ustxtxb_obs_1979_02_16_50_00013-00000_000.pdf

Out of sight, out of mind Many hard-working poor people, especially in the South, live on very small subsistence farms, producing food for their own families and relatives and neighbors, but making almost no cash sales. More often than not, these farm folk have to take some sort of job in nearby towns to make a go of it. They want to be full-time farmers, but farm economists have never liked dealing with them, and the result is that our departextension services, and agricultural experiment stations have generally failed to address their needs. Now, however, the experts have come up with the final solutionthey’ve statistically eliminated them. The new official definition of “farmer” is someone who makes more than $1,000 a year in commercial sales. Thus, small subsistence farmers cease to exist as citizens that agricultural bureaucrats have to bother about. Our own chief of agricultural affairs, Reagan Brown, summed it up this way: “Since the new survey eliminates a number of smaller operations, I think we now have a more accurate picture of general Texas farmland than available before.” Next, maybe Brown and the feds will apply their handy erasure technique to consumers, the American Agriculture Movement, and other nuisances that mess up their otherwise perfect performance on food policy. He’d make a fine rancher House Speaker Billy Clayton says voters might see his name on the ballot as a candidate for statewide office in 1982. He says he wants to serve one more term as speaker, then offer himself to the general public for some higher position, like lieutenant governor or maybe even the governorship. However, the speaker has not ruled out the possibility of simply returning to his 2,000-acre ranch west of Lubbock and becoming Just Plain Billy again. There are those who say they’ll try to make a born-again rancher out of the speaker even if he chooses to run. Rep. Paul Moreno of El Paso, chairman of the MexicanAmerican legislative caucus, says, “I’m going to do all within my power to make sure my people know exactly what Billy Clayton has done to the MexicanAmerican in the House. And I’m going to make darn sure that when he runs for governor the Mexican-American and the chicano is lined up against him.” suEDTANN3ANs siWAYMMito Tp-4. ..4410 6; -t -,Airc\\ .g t .g -*V113k .11 0.4 4 Nooilis:417v,_ r 1,174.1 4Zt l i r” :Zr 76:467 r iZY Alp o Z17,…r . ^A\\N7 WAPA6I .0,14:4312N, I I wo .46.1 fog. e ;s oOktrV, 11. k’N -eep0 0 Aiz= No ,0 .wawir j ,E,1,4 -t –ieittk r \(cgoz.z 44-sforpeNion 4;460%4 r t ev .00r -1Z;4411 0:1474-der;oprafpATimpfro, &Iraq kli,i; \(4AirW r giF il4* *\(41 rF 142′ r .V 44:42,44, .4114: 1011.”4 9 . !4:1* ,e aaliglicriaM;W1M 11; \(,-1kv434,,,,,—b izro .kg 1 b. 414 BARTON SPRINGS AT SOUTH 1ST AUSTIN, TEXAS 512/476-4838 :4-405#746W kt4V4v4,04?,tm oh. 11k 4 4.1 Delicious Seafood & Beef LUNCH DINNER SUNDAY BRUNCH T. 1. 7. T T T.k.T T .r Ti “ran:T1r and:ra: r an: r ia:ra. 66slilililililif , Don’t spread it around! We’re not telling everybody. .. but if you’re the kind of person who’s looking for a plush, sophisticated place to have a tall drink after a fast day .. . intimate music in the background so you can talk…or just listen, and a location in the heart of downtown .. Stephen’s just may be’ what you’re looking for. Stephen’s Keep it to yourself. ST HEN’S Congress and 7th. j, Stephen F. Austin Hotel. Start your love affair with the Gaslight this Valentine’s Day “WAIT UNTIL DARK” Frederick Knott’s Drama Opening Feb. 14 thru Mar. 11 I Reservations 476-4536 Wed to Sat, 8 p.m., Sun Mat 2 p.m.; $4.50, $3.50 Gen Adm, $3 Student & Group Gaslight Theatre, West Fourth & Lavaca Streets, Austin T ‘1’ T T T ‘1’ “Pa:” ”..i: r aMi:::%: r te r a:’….”%b TaraPla -%.1′..”%:14:ra:”.{:ra.””a. 1W’ rra:ra: r T “ra. a:r T “r rriran:rarara. dthu, at Caucaz aceAk,7:e;xa4 vzipett//ran +aza.,/;+//,191,2we_ 442. eiz/ve.et//fonaatorAjiciaraz+ cQi g _e4cz7zAz:0_,i2e. d ,7e THE TEXAS OBSERVER 13