The Sidney herald., 1957-06-13

June 2OUrged
st. Paul, Minn. Whea
farmers will vote next Thursda,
in a referendum which can at.
feet the income of every farmer
whether he raises wheat, corr,
soybeans, oats, pigs, beef, chick
ems of milk cows.
Several u. S. Senators have
called the June 20 Wheat Refer
endum the most important one tc
date. The result will have ar
impact far beyond how much
farmers will get for their whea.
All the Senators and many Rep
resentatives from the spring
wheat states, for that reason
have urged farmers to vote Eyes
in the Referendum They include
Mansfield and Murray Demo
crats) of Montana; Thye (Repub-
llican) and Humphrey Demo
craft of Minnesota; Young (R) Of
North Dakota; and Mundt (R)
| and Case (R) of South Dakota.
Senator LANCER (R) of North
Dakota is sick, but has always
backed the Eyes" vote.
The decision wheat farmers will
make on June 20 is whether or
not to cut acres and accept quo
tas again. A Eyes" vote will
mean at least $1.78 a bushel
wheat price supports in 1858;
but a mo" vote can mean 81
wheat. 1t is this dollar wheat
that the National Wheat Refer.
endum Committee, which is
working for a big eyes" vote,
says would set off a chain re-
action within agriculture that
would drive down feed grain
prices. Then, they say, livestock,
dairy and poultry prices would
follow cheap feed to new low
price levels. Thus, every farmer
has a big stake in the Wheat
Referendum.
"The only way to stave off
this threat of agricultural disas-
ter" said n. w. Thatcher, chair
man of the Wheat Referendum
committee, "is for all wheat
farmers to 60 to the polls and
cast an overwhelming Yes vote
on June 70"
Many Main Street merchants
have endorsed a Eyes" vote, In
statements emphasizing the fact
that their welfare is tied direct
ly to farm income. A number OF
large advertisements in commu-
nifty newspapers, urging a Yes
vbte, have been sponsored by
local business leaders.
The Wheat Referendum COM
points out that you don't
have to be raising a wheat crop
this year to vote Any farmer
who intends to plant Is or more
acres of wheat next year can
cast a ballot. All the government
to know is whether a farm
er is eligible to plant IS or more
acres next year; and If he is, he
AN vote, and his wife can, too.
ANY farmer in doubt as to his
eligibility can check his right to
vote at the polling place on
June 20. The important thing,
he Committee says, is to vote.
About $780, 900 wheat farmers
will be eligible to vote this year.
rwo-thirds of the vote must be
Yes" if the referendum is to
carry. The wheat price support
n 1858 will then be $1.78 per
That does not mean that farm
rs think $1.78 a bushel is a good
,rice, Wheat Referendum Com
nittee officials say, and they
i'd that, "If wheat farmers were
o get their fair share of the
lational income, wheat would
ave to be around So a bushel."
SUIT they warn that a mo" vote
you'd mea dollar-a-bushel
Wheat on the free market.
Thus, by voting eyes," wheat
stand to save at least
SC a bushel next year. THIS
yould mean a saving of from
7 to SO per acre. This is one
f the reasons why the Wheat !
referendum committee is urging ]
Eyes" vote in a g~rassroots and +.
lain Street program of informa- 5
on that includes the use of pos !
,rs, windshield stickers and :
ewspaper, radio and magazine :
dvertisements. :
Farmers understand, too, the
ommittee says, that also at stake ;
the framework of the farm :
rice programs they have built i
during the past two decades {
Secretary Benson has
,ked Congress for authority to e
It farm price supports at any t
here from r to 900 of par il
y. He told Congress in a recent
quest that he favors doing t
way with mandatory price sup Z
,rts. The present farm law pre- !.
,nts the Secretary from putting :
ice supports at less than 1870 y
parity. A Eyes" vote on June {
T-- a.