The Sidney herald., 1957-06-27
Marketing
Quotas For 1858
Are ANeved

ASATv'~
Rich1and county farmers join
ed other wheat growers across
the nation in approving market
ing quotas for the 1858 wheat
crop, Chairman Arthur Anderson
of the County ASC committee re-
ported.
Returns for Richland county
show that 589 of the l403 pro-
ducers estimated to be eligible
participated In the June 20 ref
erendum. 572 of these voted in
favor of quotas while II indica.-
ed they yer opposed and SO
votes were found to be ineligible.
Preliminary returns nationally
showed that more than 800 OF
the producers voting in the SO
commercial wheat states approx
ed quotas. In Montana, the pre-
liminary returns showed 14,301
producers voting for quotas and
1909 voting against quotas.
Approval of quotas will mean
that the 1858 crop will be the
fifth successive one to be grown
under acreage allotments and
marketed under quotas. With
quotas In effect, price support to
farmers who comply with their
acreage allotments will be at a
minimum national average of
$1.78 per bushel. Wheat grown
in excess of a farms allotment or
is acres, whichever is larger, will
be subject to penalty.
ST. PAUL, Mimi, June 26 -
The big Yes vote in the June 20
wheat referendum, led by farmers
of the Upper Midwest states, will
sparks new campaign in Congress
for et1eamlining present farm
price protection laws" officials of
the National Wheat Referendum
Committee said today in st. Paul.
The total estimated vote of
238, 900 was about $4,000 smaller
than a year ago. Nationally, the
eyes" vote was SO percent of the
total. More than So, 900 eyes" votes
were cast in North Dakota, which
had a 96>plus Eyes" percentage.
! The incomplete vote in other
Upper Midwest States was Mime
sofa, 97.1 "Yes"; South Dakota,
96.2; and Montana, 1876.
The strong showing was to a
large degree attributed by mem
bers of the Wheat Referendum
Committee to editors of the coun-
try press, who not only told the
referendum story to readers in
straight forward and emphatic
fashion, but, in many cases, Sc
cured community cooperation to
point up the economic Importance
of the referendum to the farm and
to Main Street,
Economists estimate that the
difference between a Eyes" and a
mo" vote meant, in the Upper
Midwest alone, a difference of
5000 million in 1858 farm-pur-
chasing power.
Community newspapers have
proved again." said M. w. 'Thatch-
er, chairman of the Wheat Refer
endum committee, and general
manager of Farmers Union Grain
Terminal Association in st. Paul,
"that they not only are aware of
their civic responsibility, but are
the backbone of community opin-
iOn."
In a number of communities,
Farmers Union organizations pass
ed resolutions, joining the Wheat
Referendum , Committee in ap-
plauding local newspapers for
their referendum role. Working
with Thatcher in the committee
were James Patton, president of
the National Farmers Union; Emil
general manager of
Farmers Union Central Exchange;
and four Farmers Union State
presidents: Glenn Talbot of North
Dakota; Paul Opsahl of South Da-
kota; Edwin Christianson of Min
n~esota; and Leonard Kenfield of
Some observers have interpret
ed the big Eyes" vote as the farm
ers' way of Directing to Agricul-
ture Secretary Benson's threat to
eliminate all farm-price supports.
Farmers have every right to
believe that their vote is a man
date to Congress to enact, and to
he Administration to carry out,
i fair program that permits farm
,rs to share in the national pros
oerity," Thatcher said.
"And rs percent of parity does
lot give farmers a reasonable
hare of that national prosperity.
We are determined to continue
,ur fight in Washington, where
arm prices are made, and in the
country until we get parity of in
for farmers" Thatcher add
ID. /,
The vote surprised even the
most optimistic of observers both
,ere and in Washington. BY their
,allot, wheat farmers indicated
hat they approve marketing quot
S and acreage allotments on their ]
958 wheat. They even accepted a !
S percent of parity price of $1.73 ]
,er bushel next year In exchange +.
or those two federal projections. ]
"No" vote would have eliminat- ]
d quotas, but would have put the {
rice of wheat at 81 a bushel or ]
ven lower. '
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