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D.Dra Th. Mail Trihunc"
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NATION A I
EDITORIAL
.4
Memncr California Newipaper
Publliheri Aiaoclatlon
Flight o' Time
Medford and Jackson County
History from th files of The
Mall Tribun 10. 20, 30, 40
and SO years ago.
10 YEARS AGO
May 28. 1953 (Thursday)
Voters of School District 49
have approved a $1,283,952
budget for the Medford public
schools by a vote of 383 to 25.
A possible Increase In Jack
ion county mineral activity
was indicated here today on
the part of both Standard Oil
company of California and
the federal government.
20 YEARS AGO
May 28, 1943 (Friday)
Twenty-two-year-old M c d
ford woman acquitted of first
degree murder of her 10-
wnpk.nlrl son.
From Arthur Pony's "Ye
Smudiic Pot" column: "Birds
are playing havoc with new
strawberries. Most of the
blmno rests on the California
blucjays, who besides being
bluejays, are from California."
30 YEARS AGO
May 28, 1933 (Sunday)
Grants Pass residents asked
to oppose construction ot Tiller-Trail
cutoff road.
Army planes en route to
Seattle land at Medford air
port. 40 YEARS AGO
May 28. 1923 (Monday)
Two new auto camps open
for business in Medford.
R. S. Daniels defeats Eddie
Wafus for Copco tennis cham
pionship. SO YEARS AGO
May 28, 1913 (Wadneiday)
First ground broken fur
new Medford trolley line
Lewis Ulrlch, Jacksonville,
appointed grand guardian of
Oregon IOOF lodge.
What's Your I.Q.7
Nina ot ran correct It lupatiari
even oi eight ii excellent! five at
ait Is good.
1. Supply the missing word
In this saying: "It depends
upon whose Is gored.'1
2. Would you guess that
Man O' War sired 64, 184 or
284 colls?
3. What Is the zodiacal sign
for persons born between Dec.
22 and Jan. 23?
4. Number 1600 Pennsyl
vania Avenue is the address
of which Important place?
8. Locale these football sta
diums - Oranue Bowl, Sugar
Bowl, and Cotton Bowl?
H. In it Jupiter or Salurn
Hint Is the largest ol the plan
cts?
7. The noted Carlsbad Cav-
cms are located in which
southwestern state?
8. Wai George Eliot the pen
name of a man or woman?
B. The first U. S. census was
tabulated in 1790, 1800 or
1810?
10. Is bassoon the name of a
type of monkey, musical In'
ulrumcnl or receptacle?
Anawarti 1. Ox. 2. 114. 3.
Capricorn. 4. While House. 5
Miami, Naw Orlaans, Dallas,
a L.nil.r. 7. Naw Mtxice. I
Woman. 8. 1790. 10. Musical
lnslrumtnt.
fUllllHIII
J-ASSOeiATION
TUESDAY. MAY 28. 1963
On Book-Burning
t tlm fnmmnniVntinnn column todav is a let
ter which calls for a book to be removed from
the local library on the grounds that it is lewd
and sacrilegious.
We acknowledge freely the sincerity of the
writer. We also agree with her thesis that parents
i ill 1 1. lLn!u UIIInH mm vniirlmif
snoUla Know Wliai, men
Our agreement ends
tliot- fVio nhinr-tinns nf nnp
t ! orlnmi'.ilo roasnn
JJIC 13 BUV4.v
thorn nut. nf
blUUVVillfc v..-...
1- At
tor Otner people wnai, mey can ur caiuiui, irau.
THIS IS NOT to argue
Wo Viaio nnt vpuA it
TIC 111'- ivw "
-t . , .
in.r n an in vvo vp irnr.
ll'bt v . n -
in liimfp fimo tn
antt piHIOSOpmcai Vei-BlOV Ui UlC me Ul UCBUO.
... ., wnd n Vfiafl it. WP WOUld ob-
ject violently to Deing
nin "nwn PTinfl "
. w " 0
f-it 1'nlin-ii-aiia vnaenne uro
of the inquisition. In a
religion is a uonstituuonai guarantee, sucn a
reason is simply a non sequitur.
AS FOR THE other attributes of the book, we
are not competent to make answer, al
though the passages quoted in the letter would
not. we feel, of and by themselves serve to cor
rupt anyone.
It may be that parents would disapprove of
their children reading a book of this type. If so,
it is up to them to prevent it, not for the library
to succumb to pressure to remove the book.
Presumably the decision to purchase the book
was made by competent authority, acting on suf-
book is controversial is no
MAi.rMrn.n!n I UTOPa
tUlllI U VCI Dial UUUI0 i UM1.4(v.v awuv
would be limited to "Rebecca of Sunnybrook
-1 i i it 11.. 1.1 1 1 i n..,,
farm ana otners equany
TO SUM UP:
A Krlr gnu ltnnl
fTL klUUll t 1 1 J "J"" i , , , ... v -J - J " 1 - '
Mmnla if l'a Mln'arl llrtt'fliir fif nill'fihaCil
UWI1 1UC11U3. XX lb IB JUlttlX "VlWlJ jjuiviimuv,
it should be purchased for the benefit of those
wisning to reaa it.
Those who disapprove ot it do not nave to
read it. And, as parents, it is their privilege
rather, their duty to see that their own chil
dren do not read what they, as parents, do not
ii i i
wisn mum iu reau.
The Constitutional guarantee of freedom of
religion means the freedom to write, and to read,
books which others may consider sacrilegious.
If obscenity is a consideration, the proper
place to go is to the courts.
Let us have no vigilante book-burnina- here.
E.A.
The "Race
News coverage of the
eral assembly of the United Presbyterian Church
in the U.S.A. tended to emphasize the decisions
which called for complete separation of church
and state, and for the end to Bible reading and
prayer in public school classrooms if they are
"devotional acts." in which cases they tend to
ward "indocrination" and
Because of this emphasis, other equally im
portant decisions of the assembly tended to
become obscured.
In the eyes of some
taken by the assembly on racial matters were
even more significant than the church and state
issue.
")NE observer said, ". . .
that this year's week
remembered as 'the Race
church."
A press release from the church's office of
information said:
"Dr. Scott (the retiring moderator) Insisted that
the crux of America's racial problem Is found not
in Birmingham, Alabama but in the type of neigh
borhoods where Prcsbyterlanism flourishes.
" 'The core of the racial situation In the United
States lies In the all-white residential communities
that circle our cities,' Scott maintained.
"Said he; 'It is exactly In those communities where
there Is the loudest talk about freedom and the most
shouting about communism that the very fundamen
tals of our constitutional system and our Biblical faith
are most vigorously violated'."
FOLLOWING debate, the assembly then voted
to propose a series of changes in the church's
constitution which would make integration man
datory in all United Presbyterian churches
throughout the nation.
It also:
Petitioned President Kennedy to call a
White House Conference on civil rights.
Voted to establish a special Commission on
Religion and Race and allocated $500,000 to
get the program in motion.
Agreed to study the possibility of making
mortgage monies available to individuals who
fail to get such loans elsewhere because of their
race.
Directed its boards and agencies to make
certain that they were not doing business with
firms whose practices are not consistent with the
church's stand on integration.
All in all, we'd say the assembly put in a
good week's work. Presbyterians and others
can be proud of them. li.A.
) '
ciimu en ate ivaumg.
there. We do not believe
nr pvpn aiTI'Olin OI 11P.O'
for epnsorirnr hnoke
- - -
trip lihrarv. or decidinir
o
...... rl
the merits of the book
nnrl dn nnt.. at, this writ
" - - .....
it il' i
ton manv nr.np mint's 10
-------Lr ---o-(
a fintinnnl imjKrinatlVP
torn we couia not 101
a.'O htlplf in thp TTliflfllt?
land where freedom of
reason to ban it. If all
KunTIDfl mil VHP fl in fT
uianu unu juiiucuuub.
mnet lip illflrrprl nn its
Assembly"
recently-concluded gen
"meaningless ritual."
observers, the actions
there was little doubt
- long meeting will be
Assembly' of the . . .
Delinquent!
Communications ...
Lallan io lha Editor must
certain circumstances the use of a pen name or initial for publication is permissible.
The Mail Tribune reservei the light to edit all letters with a view to clarification and
condensation. Letters lubmitted for publication must not exceed 400 words. The letters
printed in this column do not necessarily represent the viewe of the paper; in fact the
contrary ii often the case.
Incontrovertible
To the Editor: Answering
Lydia Burnham's Tribune ar
ticle, 5-23-63, about the resur
rection of Christ. Since God
does not reveal the date of his
only begotten Son's birth or
the date of his resurrection,
those dates should not con
cern us. (Dcut. 29:29.) The
thing that should concern us
is the fact that He was born,
lived his sinless life, then gave
it a ransom on the cross to pay
the penalty God's broken law
demands of us. The birth, the
life and the crucifixion, Lydia
and her Unitarian writer free
ly admit. The resurrection
they deny with antipathy.
Jesus answers tnem as- tie
did the Saducccs: "Ye do err,
not knowing the Scriptures,
nor the power of God." (Matt.
22:23-33.) From 1910 through
1916 I believed much as Lydia
does, I studied the Bible to
show how wrong it was, I dis
covered the wrong was all in
me. There are hundreds of
Scriptures that prove the au
thenticity of Christ and His
word, the Bible. In the great
prophecy of Daniel 9:28,
Christ was to be cut off Vh
years after the time He had
begun His public work. By
the slaying of the passover
lamb, every year on the 14th
day of the month, at 3 o'clock
in the afternoon, (Exodus 12:6,
margin).
The very year, day, and
hour of Christ's death was
foreshadowed for 1,500 years
before it took place. (1 Cor.
5:7; Malt. 27:45, 46.) I want
to point out just one more
prophecy. Only a few nours
before He was to die a sacri
fice on the cross fulfilling the
above prophecy to the letter.
He said: "And this gospel of
the kingdom shall be preached
in all the world for a witness
unto all nations; and then
shall the end come." (Matt.
24:14.) As He said these words
He stood rejected by the
world, yes even by His own
people. Soon He was to be re
jected, abandoned and be
trayed by His own disciples,
all foretold by the prophets
hundreds of years before, at
that time being fulfilled to the
very letter. He has made a
record tit 11 all in His Book,
the Bible, which is found in
all the world as a witness. In
it He warns us that we are
without excuse. Even the Dev
il himself cannot controvert
such a record.
F. E. Beverly
113 Geneva
Medford
First Prineiplei
To the Editor: It would ap
pear to have been better to
make no comment on my
communication letter last
week In the MT, for it was
strictly a personal letter to
the Editor for clarification of
Issues between us, not the
public, violating as It did the
Editor's No. 3 precept, "all in
good taste."
But. If it's Inclusive mean
ing whs a bit of mischievous
satire with no retaliatory im
plications, then we can settle
lor that. For the mere men
tioning of the May 27 U.S.
News and World Report in
the findings of U.S. Federal
District Judge Frank M. Scar
lett's ruling that point so
markedly to the reversal of
the Supreme Court's 19M
"legislated'' ruling In the
forced Integration of Negro
pupils Into white schools,
plainly against the will and
Judgment of so largo a seg
ment ot our population, was
the all In all to ma For my
very best effort had been to
phone people to read and con
sider the District Court
Judge's ruling, as this racial
issue Is a pressing moment for
people to stand up and be
counted.
Stand up and be counted,
like long ago Jason Lre at
old Champoeg where the rov
;
MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE. MEDFORD, OREGON
tm A JtfiiJ aT rWT
bear tha nam and addrass of
ered-wagoners had gathered
in a 4th of July picnic. Boot
heeling a long mark in the
white driftsand there, fiery
Jason Lee shouted:
"You people who have
been siding in with the Hud
son's Bay and want this a
part of the British Empire
along with Canada, stand
over on that there side of the
line. You folks who want this
Oregon Territory to be a part
of the USA, stand here with
me and be counted."
That most of them were
counted with Jason Lee, and
with the plowing and plant
ing settlements pioneered by
Dr. Whitman, made Oregon
with Idaho and Washington
part and parcel of the USA,
for which we can all be duly
thankful.
Recognizing that this USA
was first taken over from the
native tribesmen by a white
Protestant people, dedicated
to the proposition that all
mankind are created in the
sovereign right of each in
economic survival, liberty,
the pursuit of happiness and
freedom in choice of religion
or none at all, it would seem
lo be high time we stand up
and be counted on those first
principles. This so ably and
courageously expressed In
the MT Friday editorial, even
though the title could well
have been In the last four
words, "priests, preachers and
parents." Like locking the
back door, as well as the front
door.
F. J. Clifford
Route 2, Box 200F
Central Point, Ore.
"Vile Book
To the Editor: Mothers and
fathers, do you know that
your most priceless posses
sions, your children, have ac
cess to a book in our public
libraries that is so vile that
it could have been conceived
only in the depraved mind of
one who is obsessed, for truly
it is Ihe work of demons.
TnrouRh 496 pages, Nikos
Kazantzakis. the author of
this book, "The Last Tempta
tion of Christ," casts our sin
less precious Redeemer In the
role of a carnal minded, lust
ful degenerate of the worst
type. The angels In heaven
blush when they view the
poison that flows from the
authors pen and they are
shocked and grieved as they
behold just how low human
beings, God's earthly crea
tion, have really fallen into
sin and depravity.
Following are quotations
from the book. It Is embarras
sing to write them but how
else can I tell you the shock
ing but true facts.
Page 88 - "Magdalene lay
on her back, stark naked . . .
wrestling with men on this
bed since dawn had tired her
out."
Page 87 - "Lord O Lord,"
the son of Mary murmered
again, "give me the strength
to slay until my turn comes."
Page 491-(Judas speaking),
"As he faced the crosa this
f.ike Messiah went dizzy and
fainled. Then the ladies got
hold nf him and installed him
to manufacture children for
them ... Is thai the y to
conquer death by making
children?"
Mothers and fathers, God
holds you accountable for
your children until they be
come of legal age. Do you
want them absorbing such
Sodom and Gomorrah poison
from your public libraries?
We have Just commemor
ated the death and resurrec
tion of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ. He proved his
love for u by death on a
cruel cross. Now and here Is
our opportunity to prove our
love for him, our love for our
children and our love for our
country.
Our libraries are being sup
ported by our tax dollars
U.Ns Successes in Countering Red
Policies Cited; Finances New Tactic
By PHIL NEWSOM
UPI Foraign Naws Analyst
Had the United Nations, un
der the prodding of the United
States, not intervened in
Korea it is a
reasonable as
sumption that
Korea today
would be to
tally occupied
by the Com
munists. Similarly,
without United
Nations action
it also is rea
s w turn
sonably certain that today
there would be no unified
Congo.
And, going back to the
earliest days of the world or
ganization, it also is a safe
bet that Soviet Russia would
be occupying part of northern
Iran had not the pressure of
world opinion been brought
against it through the United
Nations.
Each of these actions rep
resented an extension of U. S.
tha writer, although under
We have a right to know how
our money is being spent. Our
library board and librarian
select the books that go on the
shelves. Demand that they re
move this vile book from our
libraries for all time.
Alice I. Black
812 Newtown
Medford.
O
Editor's note: See comment
in editorial column.
Varieties of Truth
To the Editor: "There is no
stronger defense against truth
than a closed mind," says the
authoress of "Aquarian Age,"
M. T., May 21, in reference
to the reader's serious reflec
tion upon matter contained
in her presentation of evi
dence in favor of "possibly
super - naturally piloted
UFOs." In defense of her
theory, she says, "truth is
eternal,, changeless and infi
nite ... so how can anyone
expect to know the whole of
it?"
Before proceeding further,
let us take a closer look at
this orthodox definition of
truth. Eternal, and infinite,
are material conceptions of
unlimited time and space. In
actuality, perhaps the situa
tion may be not quite like
this. Too, there is something
awry about the definition
changeless which implies
several meanings though
the one intended is likely,
staid or dependable. But a
changeless or even slow to
change quality is vulnerable
to eventual complete scientif
ic analysis, while the chang
ing one is the elusive one.
Rather, let us think of
truth as something more than
this a paradox, perhaps,
and many faceted.
To the arcane science of
astrology, let us concede a
possible facet of truth. To the
probable existence of UFO's
solar, galatic or universal
let us also concede a possi
ble facet. But, to the piloting
of these flying objects by su
pernatural forms of life, how
can we concede, at the most,
more than a possible super
natural facet?
But in order to make this
concession, we must first en
dow truth with a dual nature:
One applicable to the physi
cal realm, and the other, to
the supernatural. We will as
sume this step a permissible
one since if it isn't we cannot
seriously discuss the issue at
all. For when dealing In ar
cane sciences, it inevitably
becomes imperative to sub
stitute a different, often op
posing, set of truths.
Now If we can be satisfied
with the foregoing elastic de
scription for truth, (and there
just might be a facet of truth
in it.) we may proceed to
equip material UFO's with
supernatural pilots and em
bark upon some fascinating
astro - philosophical adven
tures. Otherwise, we must for
feit our supernatural facet for
a more staid and changeless
one and then I fear our
exciting theories and defenses
will never get off the ground.
Thclma Carson
Star Route Box 60,
Prospect, Ore.
Sale Success
To the Editor: I wish to
thank all of the people of
Medford, for the success the
V.F.W. had on their annual
Buddy Poppy sale. The radio
and T.V. stations, and Mail
Tribune, thanks for the fine
service you did toward the
publicity for Buddy Poppy
Days. All members of the
Auxiliary, Post, and Boy
Scouts, thanks for your help
in selling Buddy Poppies this
year.
Frank L. Otley
Commander Crater
Lake Tost 1833, VFW
Medford
I
foreign policy and help to ex
plain why, through both
Democratic and Republican
administrations, the United
States has been willing to
shoulder more than its share
of the financial burden of
U. N. undertakings.
Similarly, each of the above
ran directly counter to Soviet
policy.
Despite persistent efforts to
reshape the U. N. to its own
advantage, the Soviet Union
never yet has won a major
victory in U. N. debates.
They were boycotting the
U. N. at the time of Korean
intervention.
They failed conspicuously
in 1 980 to impose a three
headed Troika system on the
secretary general's office
which would have torpedoed
U. N. action in the Congo.
In 1963 they are attempt
ing to impose a "financial
veto."
This means that they have
refused to pay the more than
$46 million they owe in back
installments on U. N. peace
keeping operations in the
Congo and Middle East and
have announced that hence
forth they will pay nothing
on any U. N. operation with
which they disagree.
Altogether, some 40 U. N.
members, including France,
Belgium, and Nationalist
China, have paid nothing on
either or both the Congo and
Strictly
Personal
By Sydney J. Harris
fc- Field Enterprises, Inc.
INCOMPREHENSIBLE
The day I arrived in New
York last month, I heard noth
ing but the scream of fire en-
g i n e 3 from
morning until
well past mid
night. As you
may have seen
in the papers,
the five bor
oughs of New
York together
turned in 1,000
alarms on that
Satur d a y in
April. The fire departments
were taxed to their limits, and
in some cases beyond. A grave
water shortage developed late
in the day. A wave of fires on
southern Slatcn Island in
volved more than half of New
York City's Fire Department
alone.
In our muted discussions of
atomic attack, we think most
ly of the cataclysmic impact of
the bomb. But, according lo
physicists I have read and lis
tened to, the consequences of
fire from such an attack are
equally appalling. And the
1,000 alarms on this Saturday
would be infinitesimal com
pared with the conflagration
begun by a single H-bomb.
How can we begin to
imagine the unimaginable?
This question. I think, is the
clue io most of the passivity
and fatalism of the public
toward atomic warfare. Just
as no finite and mortal per
son can really comprehend
infinity or eternity, so none
of us can actually grasp the
apocalyptic quality of the
next war.
Some things are too small
to grasp - nobody, for in
stance, can really visualise
the world of sub-atomic
matter - and some things
are too large. Man is a crea
ture of the middle distance,
and hii vision is limited io
objecti in the middle
ground.
It is no accident that the
few philosophers of science
in our time have pointed out
the quite remarkable fact
that the human species ii.
with almost mathematical
exactitude, midway be
tween the largest order and
tha smallest order of magni
tude in the universe.
We stand in relation to the
proton as the universe stands
in relation to us. Such a con
cept is nearly Inconceivable,
except in a scientific formula,
which robs It of all concrete
ness and existential meaning.
But what a wonder, and a baf
flement, that a creature so
equidistance from both mag
nitudes should be able to un
derstand and (partly) control
both of them.
There is no doubt in my
mind that the human race is
approaching lis ultimate mor
al crisis. We have gone too far
to turn back, we have opened
too many doors that will not
close again, and perhaps re
leased too many demons that
will refuse to be put back into
their bottles.
The 1.000 fires in a day
were extinguished by heroic
efforts; but we now have the
capacity to start 1.000.000
fires simultaneously, with no
capacity to extinguish them.
Perhaps the most crushing
paradox of our time is that
never before has mankind
been so powerful-and men so
powerless. This is what we
do not want to think of.
i
the Middle-East operations.
Under U. N. rules, all are
subject to losing their vote
after falling two years behind
in their payments.
Some are hardship cases
and may be forgiven on
grounds that they are behind
due to circumstances beyond
their control.
As a matter of pride, the
Soviets scarcely could afford
to plead that they are too poor
to pay.
France and Belgium, both
of which strongly opposed the
U. N. Congo action, are ex
pected to find some device by
which arrearages can be met
without admitting a change of
heart.
The main problem Is the
Soviet Union.
Matter of Fact
(c) New York Herald
GROTESQUE MESS
Washinptnn In the ehillv
aftermath of the wheat refer
endum, everyone seems to be
having second
thoughts;
Farm state
Rep ublicans
and their al
lies of the
Farm Bureau
are belatedly
but vi si b 1 y
worried
about having
"free d" the
AJinp
wheat farmers at a probable
cost of $1.10 to $1.20 wheat
and severe disruption ot tne
markets in some other agri
cultural products as well.
The Kennedy aaminis i r -
linn meanwhile. IS Visibly
worried about being too cold
ly negative. The rresiaeni
will certainly veto any bail
nnt hill returning to the old.
thoroughly vicious system of
high price supports viuium
production controls. Nonethe
less, it is a bit too coldly
logical to say nothing to the
wheat farmers except:
"Vnn'vp made vour bed:
now lie in it, even if it means
$1.10 wheat.
HENCE consideration is be
ing given to more positive
snnmnrhM The one most clis-
cussed is an indication of will
ingness to take a wheat bill
based on the principle of Sen.
Herman Talmadge's cotton
bill. Whether this will be the
final decision remains lo be
seen. But it is certainly worm
examining the Talmadge bill
principles. There are two of
them:
First, that those wno ncca
hrln nucht to get it, but no
one else ought to get it.
And second, tnai mo neip
ought to be given in a way
ii... uonc tho ti s. covtrn-
mcnt out of the commodity
management business.
If there is any excuse at u
fnr anui.mir.ent aid to Amer
ica's immensely over-produc
tive agriculture, tne excuse is
en,.iai sinH hioloical. Farmers
able to make the very large
capital invest menti necoea
for mechanized, large -scaie
farminff on eht either to accept
the prices of the market place
or take their capital some
where else. But minions oi
tarmArs art not in this happy
position; and they constitute
the social-biologicai prooicm.
T'E people who want to get
id of production controls
and abandon farm price sup
port really want to drive this
huge group of under-capitalized,
small scale farmers off
the farms. This was the pio
gram of former Secretary of
Agriculture Ezra Taft Benson,
in whose pious ministry the
grotesque farm mess nearly
quadrupled both in size and
in cost. The worst criticism
of Benson is that he never
had the guts to say that he
wanted the smaller, less ef
ficient farmers to go to the
wall.
Meanwhile, there are strong
special and biological argu
ments AGAINST letting mil
lions of the smaller American
farmers go to the wall. The
AVI, M awejx fees
The Ugly
.We "hate y
If the Soviets could reduce
the U. N. to an impotent de
bating society simply by with
holding funds there is little
doubt that such would ba
their course.
On the other hand, it is not
believed that the Communists
are ready yet to abandon their
place in the U. N.'s world
forum, leading to a conclusion
that their present maneuvers
are to establish a bargaining
position.
But, meanwhile, the U. N.
is approximately $130 million
in the red. And the prospects
are that, so long as the U. S.
considers the United Nations
an important arm of foreign
policy, it will continue to pay
a disproportionate share of
the world organization's costs.
By Joseph Alsop
Tribune Syndicate
old pattern of our rural life
has its own value. Further
more, it is an unexplained fact
of history - but an undoubted
fact despite its mystery - that
great nations have always
tended to decline when inde
pendent farmers were driven
out by industrial farming.
Thus the Talmadge cotton
bill defines the under-capitalized
small scale producers as
those who need help. It gives
this group of farmers fairly
generous help, in the form of
high production payments. It
provides much lower produc
tion payments to the larga
producers - although h e r a
Sen. Talmadge has unwisely
compromised by removing his
former $25,000 ceiling on tha
payment permissible to any
individual cotton producer.
THE justification for this
kind of selectivity in help
ing the cotton farmers ought
to be glaringly obvious. Over
600,000 cotton farmers were
in the cotton program last
year, but just a little mora
than 31,000 cotton farmers
produced over half the crop -and
therefore got over half
the Federal aid.
The meaning of these fig
ures is difficult to credit. But
consider: the cotton program,
cost the taxpayers S600 mil
lion in subsidies, plus $400
million in administrative costs
for the storage, marketing,
transport, and export of cot
ton. The entire cost of $1 bil
lion is of course chargeabla
to aid to the cotton farmers.
Thus a few more than 31,
000 Americans got aid from
over $500 million. This is like
giving half a billion dollars of
urban renewal money to a
very small and extremely
prosperous suburban commu
nity. Grotesque is a mild word
for it.
Yet this is not the worst of
it. This particular Federal
venture in commodity man
agement not only has a prica
tag of $400 million for ad
ministrative charges alone. It
also has the effect of main
taining an artificially hign
domestic cotton price, while
we all but give cottor. away
abroad.
HENCE the American cotton
textile manufacturers are
beginning to be driven out of
business.
For this season, the Tal
madge bill, while aiding those
farmers who really need aid
by high, though carefully lim
ited production payments, also
gets the government out of
commodity manace m p n t, at
least for cotton. Broadly
speaking, it allows the domes
tic cotton price to be set by
the market place.
If these principles are not
adopted, it will still be cheap
er and more effective to help
those who really need help by
junking the exisiting cotton
program. If every cotton farm
er still in business is simply
given an annual Federal check
for $600, with no questions
asked, the majority will get
more than they now receive.
And the taxpayer will save
rather more than $600 million
per annum.
American!