The Comanche Chief (Comanche, Tex.), Vol. 113, No. 11, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 8, 1985 Page: 9 of 32
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Comanche Area Newspapers and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Comanche Public Library.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
• t «
I,
THUR8DAY, AUOU8T8,1986
Notion's Farmort In Dlstrnti . . .
THK COMANCHE CHIEF.COMANCHE.TEXAS76442
PAOE 9A
214.000 Can't Pay Mower ln*!,r'8s
J /f take proper precautions in operating the machine should be mower unattended when It
In its most comprehensive look
yet at the financial pindh on
American farmers, the Agriculture
Department said in an Associated
Press release last week from
Washington that 214,000
producers are so deeply in debt
they can’t make their payments.
Compiled as part of a detailed
survey of farms this spring, the
figure represents Just over 12 per
cent of the 1.7 million farms
covered by the study.
But even more telling is the
news that the stress is greater
among so-called commercial size
farms, those selling at least
840,000 or more in farm products.
These farms form the heart of the
nation’s food production system.
Among those farmers, one in
three is suffering financial
problems, either because of too
heavy i debt load, inadequate cash
flow, or both, the study said.
The findings were similar to
those published in March, when
the department issued its first
assessment of farming’s current
financial problems. That paper
was based on the ratio of a far-
mer’s debts to his assets, with
farms owing more than 40 percent
of their worth deemed financially
vulnerable.
The latest study adds cash flow
data to the mix to get a more com-
plete picture of how well farmers
can cope with debt. The new report
includes, for example, off-farm in-
come from a second job which
many farmers use to make their
loan payments.
Of the 214,000 farmers unable to
make ends meet, more than half -
129,000 • were in the 840,000 and
over sales class. Some 38,000, or 2
percent of the total, were
technically insolvent, witji debts
greater than the value of their
assets.
About 20 percent of farms In the
840,000-and-over class showed
both high debt load and negative
cash flow, while another 10 per
cent were considered potentially at
risk because of high debt load,
even though they broke even or
better in 1984.
"This development is especially
critical because commercial farms,
although only 34 percent of all
farms, account for 90 percent of all
farm sales,’’ the report stated.
Certain types of farms in certain
regions were hardest hit, the
report noted. Cash grain, general
livestock and dairy farms accoun-
ted for more than three-fourths of
the farms under stress.
Sixty percent of the financially
ailing operations were in the Corn
Belt, Lake States and Northern
Plains, the study found. Those are
the regions where drops in far-
mland values have been steepest,
declining by up to 25 percent in
1984 alone while the national
average was a 12 percent drop.
The flip side of the figures is
that most farms remain financially
sound. Four out of five farms had
adequate debt-to-asset ratios and
positive cash flow, the survey
found, and two of every three in
the crucial commercial-size
category were faring relatively
well.
But those farmers who are in
trouble owe the bulk of the
nation’s 8212 billion farm debt, a
worrisome statistic for bankers
and federal officials.
Fish Catches
Set Records
The State Fish Records Com-
mittee of the Texas Parks and
Wildlife Department has certified
the catch of three saltwater fish as
new state records.
A southern stingray weighing
214 pounds was landed by Louis
C. Hunter of Texas City, fishing at
Galveston’s South Jetty on May
24.
The ray was 92 inches long and
had a wingspread of 57 ifiches. The
former record for the species
weighed 213 pounds and was
caught from nearby Bolivar Flats
in 1981.
James (Larry) Simmons of Katy
has earned a state record with a
three-pound, three-ounce smooth
puffer he caught May 19 on the
Clay Pile about 65 miles out of
Galveston. The former record,
caught in 1983, weighed two
pounds, 12 ounces.
A 402-pound lemon shark
caught by Larry Osteen of Dickin-
son on June 8 at Heald Bank out of
Galveston is a new state record for
that species. The shark was l\3‘A
inches long and 57 inches in girth.
It was caught on 130-pound test
line.
The former record lemon shark,
caught in 1980, weighed 367
pounds.
Failure by home gardeners to
take proper precautions in
operating their power lawnmowers
will account for about 75,000 in-
juries to adults and children this
year. And about 50,000 of those
injuries will be serious enough to
require hospital emergency room
attention.
The JJ.8. Consumer Product
Safety Commission (CP9C) has
stated that some accidents stem
from unsafe ^ower design, but
that most such cases are quickly
corrected by manufacturers in
their efforts to protect their
products' reputations However,
the majority of injuries result from
carelessness among the users
Dan Sowards, of the Texas
Department of Health's Product
Safety Section, said, "The CPSC
has four years tried to tell the
public how to operate walk-behind
mowers safely. Still, people keep
making the same kinds of
mistakes and getting hurt. It
could be that a power lawnmower
is such a common household tool
that many people lack a
reasonable respect for how
dangerous the machine can be.”
The CPSC has offered the
following suggestions for the
selection and safe operation of
power mowers.
First, choose a power mower
designed with a deflector plate to
direct clippings downward. It also
should have a footguard in the
rear. The fuel exhaust should be
aimed away from the clipping
discharge chute, to avoid igniting
the grass-catching bag with
sparks when the engine backfires.
Anyone using a power mower
should read the operator’s manual
thoroughly. Older children
operating the machine should be
supervised, and young children
should be prohibited from using it.
You should scout your yard for
debris before mowing, and pick up
all hard objects, such as toys,
sticks, bones and wire - any of
which can strike like bullets when
propelled by a mower's blade
Children and pets should be kept
at safe distances.
Inspect your mower before each
use, always disconnecting the
spark plug wire to avoid accidental
ignition while you check for loose
nuts and bolts. Keep the blade
sharp and aligned, and keep the
whole machine clean.
Always start your mower out-
side, or in an open garage Make
sure to disengage the clutch, if
there is one, and crank the
machine in neutral or "start
position.” Keep your feet away
from the blade and your clothing
away from the engine.
Fill your gasoline tapk while it is
cold, and wipe up any fuel you
might spill. Never refill your tank
when the machine is hot. Keep
your fuel supply in a plainly
marked, red safety can. Store it
away from heat sources, and away
from children and living quarters.
When mowing, remember that
slower speeds are safer Mow
sideways on slopes, rather than up
and down (except with riding
mowers). Never mow wet grass,
and even on dry grass be careful of
your footing
Finally, n for any reason you feel
the mower is damaged or has
begun to vibrate unsafely, stop the
machine, disconnect the spark
plug wire, and inspect the mower
thoroughly. Never leave the
mower unattended when it ia not
properly stored.
Marshall Due
Graduation
Robert T. Marshall of Comanche
is a candidate for graduation from >
Texas State Technical Institute
(TST1) in Waco for the summer
quarter which will end Tuesday,
August 20 Graduation exercises
will be held Friday. August 16, at
the Waco Convention Center.
Marshall, an Automotive
Technology student, is a 1971
graduate of Cdmanche High
School, and the son of Mr. and
Mrs Billy J Goforth of Coman
che.
TSTI, the only state-supported
vocational-technical school in
Texas, is part of a four-campus
network with additional facilities
located at Amarillo. Harlingen and
Sweetwater
More than 50 instructional
programs are offered at the Waco
campus ranging from Automotive
Mechanics and Building Construc-
tion Technology to Commercial
Art and Advertising and Laser
Electro-Optics Technology
For more information about the
Waco campus, call the Campus In-
formation Office at 1-800-792
TSTI
A train has to blow its whistle
once when approaching a one-
story farmhouse and twice for a
two-story house, according to
Arkansas state law.
OPEN DAILY 8 6
SUNDAY 12:30-5
ON THE CIRCLE IN BR0WNW000
[Howe & Gfflum
THOUSANDS OF ITEMS ON SALE
it#
FIRE-ARMS
RELOADERS A
COMPONENTS
20%
OFF
0R PEPPER
2 UTtt
6 PACK
CANS
$\*
MIRACLE |N0
11/2 IB. *tG-
READY
TO
WEAR
SHOES
50%
OFF
*¥1*icah
OlAtOH
NO EXCHANGES NO REFUNDS
All SALES FINAL' NO LAY-A-WAY ON SALE ITEMS!
"A SALE SO BIG -
IT REQUIRES A BIG TOP”
.OPEN SUNDAY 12:30 to 5 p.m.
NOTEBOOK PAPER 25% OFF!!
-sf.
GE 60-75-100
WATT S0n WHITE
LIGHT BULB
REG. 3.36 r
4 Pack
a ^oron mtcu
*1.99 • 0,1 1
4*
ACE PAINT
3 STAR SEMI GLOSS
ENAMEL
REG. 12.99
*9.99
Of.
Spurr
3 STAR
WALL
PAINT
REG. 9.99
*5.79
?9$»»
SPECIAL
SALE HOURS
*****
OPEN TIL 7 P.M.
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO LIMIT QUANTITIES AND DECLARE NO DEALER SALES
SALE BEGINS THURSDAY, AUGUST 1ST.
IORDAN’S FIRST ANNUAL
## 25%
-
LOOK FOR THESE RED TAGS!
s250«000
SUPER SUMMER “BIG TUP” SALE
TOOLS-HARDWARE-SPORTING G00DS-H0USEWARES-CLOTHING-SH0ES-T0YS-ELECTRONICS
-JEWELRY-VIDEO TAPES-LAWN & GARDEN-AUTOMOTIVE-PLUMBING-PAINT SUNDRIES-
HEALTH 8 BEAUTY AIDS • • ’
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Matching Search Results
View five places within this issue that match your search.Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Wilkerson, James C., III. The Comanche Chief (Comanche, Tex.), Vol. 113, No. 11, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 8, 1985, newspaper, August 8, 1985; Comanche, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1143148/m1/9/?q=%22~1~1%22~1&rotate=90: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Comanche Public Library.