Official Organ Of the Slavonic Benevolent Order Of The State Of Texas, Founded 1897, BENEVOLENCE
VOLUME 56 — NO, 32
HUMANITY
BROTH 'RHOOD
Postmaster: Please Send Form 3579 with Undeliverable Copies to: SUPREME LODGE MST, FOB 100, TEMPLE, Tux 76501
AUGUST 7, 1968
FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK THIS, THAT, AND THE OTHER Convention Proceedings. As announced last week, the first installment of the Proceedings of the 20th General Convention appear in this week's issue of the Vestnik. We could be mistaken, but these proceedings are probably the longest and most detailed of all those in the past. For one thing, a lot of ground was covered. We hart three very efficient convention secretaries, who were very fast and made comprehensive notes. They compared their notes in the late hours of the night for utmost accuracy. The three, Sister Tillie Helmcamp of Lodge 88, Houston, and Brothers Leonard Mikeska (24, Cyclone), and Johnnie Krizan (6, Cottonwood), worked around the clock to make these minutes as complete as possible, and they deserve a lot of credit for their hard work. (Their pictures appear in this issue). Very Little Cotton Down South. Our recent trip to La Salle bore witness to a very sail situation, as far as tne grain and cotton crops are concerned. The one big problem has simply been too much rain along the entire Gulf Coastal Region, from the Louisiana border all the way down to Browns-
ville. The maize . (milo) crop came along just fine, grew into big heads and there was every indication of a bumper crop. Then it started raining and it couldn't be harvested. The heads shrunk, turned first a dark brown and then almost black, sprouting from the heads. The heads are less than half the size they were at full maturity. Farmers are desperately trying to get into the fields with combines to get what is left. In many places, the fields are still water-logged, making it impossible to get into the fields. In the Corpus Christi area, pretty much the same situation prevails. Si gter Betty Jurica on Route 2 near Corpus reports the complete losS of their cantaloupe crop, due to excessive water. The cotton throughout this region appears very good — that's all -appears. In sonic places it's almost shoulder-high. Trouble is, there arc very few, if any, bolls or squares on it, and what few there are, are infested with boll worms. Again, too much water, with some theorizing that the increased use of pesticides eradicated various insects that would have destroyed the eggs and larvae of boll weevils and boll worms.
There won't be too many cotton sacks put into the fields in that area this year. In fact, most farmers are talking about simply shredding it doWn and getting ready for fall. And to think that last year at this time, that the whole region was hurting badly from a prolonged drought .. . About the only corisolalion. regarding the maize crop is that the goveinment has announced an emergency plan to buy grain in far South Texas in order to keep the price up for the farmers. The situation has been made worse by a storage shortage and the loss of vast storage facilities at Corpus Christi. Prices have dropped considerably. Officials haVe announced that the government purchases will be made only from farmers who became eligible for 1968 price supports by complying with acreage allotments. There are certain additional stipulations. Purchases will be made in counties so designated by the Texas State Agricultural Stabilieation and Conservation Committee. As you travel farther Inland, crops look progressively better, both grain and cotton. In other parts of the state, there are indications of bumper crops. This brief review of a critical farm
PROCEEDINGS OF XXIII CONVENTION START IN THIS ISSUE.