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Republican Fund-Raising Dinner, Towanda, PA, June 10, 1966
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Republican Fund-Raising Dinner, Towanda, PA, June 10, 1966
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The original documents are located in Box D20, folder "Republican Fund-Raising Dinner,
Towanda, PA, June 10, 1966" of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and
Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. The Council donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Digitized from Box D20 of The Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
CONGRESSMAN
NEWS
GERALD R. FORD
HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER
RELEASE
FOR RELEASE AT 6:30 P.M.
FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 1966
SPEECH EXCERPTS--REPUBLICAN FUND-RAISING DINNER, TOWANDA, PENNSYLVANIA.
Agriculture Secretary Orville L. Freeman is a very confused man. That is the
only conclusion you can come to when you consider the statements Mr. Freeman has
made on recent occasions.
Most recently Mr. Freeman warned that food prices will go higher unless the
farmer gets a fair shake for his products. He said farm prices must be fair or
farmers will leave the farm.
Mind you, this is the same Mr. Freeman who made the farmer the whipping boy
of inflation and recently told newsmen he was "pleased to report" declines in
farm prices. You would think it was a different man talking, wouldn't you, if
you weren't familiar with the devious tactics of the Johnson-Freeman Administration.
Mr. Freeman said he was "pleased to report" that farm prices were dropping
from "cyclical highs which have accounted for most of the consumer food increases."
After the Johnson-Freeman Administration had succeeded in driving down farm
prices, Mr. Freeman began wailing that farmers are quitting dairying because of
economic pressures. He ought to know; he has contributed to those pressures.
It was the Johnson-Freeman Administration that substituted margarine for
butter in the government's relief feeding programs and in Army and Air Force
rations.
It was the Johnson-Freeman Administration that refused to make use of open
market pruchase authority for milk and dairy products.
It was the Johnson-Freeman Administration that tried to chop back school
lunch and school milk appropriations.
It was the Johnson-Freeman Administration that sharply increased cheddar
cheese imports.
It was the Johnson-Freeman Administration that refused to restrict imports
of cream, junex, grapex, colby cheese and swiss cheese.
It was the Johnson-Freeman Administration that refused to hold nationwide
hearings aimed at permanently increasing Class I milk differentials in federal
milk markets.
Lemited hide exports *
BERALD FORD LIBRARY
(MORE)
-2-
SPEECH EXCERPTS--FARM
Is the Johnson-Freeman Administration the friend of the farmer? I'm sure
you're aware that the Johnson-Freeman Administration has taken a number of actions
aimed at depressing farm prices. These actions were taken under the guise of a
war on inflation. Unfortunately, the American farmer became the first casualty.
* *
The Johnson-Freeman Administration rode to power in the farm states in 1964
with promises of "parity of income" and "90 per cent of parity price supports."
What is the latest parity ratio? For May it was only 79.
***
It is the Johnson-Freeman Administration's inflationary policies that are the
push behind the steady rise in the cost-of-living--not today's farm prices.
It is excessive Johnson-Freeman Administration spending that is fanning the
flames of inflation, and inflation is stealing three to five dollars out of
every hundred an American earns this year.
The farmer is the victim of inflation, along with other consumers--not the
villain the Johnson-Freeman Administration would make him out to be.
The truth is that farm prices today are 6 per cent lower than in the Korean
War year of 1952, but food prices have gone up 16 per cent since then.
During the same period, farm costs have gone up 15 per cent.
What does this all add up to? It means that farmers are caught in a vicious
cost-price squeeze that leaves them on the short end while the Johnson-Freeman
Administration's policies generate mounting inflation.
It means the Johnson-Freeman Administration has blamed farmers for high food
prices despite the fact that farmers are not getting their fair share of the food
dollar. Official federal government figures show that prices received by the
farmer account for only 39 per cent of the grocery store price tag for foodstuffs.
The other 61 per cent is added after the food leaves the farm.
How can we change this? I'll tell you how--by electing a strong Republican
Congress in 1966. Farmers will have an opportunity in November to vote for a
party that aims to make sure the farmer shares adequately in the nation's
prosperity--the Republican Party. Farmers will have an opportunity to reject the
Democratic Party, which has proved itself long on farm promises but short on
performance. And I'm sure that's just what they'11 do.
###
CONGRESSMAN
NEWS
GERALD R. FORD
HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER
RELEASE
FOR RELEASE AT 6:30 P.M.
FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 1966
SPEECH EXCERPTS--REPUBLICAN FUND-RAISING DINNER, TOWANDA, PENNSYLVANIA.
Agriculture Secretary Orville L. Freeman is a very confused man. That is the
only conclusion you can come to when you consider the statements Mr. Freeman has
made on recent occasions.
Most recently Mr. Freeman warned that food prices will go higher unless the
farmer gets a fair shake for his products. He said farm prices must be fair or
farmers will leave the farm.
Mind you, this is the same Mr. Freeman who made the farmer the whipping boy
of inflation and recently told newsmen he was "pleased report" declines in
farm prices. You would think it was a different man talking, wouldn you, if
you weren't familiar with the devious tactics of the Johnson-Freeman Administration.
Mr. Freeman said he was pleased to report" that farm prices were dropping
from "cyclical highs which have accounted for most of the consumer food increases."
After the Johnson-Freeman Administration had succeeded in driving down farm
prices, Mr. Freeman began wailing that farmers are quitting dairying because of
economic pressures. He ought to know; he has contributed to those pressures.
It was the Johnson-Freeman Administration that substituted margarine for
butter in the government's relief feeding programs and in Army and Air Force
rations.
It was the Johnson-Freeman Administration that refused to make use of open
market pruchase authority for milk and dairy products.
It was the Johnson-Freeman Administration that tried to chop back school
lunch and school milk appropriations.
It was the Johnson-Freeman Administration that sharply increased cheddar
cheese imports.
It was the Johnson-Freeman Administration that refused to restrict imports
of cream, junex, grapex, colby cheese and swiss cheese.
It was the Johnson-Freeman Administration that refused to hold nationwide
hearings aimed at permanently increasing Class I milk differentials in federal
milk markets.
***
GERALD
LIBRARY
(MORE)
-2-
SPEECH EXCERFTS--FARM
Is the Johnson-Freeman Administration the friend of the farmer? I'm sure
you're aware that the Johnson-Freeman Administration has taken a number of actions
aimed at depressing farm prices. These actions were taken under the guise of a
war on inflation. Unfortunately, the American farmer became the first casualty.
***
The Johnson-Freeman Administration rode to power in the farm states in 1964
with promises of "parity of income" and "90 per cent of parity price supports."
What is the latest parity ratio? For May it was only 79.
***
It is the Johnson-Freeman Administration's inflationary policies that are the
push behind the steady rise in the cost-of-living--not today's farm prices.
It is excessive Johnson-Freeman Administration spending that is fanning the
flames of inflation, and inflation is stealing three to five dollars out of
every hundred an American earns this year.
The farmer is the victim of inflation, along with other consumers--not the
villain the Johnson-Freeman Administration would make him out to be.
The truth is that farm prices today are 6 per cent lower than in the Korean
War year of 1952, but food prices have gone up 16 per cent since then.
During the same period, farm costs have gone up 15. per cent.
What does this all add: up to? It means that farmers are caught in a vicious
cost-price squeeze that leaves them on the short end while the Johnson-Freeman
Administration's policies generate mounting inflation.
It means the Johnson-Freeman Administration has blamed farmers for high food
prices despite the fact that farmers are not getting their fair share of the food
dollar. Official federal government figures show that prices received by the
farmer account for only 39 per cent of the grocery store price tag for foodstuffs.
The other 61 per cent is added after the food leaves the farm.
How can we change this? I'll tell you how--by electing a strong Republican
Congress in 1966. Farmers will have an opportunity in November to vote for a
party that aims to make sure the farmer shares adequately in the nation's
prosperity--the Republican Party. Farmers will have an opportunity to reject the
Democratic Party, which has proved itself long on farm promises but short on
performance. And I'm sure that's just what they'll do.
###