NFO-281 (AV10780): US Farm Report: Phillip Wilkie vs. Corporate

[Opening music] Hi everybody and welcome to U.S. Farm Report on this week's show we'll be visiting with Mr. Phillip Wilkie son of the famous Wendell Wilkie who in 1940 opposed Franklin Roosevelt in the race for the presidency of the United States. We will also be talking with Harry Canfield who is a grain marketing representative out of the Boise Idaho marketing area. My special studio guest is my good friend and colleague Phil Allen veteran Farm News analyst who for NFO currently is broadcasting on some 600 radio stations across the country with three shows on each station each week and mathematically fill that almost that almost astounds me. What does it all amount to. Well it sort of astounds me. There are seventeen hundred programs a week and on 600 stations that's not quite each one carrying it three times yes. But some stations carry all three. These are five minute programs and they're scheduled when the stations want to schedule them. I rather imagine they're mostly heard on noon hours and on breakfast known whenever farm audiences are usually cultivated. The shows are called quite appropriately. Here's Alan yes. Phil what kind of subject matter will you be dealing with on our show. Well my beat has always been to cover the stories that are interesting to farmers who believe in collective bargaining. Now this runs quite a gamut. We sometimes talk about the spread between the grocery store price and the farmer's price. We talk about such matters as well the latest developments in collective bargaining in various departments. For instance when new contracts are being ratified say in the cattle contract we cover that. And then whatever the press is saying about agriculture I guess the simplest way to say it if if I believe in the craft is whenever it's news to farmers and I try to talk about it. Phil of course we saw each other convention. I guess we ran into each other past each other in the hall a couple of times like ships in the night. We were both very busy. I haven't had a chance to talk to you since so I'm anxious to know about your reaction to the 1970 NFO convention in Louisville. Well many of the people that I talked to and I expect you heard this too we're saying that this was the best convention in years. I did hear that it was off. I think it was that for quite a number of reasons NFO has put together some pretty sophisticated machinery. Martin and as well the press picked up as the big news story out of the convention the fact that these lift operations were going to get underway shortly after the first of the year as Oren Lee Staley said it in his main address to the convention in dairy meat and grain. And then I noticed that there was quite a response from the delegates when he gave the. Well described the NFO his attitude toward the law. He said we believe in the laws of this country but if it requires peaceful demonstrations to get these lift actions underway we'll have them and then there was a big response from the delegates. There was a response and then he said if it's necessary for us to have general all our holding actions we'll have them. And that brought the delegates up out of their seats with one of the what I felt was one of the big ovation convention. We had distinguished guests as we always had a Republican senator and the Democratic senator Senator Marlo Cook of Kentucky was the Republican and Senator Harold Hughes of Iowa the Democrat. There were a number of other guests Phillip Wilkie And Frank LaRue the Agriculture Department official who resigned in protest in the 1960s and has written the books to the farmers. Yes. Five years seven years and nine years. Now you interviewed Phillip Wilkie. Did you get. I understand you did too. Yes I did. In fact I found him to be most enthusiastic opponent of the corporate conglomerations I'm sure he'd discuss that with you Phil when you talked with him. Yes. He showed me some of the clippings from Indiana newspapers about what he described as an early skirmish he's having with bank holding companies that wanted to acquire a fully owned subsidiary bank. So in other words gobble up the little bank and he has a lawyer savvy just as his father had about a fight. Yes he said I think he was quoted in The Wall Street Journal as saying I'm going to raise and upheld that I know they've been out of high. All right why don't you sort of eavesdrop on Phil, Phillip Wilkie and me as I talked with him late one night in a motel adjacent to Freedom Hall in Louisville Kentucky. Love to Is your mother still in in New York. Yes. She moved a couple of times in year. She's in good health. Well actually 80 years old. She that Oh and while she seemed tired. I've noticed that more in the last 90 days. Know I guess when you're 80 years old you get tired. Sure I think you must. Phillip how did you happen to get in the Indiana. Well we always went back and forth out there a lot. And. I liked that there and. Probably thought I'd be independent. I don't want to go back out there in the hinterlands anymore right. And so I guess I have. And I think this is the high yield. Factor at this point. I'll make an issue out of it make it first thing you've got going on. I think I've got a good argument that after all I went back and I'm not there by the fashion and there by Chai. You know I went back and then the very independents I went back to see I see now being lost by conglomerates. Now I think that I do want to make that a show I know the guy you know where he making the show right. Well no no. Let's talk about that. Well I'm glad to talk about that. I went back because I liked it as a youngster and because you could be free and independent right now. This is rush Bill rash Matt Indiana right where you are now banking business on the road to practicing law. Yes. Well we have been led to believe Phillip that the huge conglomerates provide additional goods and services. But you say this is basically not true. Well I'm giving no example in Canada where we only have they only have 10 banks in the rural areas. They all have the banks so maybe three hours only once a week. The same thing is true in the outer islands and the why. Now we have independent banking guys stay open where you lose your customers. Main ranking. You can cut down on the services the mom and pop grocery was wiped out a generation ago by the supers. Now we have no delivery service in growth none whatsoever. We have no credit service in grocery allocation Kerry. We have no help with the merchandise. You have you really have to push the cart to your sound. Now for the older people for sick people I end my life and this is a gradient giving it to less service than I used to have. It's another example of it in the pan central Pennsylvania together which was running the New York Center which was running I need one of my really running and they've said that February 1st and that's to get some government funds. Can't meet their payroll. I was right on the pen from the Hague Invasion in New York City Grand Central Station after to last spring and the wheels came off a passenger car that I was riding on. Well you can even go here and love or go down to the river the Ohio River there's a bridge. Love love Jefferson Vale that they've now abandoned. The government gives maintenance that red proudly on the High River and then about the taxpayers they shut down. All right go over to Jefferson Vale right over there and then the outside air from local hardware are and you'll see a marshalling yards therefore they. Equipment is deteriorating you can look right away at Princeton they tore up the right away after a merger the New York senator the Pennsylvania double track from Cincinnati on the old big formation did that on the mainline the St. Rose in the arc division for a minute at Richmond. Well we have an emergency you've got a single fight against the Democrat so the conglomeration means that you have less real well the real estate is going down the equipment isn't being maintained there aren't as many people on the payroll your services are car what when you have these conglomerates as far as the public's concerned the public has a stake in the road bed being maintained and the equipment being maintained and credit services banks being open and the public is really deprived of essential services which is entitled by the conglomeration of economic entities. Bill what are some of the huge conglomerates you feel we should start paying some attention to and dissolve. Well I'm I'm reticent of course General Motors Corp. I think that if we don't dissolve the General Motors Corporation and have a Cadillac cabinet maybe a Buick Pontiac always got me a Chevrolet company a Fisher Body cabernet and Frigidaire coming. Right I think it's very possible that the day may come when we will not dominate automobile production in America this I think is a very frightening thought. I don't get the real competition like the automobile business that we could lose that position I think that part of industrial power is the things that really makes this country great. Like this I came to international telephone telegraph. I just virtually them get far as agriculture is concerned. They bought a Sheraton hotel chain they bought the Continental baking they bought the Hartford Fire Insurance which insures a lot of livestock but just now they've bought a large piece of the land for. Family Foundation stock. They're also frantic at aroused Veronica De the cabinet and encouraged again. A lot of the farmers about the chicken business bottom right across in southern Indiana here then they want the integration rap and bust of those same families that encouraged when the chicken meat vertical integration vertical integration presence Faily said. Last night that the antitrust laws to be amended should be amended to prohibit that brands established right now then what do you think of NFO and their approach to solving the ills of agriculture. Well I think the NFO approach is the approach. I hope that the NFO can sell the farmers union and the farm bureau and the Grange and then they raise production agreed on this approach. If all agriculture would accept this conception I think it would be a revolution in the whole price structure agriculture product. Now of course the corporate approach is making inroads into agriculture as you well know. We are getting the conglomerates in landholdings in corporate farming. What do you think this is going to do in terms of the consumer. Phillip in the long run it's going to be terrible for the consumer because of a few conglomerates get control of the production of food. It will mean higher prices for food. This is this is what's going to happen. In fact I have heard some agricultural experts who share your opinion say that food today is the greatest bargain of all. There's no question that food is the great bargain. And the American consumer and the American way German and American labor union member as the best take taken the family farm because it's much better to have a selection of food spread and a great number of hands than they have in a few conglomerate corporations who then schemed and conspire to raise the price. Well it's very evident that you feel keenly about this corporate conglomerate situation now. NFO was most pleased that you contacted them and asked to come to the convention this year in Louisville and speak to the convention and they have been extremely pleased and having you here. Well I'm delighted to be here. I think this is a great crowd. I have a lot of verve a lot of vitality. They're dedicated. They're inspired militants. And this is what I think it takes. Let me ask you about Phillip Wilkie the man you're the son of a most famous father. Your father Wendell Willkie made the run for the presidency in 1940 at which time you told me you were about 20 years old how did you feel about this and has this had any effect on your adult life. Well you know it was the most exciting time and I've always been proud of it and proud of the record that he made and the contribution that he gave which he gave himself and the heritage that he last made. As far as I'm concerned you know it's opened doors and provided opportunities that I wouldn't have otherwise been there. Sometimes you don't always receive some credit that maybe you ought to have for certain things. But then in the long run that the pluses outweigh the minuses. Phillip you've been able to be your own man. I see no problem of being your own man. You guys are the site of the famous figure it doesn't worry me now You said something that I found very interesting to me before we started this telecast. And that is that you do feel that there isn't one advantage at least in having your name and your heritage and that is that you can get some attention when you start attacking the conglomerates for example. You know as Philip say my name is Philip Smith. Byron bank and rational Indiana I might have the same feelings about a conglomerate that I presently have but that. I wouldn't be able to do some of the things that I've been able to do or would like to do or think that I can name. Philip you know it's easy for us to sit here and visit as we have about the problems and ills of the world and our nation that conglomerates we have people watching and listening. How can they help solve this. This corporate conglomerate problem that you plow I think they insist on their congressmen senators passing certain types of legislation. Number one I don't think there should be any more tax free acquisitions by corporations or banks or other corporations or banks. This is just strictly a matter of law. Number two I think we need a complete new law franchising regulating the relationship between the franchise owners and the franchisee. Number three I think this is very important as far as family farming is concerned that no corporate conglomerate and the feed company should be allowed to be in production. Livestock. Trust Act should be amended so that residents say that made that point last night. These major speech like this is a. Very significant item now number five. I think that no corporation should be allowed to purchase in a corporation another business in an unrelated field and I think those corporations which have non related businesses should be forced to spend them on. And that's Phillip Wilkie. They broke the mold I think I should say when they made Phil Wilkie. I think he has some of the some of the style and color of his fight. He certainly does in the way he talks. Yes. Yes he's quite a fellow. I wish him well. Phil did you have an opportunity to interview the governor of the farm credit administration at janky. Yes I did. He is a man of such stature that I heard it said of him that one day he is likely to be the secretary of agriculture. It seemed to me Bill that he is one of the easiest guys to interview that I've ever ever done. He certainly is that I'd like to ask you a question. When do you think is the best time to interview a speaker. Well you know that I think it's right after he makes a speech. Yes. And I know that you did that and you're very wise to do it. Now my schedule was such that I couldn't do it. I for example with that janky who will appear by the way in a question and answer type program on U.S. Farm Report in the near future. I had to interview him late one night but even so he was fresh and alert yes and certainly most area dyed and a marvelous man. I really respected him highly. Our routine at the convention was the hover sort of like voters right behind the speaker's flat. Yeah. And as soon as the speaker would address the delegates then we'd grab him and take him up to the press room where they had a soundproof booth now. And my impression was that janky. Well he talked easily and as you've indicated he has full command of all the facts and these are rather complicated matters. He talked. Phil I consider that I have you as a captive audience on this week's U.S. farm report. Do you mind watching another one of my interviews I go to a convention in Louisville. This gentleman you're about to see with me is Harry Canfield he comes from three mountain Utah. He's a grain marketing representative works out of the Boise Idaho marketing area. How big a farm do you have. Harry I run a 30 300 acre farm on a hundred acres here in you. You have some cattle to run around 150 head of stock. You're a newcomer to NFO really aren't you. Since February nineteen sixty nine has NFO been organized and chartered in some of the Utah counties for a long time or is it fairly new. No it's fairly new. We have two counties that chartered now and we have membership in five or six more. Since then. What what is the predominant farming commodity in Utah or is there any one well wait. In our particular area. Is the most we raise more weed in our county or these two counties possibly and we do an old state livestock is most predominant over statewide. Now agriculture is what brought you to NFO area. What attracted you to the organization. Well the realization that we needed an organization that was nationwide and something pertaining to collective bargaining that we could pool our commodities together and get a fair price item. I suppose area that you like so many other members of NFO belong to farm organizations prior to joining NFO. Yes I think this is the category that most farmers were in before NFO. And you make an interesting observation about NFO and membership in that organization as it pertains to other farm organizations I'd like for you to make that observation for our viewers. Our membership basically really comes from. Members all of the other organizations the farm bureau and the National Farm. I mean the farmers union in our particular area. These are the two strong ones and many of them still belong to these organizations but it's entirely a different situation. Ours is on the National Farmers Organization is on. Bargaining blocking and bargaining on prices to get a surprise for our commodity. Many of the others our base. Basically I would say on legislation and they all have done good in many respects. Harry you are working as a grain marketing representative out of the boys the Idaho marketing area. What is your job exactly in my particular job is to market blocks of grain that are put together. In this area in the bush marketing area. In other words the grain is put together in blocks and you go out and find a market for this grain. I do the marketing yes they're bargaining for this for this being well now I would presume that somebody in your position is better able to talk about marketing successes in that area than anybody. What have been some of your successes the past year well a year ago I worked on a county level. Of course. We didn't have an area representative at that time. Green representative at that time and I work strictly in the County box L.A. County in Utah and I would say that we we moved between 60 and 70 percent of the way through a hole in our county at that time. Of course I have went with the National became. A area representative from the Boise marketing area on the green and we have been successful very successful in the last three months in moving. Quite a large quantity of green especially in the last 30 days where we were moving very little green before we. Had. Supply. What do you find is the general attitude through your area on the part of the people to whom you market green and on the part of the grain producer who is a non NFO member. Is is the attitude the climate getting better all the time where NFO is concerned. Personally I have always had real good relationship with the. User in our particular area having been in the grain business before and I find this that their attitude is this they really don't care how much they pay for the grain. As long as our competition. Has to pay the same amount because their success or failure really is determined on the competition of selling flour. Yes and yes everyone is buying at the same price. They really don't object to paying the farmer a fair price for his commodity really is the user interested in a steady dependable source. Definitely this is important to them isn't it. They were possibly skeptical toward the NFO ability to deliver that wheat but they found out that we can deliver and we do have a source of supply and I find in most cases that it's were pretty well accepted in our area. I think they have the feeling now that this possibly is the way the grain will be sold and. We have been getting along very fine with it. We're in early 1971. What do you feel is the outlook for this year. For 1971. I think it's going to be a big year for our NFO for the simple reason. I think the chips are down as far as the farmer is concerned and it's entirely up to him whether he will succeed or whether we feel this might be his last My personal feeling the slogan of the 1970 National Convention of NFO was 1970 NFO oh the farmers last hope it wasn't that it. I think that about it. It's about it. And so you seem to be supporting that slogan when you say that this year 71 might be the farmer's last opportunity to get the job done. Yes. And I might clarify this just a little if I may. I think most farmers have found themselves in this situation. They have used up their equity in their iNFOated price of land. They have used up their depreciation in their machinery and most of them are. Fairly close to their end of their credit. On the open market. On operating expenses now we've either got to do one of two things. We either got to throw in the towel or getting enough for our commodity. Expenses plus a profit. There's no place we can go. I think the time has come when the farmer is going to himself is going to have to make up his mind which reality wants to take if he'll take a good look at himself in the mirror. He'll realize and be honest with himself he'll realize that this is the only chance the choice is really has to make it's easy to get a fair price for his commodity that he can pay his expenses plus a profit because we do all have to have a profit to remain in business it does help. I don't care whether we're large or whether we're small eventually operating at the lesser cost production. We'll get us all this I think is the choice that the farmer has to make and I think many farmers are beginning to realize exactly this bill I want to thank you very much for being a guest on our show this week. It's been a pleasure. My special guest today in the studio my friend and colleague Mr. Phil Allen. Veteran farm news analyst also as guests we featured this week on our show Mr. Harry Canfield of tree Mountain Utah. And Mr. PHILLIP WILKIE Of Rush Bill Indiana U.S. Farm Report is seen each week at this same time on this same station until we meet again. So long everybody.