MI~-IG,AN~'FARM NEWS THI ON PUBLICATION OF THE MICHIGAN FARM BUREAU Vol. 42, No. 7 Published ~onthly by Michigan Farm Bureau July 1, 1964 -, I MAY THE SPIRIT OF JULY 4, 1776- never leave this land! Farm be examined, so that intelligent votes may be cast - that through Bureau members are determined that it shall not. They urge that these things the basic philosophy of our American heritage may be all Americans,' ;ciccept the basic responsibilities of citizenship, in- furthered in homes, schools, churches and organizations. They cluding adive~ participation in the political party of their choice. They remind you that the best protection for your American heritage is ask .that pubUc policy issues be studied and that candidates for office your own initia!ive, in the intelligent use of your voting rights ... ,. ~TII SPIIIT or t)76~ strong willed people of that time, a governement which derives its to submit the individuality of each just powers only from the consent sepa1'ate colony to the purpose of of the governed? becoming a United States of How well do we as citizens do America. in understanding the issues and By J. Delbert WeDs and they rebelled against certain They were willing to gamble voting on them intelligently? Manager, Family Program Division restrictive taxes on documents, their tra~g ability, without How well do we keep in touch paper - and on tea. British sea might, against any na- with current news and deadline Wh~t would it be like to march back in time to July 4, 1776? They rebelled against orders to tion on the globe. They were will- dates that affect our voting Were you living in one of the thirteen original colonies, you. house English soldiers - to pay ing to submit to internal taxation rights? In Michigan these dates would have been busy clearing your land, stocking your planta- taxes without representation in WITH REPRESENTATION, and have changed recently, (see bot- tion, Of' attempting trade with others of the British Colonies Parliament. They did not like tbe to elect from their own people to tom, page 3) - Do you know the around the globe. ruthless English methods of treat- run their government. new 'schedule of important elec- ing debtors. - Individually, the spirit was one tion dates? Your local and territorial governments will be appointees of I, the British Crown, affording you the help and protection offered FinaUy they made a choice. of dependence on God and confi- Surely, how well we answer They rejected the security of dence in themsewu. these questions spells out hOw by the King. the English Crown in favor of the Gooemment was designed as a much of the "Spirit of '76" stiIl In those early years of American history, England was re- freedom of the American wilder- tool, to be used by the people, not prevailsf garded by American colonists as a benevolent Mother Country ness of opportunities. against them. and colonists as loyal subjects of the Crown. England arranged land grants, appointed local governors, supplied trading ships Spirit of 76 Here and Now ,"Nobody Votes ..:' and programs and military protection of a sort. The true spirit of '76 was less Perhaps now would be a good Jackson Prison Inmate, Most of the trade was carried ----------- anti-British than it was pro-free- time to re-evaluate the "spirit" of dome It was a spirit of active #87776, writes feeJingly on with England'proper, or under furthering his own ventures. the contest of the times in which resistance to the security and from beh;nd bars of patriotic English charters. Not aU was American traders usually ran their we live. dominance of Crown Rule, with How badly has our "independ- privileges he has lost, in a :rerene, however. Roads and com- ships in open defiance of Eng- munications between colonies to land's monopoly on shipping. the alternative right for free men, ence" been eroded by substitution story of those who "do timen I guided by Divine Intent, to band of government "security" for per- in the Big Town that is allow direct trade was discour- They wanted unlimited mar- Southern M ichi 9 a n Prison. aged. But the Yankee was ag- kets and world-wide products. together and rnIe themselves. sonal sei-lie1p? How ,. .... we IIIOVelI freaa Read it and think. Page 3. gressive, am irrepressible in They were bmily building trade They were ~ tA.e ""-e, TWO July 1, 1964 MICHIGAN FARM NEWS Editorial Appalachia -Land Presidents ColuInn "Politicians Coming, - Changing the Rules Quick-Look PoorI" In Mid-Game Who, in his right mind, could be FOR A recent article in the Michigan Elevator Ex- change bulletin was so good, and so to the poverty? A crushing, grinding force, poverty leaves no point, that I wish to give it space in my column this month. As you know, Stan Sherman is middle grouqd. It is either intensely personal (only people General Manager of the Michigan Elevator ~ poor) - or equally intensely impersonal, as Exchange Division of Farm Bureau Services, in the pipful mass starvations the world has and his excellent thinking deserves to be brought to the attention of even more people . known .. .But right ROW, in prosperous America, pov- Stan's words follow: erty is good politics ... and the question must Walter Wightman be raised if it is so potent that the professionals "When I was a boy on the fann - and this intend to perpetuate poverty to their own ends. would be many years ago - there was a neigh- After all, if one is to be a champion of down- bor boy, who was a little older and considerably trodden masses, there must fitst be down- larger than I, with whom I played and visited trodden masses ... and most times in pros- back and forth. This boy was always inventing perous America . : . they are hard to find. new games and he had the unhappy faculty One Michigan fann couple .who checked the for making up the rules as he went along. statistics found that they were in the current poverty-stricken classification. "It puzzles us "It was obvious "that the rules were made up how we have managed to .stay alive and pay to benefit his particular predicament. Since taxes,'" they jokingly wrote. In short, a lot of I was smaller, I found it was best to accept so-called poor people are really rich because .. the new I1,l1~s,even though they were to my they don't know they are supposed to be pOQr. obvious disadvantage. But back to politics, where an income of "All this is preliminary to what I would like $3,000 or less. has been declared the poverty to say has been happening to us that are in the high-water mark. farming business while the new wheat bill was One Washington wit has said (with an eye debated. at President Johnson's personal fortunes), "He CartOon reprinted courtesy of Frank Williams and the Detroit Free Press is the first man in history who has both "Pros- "There was an amendment submitted to the perity and poverty going for him at the same Senate Bill requiring eee to sell at not less time." than 115% of support instead of 105% as the Actually the war on poverty has been act is now written. launched at a time when the American people "This amendment was defeated by the cotton, are enjoying the highest per-capita income of rice and peanut senators and others from the any people in history. Suddenly this baSic fact urban centers. The farmers might as well get has been clouded by a flurry of figures to prove used to the fact that the city senators and repre- how poor we are. sentatives have a primary interest in securing It depends upon who is talking to whom. cheap food for. the constituents. If "averages" are to be used - it is apparent that 49% of the total population at anyone time "But one of the things that hurt us most was must have less than average incomes. reportedly considerable lobbying by the USDA, The Michigan AFL-CIO News carries a re- who systematically went the rounds telling port that there are close to 36 million men, . members of Congress that 115% wasn't im- women and children living in abject poverty in portant - cec sales just followed the market, this affluent land of ours. Thirty-six million is after all. an impressive sounding figure, representing "Senators heard this story over and over again something like one-fifth of the total population. and the 115% was defeated in the Senate. Yet Our own government figures show that the these same senators must have been puzzled percent of total families in the United States when they read the paragraph on page 60 of with money income less than $3,000 (based on the USDA 'Wheat. Situation' for February. 1962 prices) have decreased from 32% of the population in 1950, to 20% of the population in "That paragraph explains that the prices.of "1962. most classes of wheat have climbed well above - But figures don't seem to mean much any- loan rates. Then, it says that the GeG sales, more. however, have tempered the price rise - in The United States Department of Agriculture fact Gee resale price has practically estab- is much committed to gathering statistics, a lished the market price . .('!lore which has bloomed into a major govem- "No wonder many of the people are puzzled "ment function. About $ll3-j~ion.plus of tax - especially the farmer who could stand to dollars that could have been retained by citizens lose 10~ to 15~ per bushel because of this to help prevent their own personal poverty, maneuver. It is a practical fact that the price now go each year toward collecting statistics. at which eeG will offer wheat establishes an . Involved in this big business are 13,373 em- effective -ceiling. ployees who engage in collecting, compiling, processing and publishing "facts" and figures. "Yet the policy establishing this small leeway Assuming that each is paid about $10,000 keeps the selling price s~ near to support price yearly (a good, round, meaningless figure)- that the farmer cannot afford to redeem the that's $133,730,000 dollars gone that could have wheat. You see, he doesn't even have the 5% been spent in licking poverty. after he pays the interest on the loan. Our attitude on this is prompted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture throwing its full "All this has tended to bypass the fanner co- statistical forces into the poverty pitch by re- MICHIGArljFARM NEWS operatives and prevented farmers from using TH. ACnoN ~UCAT10N op -r.- MICHIGAN PAIl ........ :;?orting that 16 million of the 35. million pov- their own businesses, which they set up with The MICHIGAN FARM NEWS is DIRECTORS: District I, Max K. erty stricken (a new figure there) live in rural puhlished monthly, on the first day. Hood, Paw Paw, R-l; District 2. Wil- so much cost and effort, while at the same time areas and ONE THIRD OF THESE ARE by the Michil/:an Farm Bureau, at its publication office at 109 N. Lafayette bur H. Smith. Burlin~on. 3, Donald L. Ruhlil/:, Dexter; R-l; District Dis- the government's grain empire grows ever FARMERS I . Street. Greenville. Micbi~an. trict 4, E It 0 n R. Smith. Caledonia. larger and more powerful. Editorial and Iteneral offices at 4000 R-1: District 5, David Morris. Grand North Grand River Avenue. Lansing. Ledlle R 3 District 6 W rd G Hod While playing with figures, one-third of 16 Michigan. Post Office BDx 960. Tele- phone, Lansing, 485-8121, Extension Snove;. R-L District '7, Guy C. Fr:~ born, Hart, R-l: District 8, Lloyd Sban- "While we are asking the government to get million is 5 million, 333 thousand. THIS JUST out of our business - because I finnly believe 31tublisbed January 12, 1923. Sec- lee!. Wheeler. R-l; District 9. Eu~ene HAPPENS TO BE 1,852,000 MORE POOR ond Class Postage paid at Greenville. Roberts. Lalee City. R-1; District 10, that we can't both be in it - we might ask them Michill&D. Edgar Diamond. Alpena. R-2; District FARMERS THAN THERE ARE ACTUAL EDITORIAL: Editor, Melvin L. 11. Edmund Sager, Stepbenson. to establish a firm official policy on national FARMS, according to the Department. s own Weell. A. Rivas. Advertising and Layout, Paul Staff Artist. Sam Bass. DIRECTORS Frabm. Frankenmuth: AT LARGE: Walter Dean Pridlleon. wheat reserves, so the fanner will know where figures I . Women'. Material. Mrs. Donna Wilber. Montgomery, R-l; Walter Wightman. he stands. We have a real job to do. - OFFICERS: MichilW1 Farm Bu- Fennville. R-l. A suggestion: Why not fire most of the statis- reau; President, Walter Wildltman. WOMEN OF FARM BUREAU: Mn. Fennville, R-2; Vice President, Elton William Scramlin, Holly; FARM BU- "If you don't like the way your senators and ticians and leave that $133,730,000 in taxpayers' R. Smi~ Caledonia, R-l; Sec:retary- BEAU YOUNG PEOPLE: Donald Manager. Clarence E. Prentice. Okemos. Williams, Webberville. representatives voted, write them. In fact it hands where they, using their own initiative, POSTMASTER: In using farm 3579, mail to: Michigan farm New., .4000 N. would be a good idea to write them anyway, can combat poverty in the only way possible? Grand Ri.. r, lansing, Michigan. because the representative, who voted as you s.c..I cia. ~ paW at Gr.-vi1le, ......... liked him to, would like to hear from you.- M.W. MICHIGAN FARM NEWS THREE INMATE#87716, - urving a 12 to U year sentence for fraudulent checks, faces the camera from what he terms "the busiest private office in my town." A prolific author, #87716 has been encouraged through the inmate writing program. By #87776 .