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About Herald and news. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1942-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 17, 1958)
AGE 4 D HERALD AND NEWS, KLAMATH FALLS. OREGON SUNDAY, AUGUST 17, 1058 Greed Blamed By Islander For Most Of World's Woes OFFICERS OF THE OREGON HEREFORD ASSOCIATION were cauqht talking things over during the recent Klamath County portion of the annual tour. Pictured here, left to right, ' are Norman Jacob, Merrill, vice presidentr Herb Chandler, past president of Baker; Law rence Horton of Klamath Falls, another past president; Dick Richards, secretary, of Warren. The picture was snapped at the Horton Ranch, Poe Valley. Life Getting Easier For Farmers In Russia Today Editor's Note: Soviet Russia re cently announced, with much fan fare, a "new" farm policy as part of its announced aid to catch up with, and surpass. U.S. production in all fields. Just what is this policy and what will it mean to the average Russian farmer? How does that Russian farmer live in comparison with his American counterpart? A veteran Washing ton agricultural reporter gives the answers in this dispatch. Ily BERNARD BRENNER United Press International WASHINGTON (UPI) Ivan, the Soviet farmer, eats black bread and potatoes while Ameri can farmers eat meat and vege tables. Ivan and most of his friends on Soviet collective farms have never had running water or electricity in their homes. In a Communist slate which builds hydrogen bombs, jet airliners and sputniks, most farmers regard indoor plumbing as a luxury they hope to enjoy some day. Ivan has seen automobiles. The manager of his collective farm drives one. Bill Ivan has never been able to afford a car and doesn't expect to own one anytime soon. In spile of a standard of living most Americans would consider low and drab, however, Ivan is probably happier today than in many years, in the opinion of U.S. government experts on Soviet agriculture. Due to various important gov ernment decrees aimed at easing controls and boosting market pric es in Russia, these U.S. experts believe most Soviet collective farm ers can count on making more money this year. The latest decree abolished a complicated government procure ment price schedule under which collectives were required to deliv er a large part of their production to the state at artificially low prices. In ils place, the decree sets up a system of uniform fixed prices for all sales to the stale. On n few "showplace" farms which had been earning bonuses for over quota production this reform may not be popular, but for the average collective it will mean more In come. Trices will be fixed by geograph ic loncs, taking into consideration factors like farm costs, labor pro ductivity, and the need for build ing up capital reserves. Kxperts here said the new regulation "even gives some recognition to the law of supply and demand" by allowing prices to rise or fall in response to sharp ups and downs In produc tion. Another significant feature of the decree wiped out the "arrears" accounts against many collectives which had failed to meet govern ment delivery quotas in past years. These accounts had reached considerable proportions despite similar slate-cleaning action in 1953-54, experts said. These moves add up to a "po tentially important improvement in Soviet agriculture," one specialist. said here. They are part of a pat tern of concessions to Soviet farm ers that began after the death of Stalin in 1953. One reason for easing the Com munist grip on the Soviet farmer was the demand for increased food and fiber production. Another, ex perts believe, was a feeling in Mos cow that the rigid control and ex ploitation of farmers under Stalin had weakened the drive to ex port" Communism to under- developed nations where peasants make up a majority of the population. Even with the recently-eased reg ulations, many of the features of the collective system which irked peasants most remain in effect. ihe Soviet tarmer works in a labor "brigade" assigned to spe cific farm tasks. If some brigade members loaf on the job, the re sult is less production and less in come for the hard-working man or woman. Officials here can only guess about the typical Soviet farmer's income because Russian figures are scanty and often unreliable. Sen. Allen J. Ellender (U.-La.), visiting some of the best collec tives in MDcna last year, was loiu form family income there ranged from 15.000 to 20.000 rubles a year. At a realistic exchange rate this would equal at best $1,500 to $2,000 a year for .the best farm ers on the most emcienl farms. But the thing to remember, spe cialists here said, is that for most Soviet farmers life is better today than it was in the past and more improvements arc coming. Just how much improvement there will be is an open question. The average Soviet farmer to day produces enough to feed him self and three or four others. The average American fanner pro duces enough for himself and 20 to 22 others. One expert here believes the new concessions will make Commu nism more popular with farmer Ivan, and spiib him to step up production. But this same expert believes the changes have not yet gone far enough to provide a per ir.incnt cure for the built-in dis advantages of the collective way of life on the farm. Police Crack Down On Flippers SACRAMENTO, (UPI) In creased enforcement against mo torists throwing lighted cigarettes or cigar stubs upon rural high ways is promised by the California Highway Patrol. Patrol Commissioner B. R. Cald well sent a memo to all field commands emphasizing the poten tial danger of fire along the high ways during the dry months and calling for stepped up enforcement against one of the chief causcs of field and forest fires. If DOUGLAS DILTZ United Press International LOS ANGELES (UPI) "Civ ilized" nations of the world must learn to live with the brotherly love attitude of the South Sea is land people or risk ultimate nu clear catastrophe. This admonition to the "outside world" came from the 73-year-old patriarch of a remote Pacific isle, who doubts that civilization can change its dangerous ways in time to avert disaster. "Man on outside is too greedy," said big, husky Parkin Christian. "All trouble comes from this. Man not satisfied. Always wants more . . . what other man got."- He said that on his home island of Pitcairn there is not only a lack of desire to "grumble and fight," but "no time for it." We have to work too hard. explained the 6-foot-3, 225-pound great-great grandson of Fletcher Christian, the man who led the "mutiny of the Bounty" against English Capt. William Bligh in 17B9. The mutineers took refuge n Pitcairn where they intermar ried with the natives. "We have to live mostly on our own products," said Parkin. "Our only income is from selling wood carvings and other handicrafts to passing ships. But we don t fight. It is a waste of time and always brings bad." Christian is a living example ef what he preaches. He recently retired as chief magistrate of Pit cairn with a record of never hav ing sent a single person to jail in all his years on the bench. "Too busy on Pitcairn to do crime," he pointed out. "Have a policeman but he s the good-for nothingest man on earth. GIRLS PREFER . . . NEW YORK (UPI) Ameri can teen-age girls prefer tooth paste to tooth powder, deodorants to anti-perspirants, bobby pins to hair pins and liquid shampoo to lotion and cream varieties, ac cording to a report from a na tional magazine. (Seventeen). "We have one jail. It is full once in a while . . . when they go in to sweep," he adds with a smile on his Polynesian face. "We don't worry. Never have much trouble. Things mostly peaceful" When asked what, then, were his duties as chief magistrate. Christian replied; "Nothing worth talking about . , . kept records of births and deaths . . . gave death warrants and put marriages to gether." Christian said 153 Anglo-Polynes ians now inhabit the hilly, two-by-three-mile island. Some are de scended from Americans who moved to Pitcairn some genera tions ago. The island is ruled by the British governor in Fiji, some 3,000 miles away. Christian came to the United States to attend the Seventh-Day Adventists' World Conference in Cleveland, and was interviewed on his way back to his island home. His wife died 18 years ago and his only son now is married and lives in New Zealand. The old patriarch lives in a small wooden house with a corrugated iron roof. One-third of Pitcairn's population bears the name of Christian, so he really isn't lonely. Religion is the key to the life of the people on Pitcairn. They be lieve ardently in the Bible and ad here to it closely. "You got to believe Bible and live it," said Christian. "It's the only way to stop the fighting and learn to live together." There's c, CHEVY TRUCK To Help You Do YOUR JOB Dugan & Mest CHEVROLET 410 So. 6rh TU 4-3101 GRAIN WI-NE-MA ELEVATORS, INC. mm, Marketing For Your Advantage! NOW IN 5 LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU! We Now Have a Big, New Elevator at DAIRY, OREGON as well as: O STRONGHOLD O TULELAKE O MALONE O WESTSIDE Government Approved and Bonded!
