They're Flaws In Farm Bill

HELLO FOLKS — The house and Senate have just passed a 'Farm Bill' that is supposed to cut down the amount of wheat in storage and cut the production of it. It also again passed the emergency feed grain program.

I do not, at this time, know what contains in entirety, the program so I cannot say much about it except that if in the wheat bill the cutback in production is only 10 per cent, it will not reduce the production one bit. The reason is that we have the know-how to almost double the wheat yield. It is done by the heavy application of fertilizers.

In the past there has not been very much fertilizer applied to wheat, at least not in the principal wheat growing areas. However, the wheat men when faced with a further cut in acreage are apt to "pour it on".

I suppose there is some sort of a program along with it that pays the wheat grower in kind for retiring land, that wheat in turn is put on the open market. This is good and should be a help in reducing some of the wheat in storage. However, if we are going to really cut the wheat acreage enough to stop the excess production there will have to be a good deal more than 10 per cent retirement, for that 10 per cent is not apt to reduce wheat tonnage at all.

As for the emergency feed grain program, if farmers are allowed to change the acreages and put the acres that were retired this year into production there will be a build-up of feed reserves rather than a reduction. Those idle acres will really produce and within the period of a few years we will have probably produced more total feed than if they had not been idled. For the feed grain program to have any temporary success the idled acres will have to be permanently retired and additional acres retired with them. That will of course take more money from the taxpayer, or shall we say from the coming generation?

The whole fact is that we are not headed for a solution to the farm "problem" at all but rather building one with emergency programs.

—o—

I HEARD A verse that goes something like this.

MEN ARE FOUR

He who knows not and knows not that he knows not. He is a fool. Shun him.
He who knows not and knows that he knows not, teach him. He will learn.
He who knows and knows not that he knows, he is asleep. Awake him.
He who knows and knows that he knows, he is wise. Follow him.
– Lady Burton.
From Life of Sir Richard Burton

What Else To Consider?

HELLO FOLKS — Rudy had been walking past the Midtown National Bank the afternoon of the big hold-up, and they had summoned him as a witness. The D.A. was quizzing him in the hope that a lead might be found on the identity of the daring bank robbers, and was listening intently to Rudy's eye-witness account.

"So I'm walking past this bank, and these guys come running out a second or so after there's a great big explosion inside the bank. And they have bags of money in their hands, these guys, have, and they chuck these bags in a car what's at the curb, and they pile into that car and take off like sixty,"

"And you say you just stood there?"

"Yes sir."

"You didn't do a thing?"

"No sir."

"You didn't think anything about it?"

Rudy nodded emphatically. "Oh yes sir! I thought to myself. 'Well this is a helluva way to run a bank, and I'll be damned if I put any of my dough there.

—o—

Winter?! Don't mention it. I have had all of it I want and enough to last next year too.

—o—

YOU PROBABLY saw a feature in The Tribune a few days ago about some of our citizens studying, "Facts for the Future – A Growing Minnesota." As was mentioned, this course is sponsored by the extension service of the University of Minnesota and the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture.

This is the kind of course that should be studied by every person in the state. In fact it must be understood by the majority of citizens if we are to have the kind of future in which we can all live and prosper.

We hope that in the near future someone will invite you to their home and with the interest of your neighbors you will all sit down and study and discuss the problems and the solutions for a growing and changing world.

This is a course that is bound to stimulate interest in anyone remotely interested in the future (and we had better all be). It is divided into four parts, to be discussed in four separate meetings.

Regardless of political or religious preferences we must all unite in such a worthy cause. In a democracy the general public is depended upon to keep the nation and it's various cultures keyed to a high standard. Without the public taking part and understanding these complex factors, the nation falters and we find ourselves thinking and doing the things that lead to the downfall of our society.

The extension service is to be congratulated for this fine effort to bring the facts to the public. It will take the co-operation of all of us to put it across, so let's get in there and pitch.

Twisting Words Changes Meaning

HELLO FOLKS — Words turned around can mean entirely different things; take these for instance.

A Jeweler sells watches, but a jailor watches cells.

A Teacher trains the mind but an engineer minds the train.

—o—

IT IS VACATION time again and while this reminder may be a bit late for early planning it is still not too late for any or nearly all of us to plan a bit of relaxation while the weather is warm and outdoor recreation pleasant.

Farmers are, I believe the greatest violators when it comes to 'getting away' from it all. Some of the best farmers I know haven't had a vacation for a long time and few farmers take as much time off for relaxation as they should

On the farm there are always many things to do and I have yet to see a farmer that has all his work done up. On top of that we generally have bills to pay and equipment that needs replacing. With such facts staring us in the face it is hard to justify the spending of a lot of money and time in seemingly non-profitable pursuits. However, I think vacations can be one of the best health factors outside of good food and a relaxed mind. There is not a better way to give the body and mind a chance to rejuvenate than a good 'get away from it all' session.

—o—

AN AFRICAN chieftain flew to London for a visit and was met at the airport by newsmen. "Good morning, Chief," one said. "Did you have a comfortable flight?"

The chief made a series of raucous noises-hank, oink, screech, whistle, zzzzz-then added in perfect English, "Yes, very pleasant indeed."

"And how long do you plan to stay?" asked the reporter.

Prefacing his remarks with the same noises, the chief answered, "about three weeks, I think."

"Tell me Chief" inquired the baffled reporter, "where did you learn to speak the english language so flawlessly?"

After the now standard honk, oink, whistle and zzzz, the chief said, "short-wave radio."

—o—

THERE ARE A lot of problems, troubles, woes, pain, heartaches and general difficulties in life. It is hard to see the aged infirm, the crippled child, life taken in its bloom, or any other such things. About as tough a thing to see or know about is a hard working man with a new farm, a wife and four small children to care for, taken down to his bed with out a chance to earn a living for a while.

Such a man is Francis Miller. I drove into their farm a while back, and his good wife was out in the barn doing her best to care for the livestock. Francis had been carried to the house the day before. He has had a lot of trouble with his hip and was coming along pretty well with it when all of the sudden it started acting up again. He is now in the Cities with the doctors working on him. I know you all join with me in wishing him a speedy recovery.

A lot of you know the Millers. They are a big family of Moscow township, top-notch livestock m... and specialists in pure-bred hog... They are nearly always at the County fair with the hogs.

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Stephen Hopkins, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, was 10 times governor of Rhode Island.