Horses Show Good Sense

HELLO FOLKS — The true value of horse sense is clearly shown by the fact that the horse was afraid of the automobile during the period when pedestrians were laughing at it.

Old-timers are people who remember when women with holes in their shoes were broke instead of stylish.

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We got our car keys back! When the family was on vacation the car keys got lost at the roadside fountain near Adrian, Minn. Somebody, we don't know who, found them and send them into the Disabled American Veterans. They in turn sent them back to us, as our license number was on the key chain. — We probably won't forget to send them some money for their courtesy, next time they send our identification.

In the years that the DAV has been returning keys to the public they have returned almost 1 1/2 million keys to Americas motorists.

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So the steel strike is on and who stands to gain? Nobody. Absolutely no one. Whether the steel workers get the raise or not they still don't win. And it is for sure that the buying public has to pay more for what we buy. If we don't pay more the economy has still suffered because of loss of wages and foreign imports will continue to increase flooding our markets and that is bound to increase unemployment, and we can't have a sound economy with the people out of work.

It seems that the steel workers don't want a strike; for according to surveys taken more than 60 per cent of them are satisfied with the wages they are now getting. It seems they realize that most of the increase in wages will just add to the cost of living and what good is a wage increase if it is just more and cheaper money being handled.

There is no denying that much of the cost of a product is labor. In the line of some foods, such as milk, it is almost 100 per cent labor, and a lot of that is poorly paid. There are some high profit items in which labor is only a minor item but as a whole about 80 per cent of the cost of a product is labor. Even the profits, if they are plowed back into more production, are a form of labor. At least they create jobs.

Then there is the matter of taxes. They are mostly for labor in government services, and therefore necessary. So if labor costs go up so must taxes.

Suppose that the workers get a 15 cent hike, such as they have been used to getting the past years. If, as seems likely, that labor is 80 per cent of the cost of production then by the time everybody gets their raise, which again they must have to be fair to everyone. Then the most the steel workers can get out of the 15 cent raise will be about 2 cents. Suppose that it puts them in a higher tax bracket. That 2 cents will have melted to nothing and they may even be out dollars.

On top of that it gives the foreign goods a chance for greater competition. Any way you figure it even one day's lay-off because of a strike and the men will be behind in take-home pay.

Steel being basic, sets the pattern for all industries, so as steel goes so goes the nation, as far as wages, prices and probably the whole economy.

The only real criteria for wage increases is productivity and education is the father of that. We can have increased wages as fast as we increase productivity and then they stimulate the economy.

The sooner the steel mills get to rolling again the better for us all.


BONUS:

Edwin B. Peterson to Address Unit

LYLE, Minn. —Edwin B. Petersen, Oakland area farmer and candidate for the Legislature earlier this year spoke to the Lyle-Nevada Farm Bureau unit Wednesday.

In the business session, Delos Fran, county chairman of the quality egg program, reported on progress; Mrs. Lee Martin reported on women's committee activities; Henry Lenz, Lyle and Harold Fossey, Nevada, were named membership chairmen; and three members from each township will be named to the resolution committee.

A Pot - luck supper was served before the meeting.

Determined by Where You Look

HELLO FOLKS — Marriage is supposed to be a 50-50 proposition, but did you ever see a woman's idea of sharing a clothes closet?

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NEVER LET A difficulty stop you; it may be only sand on your track to prevent skidding.

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EVER SINCE I have been writing this column I have been urging a greater study of economics in our schools. It is slowly coming, but there are a number of pressure groups who, for selfish reasons have been against it.

Now, however, there is an organization called "The Joint Council on Economic Education". It is forming nationwide to provide classroom materials, workshops for high school teachers, seminars for college economics professors and encouragement of business participation in the economics educational process.

It is already operation in 38 regional and state councils, with more being formed regularily. There is one operating in Minnesota now.

In Russia every student understands the Russian economic system. Here in America, where we have so much to lose, not one students in 100 understands the American economic system. Is it any wonder why the Communistic system is spreading? It certainly isn't because it gives the most for the people. It is only because it is being pushed and most of the people who understand anything about economics are being taught the other system.

With the competition Russia is giving us we are finally waking up to the facts. Who says that competition is not good?

A SURVEY WAS taken a few years ago among school children between the ages of eight and 19, the following qualities that were desired in a father were listed in the order of their importance.
1. Spending time with his children.
2. Respecting his children's opinion.
3. Being an active church member.
4. Being a college graduate.
5. Never nagging his children about what they should do.
6. Making plenty of money.
7. Being well dressed.
8. Being prominent in social life.
9. Having a love of music and poetry.
10. Owning a good looking car.

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FRENCH FOREIGN Minister Robert Schuman is a confirmed bachelor. When asked why, he explained: "When I was young, I decided not to get married until I had found the ideal woman. Then I found her. Regretfully, however, she was looking for the ideal man."

U. S. Seeks New Trade

HELLO FOLKS — For many months Farm Bureau, with the Departments of Agriculture and a number of congressmen, has been working on a foreign trade program. It was first called "aid by trade" — now it is officially named "Trade Development Act of 1954."

The idea of the program is to help rid ourselves of farm surpluses at the same time we are aiding others, and in such a way that as many countries as possible will benefit from the program.

Many countries need food, but under present trade barriers and government inertia, these countries who so badly need our surplus food are unable to buy because of lack of markets in the U. S.

Japan, for instance, needs wheat, cotton, soybeans and dried milk — we have these things — and if Japan can sell her exports, she can buy food. The capital goods Japan has are needed in many Asiatic countries. These countries, in turn have strategic materials that we need. By creating the trade development act, private traders would sell surplus food to Japan and the Government would guarantee the money. Japanese traders would sell the Asiatic countries, and the U. S. would, in turn, get strategic materials such as manganese, chrome, mica, cobalt, etc.

There are other countries in similar positions. It does not take a great deal of imagination to realize the potentialities of such a program.

This trade development act coupled with a flexible farm program can do wonders for American agriculture. This is just one example of what Farm Bureau is doing, and what farmers can do when they unite their forces.

I would like to have each one of my readers try a little stunt and remember the lesson it teaches. Take a number of sticks — matches will do it you use enough. Break a few one by one. See how easily they break! Now put several together — they don't break very easily, do they? In fact, if you put enough of them together, you cannot break them. So it is with organizations. United we stand, divided we fall.

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Sharon and Bruce hadn't seen each other for a few days. Now they were sitting together in the moonlight. Sharon said, "Whisper something soft and sweet in my ear." Bruce whispered, "Marshmallows".

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One day we were all seated around the breakfast table. I noticed Ann hadn't washed her hands and face and said, "Ann, you haven't washed yet." She hurriedly grabbed her glass of fruit juice, gulped it down, and exclaimed jubilantly, "It's too late now!"

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We were planning to go to the drive-in theater. Ann asked her mother. "When we going, Mommie?" "As soon as it get dark" said Mother. Ann went to the stairway door, looking in and exclaimed, "Nope, it ain't dark yet."

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The Farm Bureau office is open each week day from 10 to 12 and from 1 to 3 o'clock. Saturdays 10 to 12. Remember those gas tax refund slips are due every four months now. Cora will take care of them for you at the office.

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A favorite dish at our house is a thick slice of homemade bread with cream poured over it and topped with some kind of sauce or preserves. Rhubarb and applesauce are favorites for the dish — I also like wild plum.

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Quite often you hear certain politicians and misinformed people say that price will not control production — that farmers will not  cut production if they are losing money. I think that is giving a pretty low opinion of the modern farmer. There may have been a time when the farmer didn't know what his cost of production was, but that time is pretty much in the past.

With high mechanism and education, the farmer has had to become a good business man, and as such, he knows fairly well what his costs are and when he is breaking even.

And I don't think there are very many farmers today who are going to farm at a loss. He may enlarge when the profits are narrow so that he can be more efficient, but just as sure as he does that, there are others going into a more profitable game.

All evidence, to date, proves that price is the main guiding factor in production. When farmers learn to apply the knowledge that is available to us today, prices are going to fluctuate less drastically. 

Why Cut Federal Lunch Program?

HELLO FOLKS — I don't know the President's thinking behind his desire to cut federal costs on the school lunch program. However, from this view it seems very unwise to seem to be interested in the health of the underprivileged on the one hand and then place in jeopardy the very program that should give many of the nation's needy some of the nutrition they need.

I do think that in the past the federal government has footed too much of the cost of the school lunch program. It is certainly wise for the state governments to share substantially in the costs; just as it is well for the local governments to share. This way there is not apt to be waste in the project. With local participation there will be more local control and local citizens own funds used unwisely if they can help it.

Equal Sharing

It seems to me that the program should call for about equal sharing between federal, state and local.

Even in our own communities, where there is hardly reason for poverty to exist, there are children who are not getting the proper nutrition. The reasons for this lies with the parents. Perhaps a drinking father or mother or both; indifferences as to what constitutes good nutrition; laziness when it comes to providing or the offspring and working mothers, more interested in earning money than to develop the citizens of tomorrow.

For many of these unfortunate children school lunches are the chief source of good nutrition. It does not seem good sense to put these lunches in jeopardy just to provide the proposed "pie-in-the-sky programs" into action.

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DOES THE GROUCH get richer quicker than the friendly sort of man? Can the grumbler labor better than the cheerful fellow can? Is the mean and churlish neighbor any cleverer than the one who shouts a glad "good morning", and then smiling passes on?

Just to stop and think about it. Have you ever known or seen a mean man who succeeded, just because he was so mean?

When you find a grouch with honors and with money in his pouch, you can bet he didn't win them just because he was a grouch.

Oh, you'll not be any poorer if you smile along your way, and your lot will not be harder for the kindly things you say. Don't imagine you are wasting time for others that you spend: You can rise to wealth and glory and still pause to be a friend.
– Edgar A. Guest.

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SPEAKING OF being friendly, I just finished making the rounds on one of the numerous charity drives that take place this time of year. I wasn't turned down once and when I went to one home which had already given they gave again. Not only did they all give but they did it gladly. Not a grumble, not a grudge.

I don't know what this all indicates, whether it is because there is more money around or it is because people are getting more charitable. But one thing I believe it is all for the better.