Newspapers / The News-Record (Marshall, N.C.) / June 26, 1985, edition 1 / Page 2
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Cigarette Makers Await Congressional Legislation The News and Obeerver WASHINGTON Most of the major domestic cigarette manufacturers told Agriculture Department officials Monday that they could not start a systematic buy-out of surplus tobacco stockfc before Congress passed legislation implementing terms of the proposed buy-out. According to sources familiar with a meeting between top USDA officials and representatives of the five com panies participating in buy-out talks, only one company-R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. -said it would participate in a buy-out implemented by ad ministrative action for flue-cured tobacco farmers before late July, when the 1985 markets open However, sources said all the com panies except American Brands, firmly committed to a buy-out if Con gress passes the legislation. The com panies participating in the meeting were Reynolds. Philip Morris Inc.. Brown and Williamson Tobacco Co.. Lorillard and American. Fred G. Bond, manager of the Raleigh-based Flue-C?ed Tobacco Cooperative Stagnation Corp., con firmed that there were 'differences between the companies", and "pro blems must still be resolved" before an administrative buy-out could go forward. Bond, however. Ilenied that the ad ministrative buy-out was a lost cause, despite reluctance by mpst of the companies to participate'. He declin ed to discuss details of trie meeting. Supporters of the flue-cured tobac co program, including Sen Jesse A Helms, R-N.C.. have been trying to persuade the manufacturers to par-' > ticipate and the USD A to agree to an administrative buy-out for the 1985 flue-cured crop. The administrative action would be followed by Congress implementing long-term changes in the tobacco program, including a rollback of tobacco price supports Under the administrative plan, the companies would purchase at lucrative discounts a substantia) por tion this year of 800 million pounds of flue-cured surplus that now is financ ed by farmers. The companies are be ing asked to promise they will buy the remaining stocks in future years. contingent on passage of permanent legislation As part of the administrative buy out. the USDA would agree to allow Stabilization to convert a scheduled 2(-cents-per-pound grower assess raent to a rebate to buyers this year. The rebate to buyers would be used to avoid further buildsups in stocks by -helping to lower the effective price support level for flue-cured to 91.40 per pound from the current $1.70 per pound level. The Agriculture Department has balked at the plan because Congress created the assessment to prevent losses to taxpayers from the tobacco loan program. USDA officials have been seeking commitments and mechanisms to assure that a rebate ' plan would effectively reduce tobacco surpluses and not be only a windfall for tobacco buyers. Among the mechanisms USDA of ficials have suggested is the setting of a .target level for 1965 purchases before the assessment is converted to a buyer rebate. The companies unanimously agreed such a trigger mechanism, which has been unsuc cessful in past surplus-sales schemes, would not work, sources said. The administrative proposal also has drawn criticism from opponents of the tobacco program in Congress. The Agriculture Department is under some political pressure from burley tobacco interests not to approve a flue-cured buy-out. Church Events Mars Hill Gospel Singing Lay's Discount Mart in Mars Hill will sponsor a gospel sing ing in the store's parking lot on June 29. The public is invited to attend. Saturday Night Singing The Shoal Hill Baptist Church will hold its fifth Saturday night singing on June 29 at 7 p.m. All singers and listeners are invited to attend. Revival At Ponder's Chapel The Ponder's Chapel Baptist Church will conduct revival services nightly from July 8-12 beginning at 7:30 p.m. Everyone is invited to attend. Samara Takes Part In Rescue U.S. Navy Petty Officer Second Class Frank E. Samara recently participated in the rescue of 13 Vietnamese boat peo ple in the South China Sea, according to reports from the Navy Home Town News Service. Samara was aboard the USS Blue Ridge on May 16 some 110 miles southeast of the Vietnamese coast when a vessel in distress was sighted. The 13 passengers aboard the disabled ship were without food and water. The May 16 rescue was the third such rescue made by the USS Blue Ridge in recent months. Samara is the son of Robert and Patricia M. Samara of Hayes' Run. He joined the Navy in June, 1980. The USS Blue Ridge is homeported in Yokosura, Japan. Cedarville College in Cedarville, Ohio. She served a term as Secretory of the Student Government, and for two years has been one ot two students representing the student body on the Educational Policies Committee. On graduation day, she was one of three seniors to be presented the President's Trophy, the highest honor granted by the college. Laura is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Larry McElroy of Columbus, Ohio, and the grandaughter of Hattie McElroy and the late Dr. J. L. McElroy of Marshall, and Dora Powell and the late Candler Rogers of Claxton, Georgia. Two Attend Retreat Madison High School juniors Rebecca Edmonds and Patrick Anderson are among 30 WNC students who will attend the Pride in the Region retreat sponsored by Western North Carolina Tomorrow, a citizens' leadership organization. Edmonds and Anderson took part in the regional essay contest spon sored by the organization earlier this year. The retreat is being held this weekend at Western Carolina Univer sity in Cullowhee. Living And Growing BY DR. CARL MUMPOWER Human beings have a tremendous ability to see what they want to see. If it suits our purposes, we can turn chicken manure into chicken salad at the drop of a hat. Self-delusion is a very practiced skill in our world. Take the Soviet Union as a for in stance. They describe their govern ment as a government of the masses. Masses implies people, yet in reality their government is one of the most oppressive authoitarian dictatorships in history. A dictatorship is not limited to one man. In the Soviet's case it is represented by one elite self perpetuating party that allows no competition. The government of the Soviet Union is a living lie, and the masses are an active part of that lie. Our involvement in Vietnam offers another example of a living lie. The other guys successfully sold us and the rest of the world on our unworthy, selfish, and imperalistic motivations. Consequently we gave up and handed the show over to their side, yet look at what has occured since the end of the war. The outcome has shown us that maybe our motivations weren't as bad as we thought, and that theirs were certainly far worse We, and many in Vietman, bought the lie. In consequence, we lost the war, but for tunately kept our freedom. They won, but lost theirs. No matter who you are or where you live, it's easy to get caught up in a jiving lie. The why is simple, whenever you don't, you attact the attention of those who thrive on that lie. Those who fear the truth will seldom appreciate it's messenger. Thus many of us find it easier to re main silent and hope that the lie will die. But it doesn't. Truth is far more fragil Livng lies are everywhere. The abusive parent is almost always known to others who remain silent. The alcoholic can't exist without eyes that look the other way. The lifetime is no less the one that H I .lip w I Mi ' ',lV:V <>> . . , v.
The News-Record (Marshall, N.C.)
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June 26, 1985, edition 1
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