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."
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