Tabor City tribune. (Tabor City, N.C.) 1946-1991, 1961-03-01

ROBERT II. Britt, farmer OF
North Whiteville Township.
and Roscoe Enzor. 4 farmer OF
Fair Bluff Township. were re-
elected 10 serve on the board
OF directors of the association
for terms oil three years each.
Each OF these men were APP
pointed 10 the board Of direct
orS OF the association last year
TO fill uneXpIred terms and
this is their first election for
full three year terms.
In his annual report 10 the
stockholders Mr.. Yoder re-
ported that al December 81
1860 the association has assets
of S3.963,987. including So
363.l5O IN loans 10 members.
On that date the liabilities Of
the association totaled S3.O72.-
267 and the net worth OF the
association, consisting of $685.
O35.UO III farmer owned stock
and S2iO.8l0 in Surplus and
undivided profits totaled $751;
10000. Earnings OF the aSSocia-
ton were down in 1860 from
S33.i53 in 1859 TO Sl4.88O III
1860. This drop was due prin-
cIpally 10 the high cost NJ Dor
rOwed money i'll 1860, as COM
pared with the cost in 1882
Godcr stated, and due to low
CT money costs that prevail
now. earnings in the coming
year should be good. Another
dividend on class a stock can
be expected and a much great
cr patronage refund should
pass the increased interest say
IngS back to the membership"
foder made a strong appeal
10 farmers. and business peo-
pie who are dependant on far
merS for their business, to in
form themselves Of the posi-
zion of agriculture in the ma
tlonal economy. With only
!O'' of the national population
now on the farms, compared TO
CO., around 1900. we are los
ing our representation in Gov
eminent and the other 9OGT of
the population. because they
do not recognize the efficiency
of farmers, are bargaining for
laws that would widen the gap
between the prices farmers re-
ceiVe for their products and
the prices farmers must paw
for the things they buy even
more" he stated.
The fact that farmers have
become SO efficient in the pro-
duction of Food and fibre that
II now takes only lOrS of the
population TO produce the ag-
rlcultural products America
needs, with some TO spare, has
made it possible, more than
any other factor, for America
to become the strongest nation
in the world. Besides freeing
so many people from farm pro-
auction to 60 into industry and
other segments of the Ameri-
can economy. farmers have
produced food so cheap that
only 20 percent Of our dispos-
able income went for food in
l959-this left 80 percent to be
spent for other things such as
radios, televisions, automobiles
and the things we all love so
well and which other countries
don't have as much Of. Because
people in Japan have to spend
z percent of their disposablc
income for food, West Germ
ans, 5 percent and Russians Sc
percent. these other countries
nave not had as much of their
income free for development
of their natural resources and
they have not achieved the
greatness which American far
mers have made possible for
America"
How much credit do Amer
lean farmers get for this role?
Not very much. When the av-
erage housewife in the other
80 percent observes how the
prices OF things she puts in
her grocery cart have ircreas-
ed to her she blames farmers
for the high cost Of food and
she doesn't fail 10 make her
feelings known 70 her repre-