Food monopolies hurt farmer, author says
By SALLY HODGKINSON
Of the Emerald
Food conglomerates are
swallowing smaller food man
ufacturers and forcing indepen
dent farmers out of business,
author and consumer advocate
Jim Hightower says.
“We've been taking the cul
ture out of agriculture," said
Hightower in a speech at the
University Tuesday night.
“What it boils down to is mon
opolies.”
Although supermarkets have
Few reap a lion’s share of the profits
a wide selection of food brands,
a few companies control most of
the products, Hightower said. In
1966 50 food companies con
trolled 50 percent of all food
profits, in 1974 50 companies
reaped 75 percent of the profits
and in 1979 the same compan
ies nabbed 90 percent of the
profits.
These food conglomerates
get a 15- to 25-cent return on
every retail dollar while farmers
are lucky if they receive 5 cents,
Hightower said.
“Farmers are going out of
business And all anyone is do
ing is counting them.”
The rise of the consumer
products conglomerates re
flects “a fundamental change in
the way we do business. It’s no
longer build a better mousetrap.
It’s if you have the money, you
Students plan Holocaust rite
A Holocaust memorial service will be held
tonight from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. around the Pioneer
Mother Statue between Hendricks and Susan
Campbell Halls.
Holocaust observances will continue Friday
with a photo exhibit in the EMU. Both events are
jointly sponsored by the Jewish Student Union
and Hillel.
Tonight's memorial will feature both a printed
and candle service. Music will be provided by
local musicians and Yitzak Hankin, cantor at
Temple Beth Israel in Eugene.
Kinberg feels the service provides an alter
native way to view the Holocaust. In addition to
remembering the millions of Jews and non-Jews
who died, the "hopeful visions the victims left to
us in their art, music and words are also recalled,”
she says.
"To turn your head away because they died is
wrong, and to forget that they were alive is wrong,
too.”
The "mental process" that produced the
Holocaust is still evident around the world in many
violence-racked lands, Kinberg says.
Remembering the achievments of Holocaust
victims in addition to their deaths is important, she
says, because each person, while alive, "has the
potential to be the victimizer
"Jews are factually and symbolically the
victim but the victimizer is still around perpetrat
ing the same thing on other people.”
Judge postpones Barwig trial
m motion to aismiss nrst-aegree tnett charges
against former University assistant basketball
coach Mark Barwig was denied Wednesday and
his trial was postponed.
Lane County Circuit Court Judge Gordon
Cottrell denied the motion that claimed publicity
of the recent trial of Ron Billingslea, another
former University assistant basketball coach who
faced similar charges, made it impossible for
Barwig to receive a fair trial.
Defense attorney Larry Roloff filed the motion
Monday on Barwig’s behalf.
Roloff also represented Billingslea, who was
aquitted earlier this month of first-degree theft
charges.
"The sheer weight and volume of prejudicial
pre-trial publicity preclude a fair trial in this case,"
Roloff said in his motion for dismissal.
He also criticized Lane County assistant
district attorney Darryl Larson who argued in
court that "well-known sports figures cannot be
convicted by Lane County jurors."
Barwig's trial — scheduled to begin Wednes
day — was postponed for "at least two months," a
circuit court clerk safcl. A new date for the trial was
not set.
Barwig is accused of stealing about $2,000 in
state funds between March and June, 1978.
Continued from Page 1
studies. The college was estab
lished in Eugene 85 years ago to
take advantage of University
courses, such as in the natural
sciences and business, Hays
says.
As such, NCC has a vested
interest in the University’s sur
vival. And though Hays may be
concerned about the Universi
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worried about its survival.
"The University is not going to
go out of business. We know
that because the Legislature is
going to appropriate enough
money to keep it alive (though) it
may be greatly decimated."
But NCC, since it can’t
receive tax funds as a private
college, must rely on a steady
supply of wills to keep it finan
cially afloat.
"They say two things are for
sure — death and taxes. Well,
one of (the University’s) sup
ports is taxes," Hays says
"One of ours is death."
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don’t have to worry about the
product," Hightower said.
“Too few poeple have all the
money and power in our system.
That’s not the type of system we
teach, learn and preach. We’ve
lost all sense of sharing The
system is working against us."
Hightower cited a poll that
reported 77 percent of Amer
icans feel like they’re being ta
ken advantage of by govern
ment and big business.
"The reason they think that is
because it’s true. You can do a
lot of things, but you can’t fool
the people. They're the ones
who pay the utility bill.
"You can put earings on a
hog but you can’t hide its ugli
ness."
f
It's up to the people to change
the direction of agricultrue and
food processing although it
“will be like draggging a whale
across a mountain," Hightower
said.
Some solutions include
building up food cooperatives,
enforcing anti-trust laws, limit
ing supermarkets to region
alize their food buying and
developing alternative forms of
energy for farmers
“It's not a question of econ
omics. It’s a question of political
power," Hightower said. "I wish
I had a magic solution but I
don’t. It’s gonna take good ol'
hard work using the grubhoe of
politics in the grassroots
movement."
"The only other choice we
have is to throw up our hands
and say they’ve won."
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