was ery d p't, 1938-40: manager of In harmony With constantly changing patt rn of sup- ture, will speak Tuesday afternoon ; Mr. Ward Hodge pre ident of the year basis is considered by competent authorities at 2~30 o'clock at C()(lStanti~e, St. organization. The flag was raised feed dep t, 1941 to S pt. 1, 1956. ply and demand. present as not conducive to fulfilling the intent ~f Joseph county. The event IS t!l-e into a beautiful sunlit August sky "The soil bank is the heart of the Agr 'l Act of the law. ~hird~nual Michig~n State Plo:w- mg Contest and So11 Cons.en,rat,on Days program. The public IS m-I and the a sembly ga e the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag to close Mr. Hodge said: the ceremony. In respondinq to Mis Foster, "On behalf of the membership I 1956. This legislation authorizes contra ts with pro- A further- possibility of defeating the purpose of vited. and the board of director of the ducers to ta e land resources out of production nd the Soil Bank Act is being indicated by the pres- Tuesday evening Mr. Benson Mi~s Foster said. in presenting Michigan Farm Bureau I am most thus aid in restoring a balance between supply; and d - will speak at Percy Jones gym- th;' gifts: . . happ . to accept thi flag and the sure on Secretary Benson and his aides to sub- nasium at Battle Creek. The Ro- In behalf of the Michigan Jun- pole. o~ which it shall be flow~. mand in farm markets. vert it into a farm relief project. This would tary club of Battle Creek and ior Fa~·m. Bureau, we present ~o s It IS flo~vn each d~', may It in eiaht I e are very much concerned th t th program near b Y c ounties the Michigan Farm Bureau this always ~ express the faith of our continue to pump more government capital and mem b ers In eig are giving a dinner at the gymnas- , f or l\1C'~r. B enson.