• , MICHIGAN~FARM NEWS THE ACTION PUBLICATION OF THE MICHIGAN FARM BUREAU Vol. 45, No. 7 Published Monthly by Michigan Farm Bureau July 1, 1967 • NEW LABOR LAWS require detailed record-keeping, Legislative Coun- SERVICE-TO-MEMBER program to assist in keeping complete farm sel Dale Sherwin tells Mr. and Mrs. Clare Carpenter, Tuscola County labor records is explained to the Carpenters at their farm home near Farm Bureau leaders. Mrs. Carpenter, vice-chairman of the Michigan Cass City. Sherwin shows them the specially-designed record-keeping Farm Bureau Women, also carries the title of farm bookkeeper: book available to members through their County Farm Bureaus. FARMERS READY FOR LABOR RECORD NEEDS New Record Book will handle weekly entries for up to ten employees. Both sizes contain all necessary forms for complete record- keeping .. though a farmer does not come under this provision- he still must prove that he did not hire 500 man days of labor in a calendar quarter - again requiring com- Eases Problems Farmers are now, for the first time, subject to the Federal ~1inimllm "Vage of $1 per hour. The Michigan plete record-keeping. Workmen's Compensation is a new requirement for Extensive re<.."ordkeeping required by new labor laws ~liniml1m \Vage, effective for agriculture ~tay 1, 1967, a{!,ricllitural labor in Michigan beginning luly 1, 1967. on both state and federal levels has resulted in a new serv- requires $1.25 per hour except when paid on a piece The Workmen's Compensation insurance premiums are ice-to-member program being initiated by ~1ichigan Farm rate basis at the designated rates to comply with the determined on a payroll basis by audit of records which Bureau, according to Dale Sherwin, Legislative Counsel. S1.2.5 requirement. Because of the complications re- mllst include all monetary remunerations plus addition to "Farmers are notc confronted with many regulations garding which minimum wage law applies to any spe- wages such as housing, food and other perquisites fur- which require "xtensive, explicit farm lahar record.') nec- cific situation, it becomes necessary to have adequate nished. The record hook has "additions to wages" col- ('ssary in determining compliance with Federal Minimllm records. lIn/ns so that a determination may be made as to their \Vage, Michigan Minimum Wage, Workmen's Compensa- The Michigan Act requires providing each employee vallie. tion and Social Secllrity," Sherwin said. "Michigan Farm tcith a stat"l1Wllt of hOllrs work('d, wages raid and de- To comply with the necessary Social Security re- Bllreall has (if'vdoped a T{'('ord hook desig71ed specifically ductions mad(' each pay period. The farm lahar hook quirements, a column is provided for deductions - and to assist memhers in keeping adef/llale records of all hin'd has perforated slwcts so that a copy can be {!,iven to t h(' a table is included for determining the amount to be farm lahar." worker witholtt having to make more than one entry. deducted as the employees' share. The books will be available to members through their The Federal ~linimllm \Vage Act applies to all farm- The fanner also must keep employee records with countv Farm Bureaus or local Farm J3ureau Insurance ers hiring .500 man days or more of labor during any name, date of birth, social security number, address, etc. agent~. Two sizes will be offered - a 52 page 83.50 calendar quarter - "man days" defined as any time any- Forms for this purpose will also be available to members value, and a smaller 26 page $2.35 value. Each page one hires a person for one hom on any given day. Even at a nominal cost. TWO July 1, 1961 MICHIGAN FARM NEWS Editorial President's Column FACTUAL FUNNIES YOUR STRENGTH! It pays to read the comics. l-.lany members make the mistake of thinking Although the "funnies" in most newspapers that Farm Bureau ;s located in Lansing. are usually much less than funny, a number This is not true. All we have in Lansing is a still fill their traditional role, and it is to their building which reflects to a small degree the credit that these are among the most popular many local Faml Bureau programs and activ- and enduring. ities which take place all over the state. l-.1utt and Jeff, Blondie and Dagwood, these If the Michigan Farm Bureau were truly old-timers joined now by the irresistible "Pea- located - all of it, in Lansing, we would lose nuts" and good old Charlie Brown. most of the respect and strength gained over Funny or not, it pays to read the comics the. years. \Vhatever ability our Farm Bureau where the tnlth of satire lurks closely beneath Center staff has in getting jobs done in the leg- the surface and where we often recognize islature, in marketing, in public education and ourselves. infomlation, stems directly from membership- Little Linus, the semi child-prodigy and a power generated in Farm Bureau communities "Peanuts" character who takes refuge in his and counties and transmitted through the reso- security blanket when going gets rough in lutions process. Charles Schulz's cartoons, got a model farm Now - right now, you as a Farm Bureau for Christmas. As Charley Brown admired it, member should be helping turn on that power. he asked about the piece of paper which came Right now, you should be involved in helping with it. "Instructions?" - not at all. It turned decide which issues are most important to you out that with this model farm came a govern-' and should become part of Farm Bureau's ]1ro- ment form which entitled the owner to federal gram of work for next year. farm subsidies I Now, in your Community Groups and at Then, there is Al Smith's Mutt and Jeff, one county Farm Bureau Policy-Development meet- of the few consistently comical comics left. \\YOU TAKE THE CUTS AND SIMPLE ABRASIONS ings, YOU should speak up, you should make "Jeff, get me out of this old well I just fell - I'LL HANDLE THE FRACTURES!" your opinions known, you should help guide into ... " pleads tvlutt from a deep hole in those Farm Bureau members selected to serve the ground to Jeff standing above. on the county policy committees. l-.1embers of county Policy Development But more a philosopher than a man of FARM SAFOY WEEK action, Jeff leans over the edge and wants to talk about Aesop's fable of the crow and the JULY 23-29.1987 6) Think and Act Committees will have the benefit of a state-wide conference in Lansing, August 24, dealing with probable issues and problems to be faced by glass of water. "Never mind stories, get me out!" Mutt demands. Unperturbed, Jeff lies at the edge of the Safely ... farmers in months to come. \Vorking with them will be members of the well ... "This old crow couldn't reach the Lansing legislative staff, and it is here, in such water in the bottom of the glass, so you know Last year over 8,000 farm residents were accidently circumstances, that we have a good example of what he did? [-[e flew away and came back killed, and nearly % million more suffered disabling in- members bringing their "organizational strength" with a pebble in his beak and dropped it into juries. These figures include traffic, farm \vork and farm to Lansing and extending it there through the the glass," says Jeff, fingering one of several home accidents. work of a hired .staff. fist-sized rocks lying around the well. \Vhat are some of the issues? The list is a According to statistics gathered by Michigan State Uni- long one, for example, what about the whole Twenty feet down, standing in cold water versity Extension Safety Engineer; Richard Pfister, Michi- issue of double-daylight saving time? Should up to his shoulders, ~1utt couldn't care less gan has the lowest on-farm fatal accident rate of any state farmers begin right now to move Michigan into for the philosophy - "Get a rope!" he shouts. in the North Central region -13.9 fatal accidents per the Central time zone, where the advance to Instead of a rope, Jeff begins tossing down the 100,000 farm people. Indiana has 14.3; Ohio, 15.2; Illinois, "fast time" would only place us where we were rocks and finally concedes: "Gosh, Alutt can 17.9; vVisconsin, 15.1, and Minnesota, 14.2. before the time-changers began playing around get awfully mad" - as he abandons the rock project and ties a rope to a nearby tree. \ 'We are pleased with our ranking, but are not satisfied," with our clocks? \Vhen a madder-than-a-hornet Mutt climbs says Pfister. "We must continue to work toward safer Your help is needed to bring about true tax out, a big lump beginning to form on his head, working conditions on Michigan farms." He reports plans reform, to remove the excessive tax burden from Jeff observes that only a few more stones for a study, assisted by county Farm Bureaus, of the type, farmers and place it fairly on all. \Vhat more would have got him to the top. -frequency and severity of farm accidents to Michigan rural can we do to clear up the whole business of There's a parallel in agriculture, with the people. assessment of farm land for agricultural pur- farmer at the bottom of our nation's economic poses when used as such? Assessing practices well, having worked himself there through his Statistics have proven that if the nation would apply all are involved and guidelines from the State Tax own production efficiency. Tremendous food of its present accident prevention know-how, with ample Commission. The whole tax area needs your reserves and surpluses have placed him in the resources - accident losses could be slashed 50 per cent. help and attention. position where those who package or market This