JUNE 20, 1996
in this year's Showstoppers Dance
24 and 15 at OSU's Seretean Cen-
Mardi Gras Madness. Shown above
Calavan, Amanda Tarlton, Tori
and Jessica Dukes; (middle row, I to
Cassie Weis, Sabrina Cundiff and Allison
! Jordan Stuewe.William
the 8howstoppe s recital are (back) Jes-
I to r) Jennifer and Victoria Sadler.
pictured, was Tiffany Taylor.
selected for scholarship
Ripley
is one of
School se-
a $500
Workers'
of the
The
total or
Who will be
or
and financial need."
Michael D.
an of the
Commit.
were
llence
nessman
WASHINGTON, D. C. - Con-
gress should abolish laws that
prohibit the interstate shipment
of state inspected meat and poul-
tryto create new jobs and elimi-
nate unfair market restrictions
that have forced hundreds of
small processors out of business,
state agriculture officials and
processors say.
"If in 1959, we had built our
plant in Mexico or Canada in-
stead of Oklahoma, we would
now be able to ship our proaucts
anywhere in the United States,
with the passage of the NAFTA
and GATT trade agreements,"
says Gary R. Crane, who oper-
ates a state-inspected processing
plant in Perkins, Oklahoma.
"Let's get modern and make free
trade legal in the United States,
not just across North America."
Crane was a member of one of
the groups that appeared before
a House Agriculture subcommit-
tee hearing June 6, 1996 to urge
Congress to amend the Federal
Meat Inspection Act of 1967 and
the Poultry Products Inspection
Act of 1968 to permit interstate
shipment of state-inspected
meat and poultry. Current law
requires more than 3,000 state-
inspected processing plants in 26
states to meet standards that are
"at least equal to" standards for
federally-inspected plants. How-
ever, law prohibits the state-in-
spected plants from selling meat
and poultry and specialty prod-
ucts, such as sausage, pizza and
jerky, across state lines, a privi-
lege enjoyed by foreign- and fed-
erally-inspected competitors.
"About 400 small- and mid-size
meat and poultry processors
have gone out of business dur-
ing the past three years, many
because they are unfairly prohib-
ited from interstate commerce,"
says Fred L. Dailey, chairman of
the National Association of State
Departments of Agriculture
(NASDA) Food Regulation and
Nutrition Committee and direc-
tor of the Ohio Department of
Agriculture.
"The loss of many of these
mostly rural businesses and the
jobs and economic activity they
created could have been pre-
vented if Congress would have
allowed them the same access to
interstate markets that is given
to large packing conglomerates.
Under GATT and NAFTA, for-
eign processors have greater
market access than our own
state-inspected meat and poul-
Just In Time For Spring Cleaningl
Plenty of Space-New Building Just Opened!I
(405) 547-2133
108 Newport Ct. Perkins, OK 74059
Ins
try processors," Dailey said.
"large packing conglomerates
now account for more than 82%
of all meat processing in the
United States. Lifting the unfair
market restrictions imposed on
state-inspected meat and poul-
try processors could slow the
concentration in meat packing
by enabling small and mid-size
processors to expmld their opera-
tions and hire more employees,"
said Oklahoma Commissioner of
Agriculture Dennis Howard.
Dr. Dan Otto, Iowa State Uni-
versity extension livestock
economist, estimates a one per-
cent increase in state-inspected
meat and poultry processing
would create 29,000 jobs
throughout the economy, includ-
ing 8,000 in processing and live-
stock and poultry production.
"The benefits would extend be-
yond the processing plants. Con-
sumers would have a wider se-
lection at the meat counter of
safe, often locally-produced food.
Livestock producers would get
better prices by having more
markets for their animals. This
means greater consumer spend-
ing in rural communities that
would stimulate even more eco-
nomic activity," said Howard.
"The only reason we did not try
for USDA approwfl was that the
USDA guidebook required a 70
square foot office for the inspec-
tor," says Charlotte "Charlee"
Haley, owner of a sate-inspected
processing plant in Bokoshe,
Oklahoma. "With our limited
construction budget, I chose to
spend our money on better pro-
cessing equipment - items that
would affect the safety of our
product - not waste it on an of-
fice that would rarely be occu-
pied. I'm paying a price for that
decision, but it's one that I can
live with,"
"The bottom line is, can the fed-
eral government live with a de-
cision that imposes unfair pro-
hibition to small businesses such
as mine?" adds Haley.
NASDA is a nonprofit associa-
tion of public officials represent-
ing the commissioners, secretar-
ies and directors of agriculture
in the fifty state and four terri-
tories.
@ltl£lIIX@ll
SW 2nd & Stumbo
Perkins ,547-2421
Kenny Smith, proprietor
*Boot & Shoe Repairi"
,Half Soles
,Heals
,Saddle & Harness
Repair
"If it's made from
a cow l can
probably it
-And that's no bulU
' zFMITA PLA TTER
ENCHILADA PLATTER
• £HILI RELLENO$
-I02 SOUTH MAIN, 547.2461
New Summer Hours: M.Sat: IOAM-IOPM, SUN: 9AM.2PM
Perkins Chamber of Commerce
The Perkins Chamber of Commerce would like m recognize a special person each
month who has exemplified good citizenship and deeds which have led to the
betterment of the Perkins community.
We want your input in the selection process. To nominate an individual,
(nominee does not have to be a member of the Perkins Chamber of Commerce),:
simply fill out this form with your nominee's name, the qualities that you feel have
led to the betterment of Perkins and return it to the Chamber by the deadline.
Your Nominee's Name:
Why do you feel that this person should be recognized as the Perkins Chamber of
Commerce "Citizen of the Month"?
Please return form by the third Monday of the month to:
The Perkins Chamber of Commerce, 122 South Main, EO. Box 595, Perkins, OK 74059
Mail or drop form off at Chamber office. If you need more space, attach additional pages to this form.
