The Pantagraph from Bloomington, Illinois • Page 15

Pantagraph B-3 Bloomlngton-Normal, III. Jan. 1, 1977 i Pantograph appoints I its fourth farm editor By Jim Flannery For Just the third time in the 80-year history of the Daily Paragraph's farm page, a new farm news editor has been named. Dave McClelland, an eight-yvar veter-an of the Pantagraph's editorial staff, takes over today from retiring farm editor Stanley Lantz. Lantz, who has worked at the paper 30 years, will continue to work part-time on the agricultural page at least a year.

Farm editors at the Daily Pantagraph are as rare a breed as Tamworth Hogs. There have been just four full-time farm editors at the Pantagraph since before the turn of the century. Arthur Bill started the farm page in 1897 to become the nation's first full-time farm editor. Bill's son, Frank Bill, took over editorship of the farm page in 1935. He was followed by Lantz on Jan.

1, 1960. Lantz today completes 17 years as farm editor at the Daily Pantagraph. He joined the Pantagraph in February, 1947, as a reporter for the newspaper's state department covering area news. Assistant i'y TV- -m Though he's been less than a year with the agricultural department, the 27-year-old McClelland is no stranger to the farm. "I consider myself farm-reared," McClelland said, though the farms he talks about "are small by McLean County standards." The largest farm was 80 acres, and as recently as 1964-69 he lived on a 35-acre farm near Lewistown.

"It was what we thought of then as a family farm," McClelland said. "We raised hogs and cattle and farmed a small acreage." For his dad, it was a supplement to his income as an assistant service manager at Sears, Roebuck Co. in Peoria. McClelland now lives on a 20-acre plot near LeRoy with his wife, Kay, and two' daughters, Stacy, 6, and Krista, 16 months. Lots to learn McClelland said he still has "quite a bit to learn" as farm news editor, but he figures he'll have plenty of help.

"I've already found when I've been out with farmers or agriculturalists that they're a whole new breed of people," McClelland said. 'IThey're friendly people." And unlike some other news beats he's been on, "You never get the feeling they just don't want to talk to you," he said. As farm editor, McClelland will be responsible for putting out the farm page daily. Much of the work entails culling through wire copy for state and national Retiring farm editor, Stanley Lantz Pantagraph photo by Bob Ringham Dave McClelland He graduated from ISU in 1971. He spent his first summer at the paper working in the state department cover ing area news outside Bloomington-Normal.

He went on to work nights for several years as a police and general-assignment reporter. He was a state reporter again in 1972-73, then worked as a city-hall reporter two years in the Twin Cities. McClelland worked for almost a year as a copy editor on the newspaper's city desk. Since February, he has split his time between the city desk and the agricultural department as an assistant to Lantz. Farm editor steps down news of particular interest to farmers, as well as gathering news from the field (so to speak) and from local farm groups and individual farmers.

And like many farmers, he'll be spending a lot of time at farmers' conferences and seminars. growers Higher supports? assistance Wheat ask WASHINGTON (UPI) Spokesmen for wheat growers have asked the incoming Carter administration for help ranging from an export promotion drive to consideration of higher supports, possible export subsidies and a new reserve program. The requests were included in proposals submitted to Carter transition team officials by leaders of the National Association of Wheat Growers. The group represents farmers who have seen two successive record wheat crops push prices down sharply. Agriculture Department officials recently the 1977 winter wheat crop may be cut 8 per cent from this year's level.

But unsold grain stocks from earlier crops are expected to top 1 billion bushels by the time the 1977 harvest begins next spring. To help cope with the surplus, grower spokesmen reportedly have asked Carter By Jim Flannery Stanley Lantz is fond of telling you that the farm page he's worked on for the last 23 years is the "oldest continuously published farm page in the country." That's 80 years The Daily Pantagraph has been cranking out its agricultural page, and more than a quarter of that time R. Stanley Lantz has had a hand in its making. He started work at the Pantagraph in 1947, as a state reporter covering area news, then hustled his way into the agricultural department in 1954 as an assistant to long-time farm editor Frank Bill. Six years later Lantz was named farm news editor, ending 63 straight years of Bill family stewardship of the ag page.

Lantz got his apprenticeship in the news business in a medium far different from the printed page. Starting out as announcer for Illinois Wesleyan University's daily radio program, Lantz moved on in 1939 to radio station WJBC. "I did practically everything there-except sports," Lantz recalled. At one time or another there he was a program director, news announcer, a deejay and at one point he even had his own show. Radio listeners of the early '40s era might remember Chauncey, the Cow a program brought to you by none other than R.

Stanley Lantz. Or Sir Charles, the Studio Cat. Lantz recalls those days nine years in all with some fondness as being the "great" days of radio. One of Lantz's newspaper associates recalled one of the Sir Charles programs in which Lantz and his cronies decided they were tired of listening to Sir Charles's meow. Sir Charles was in fact just a small block that let out a meow when you flipped it over.

But Lantz and associates brought in a bucket of water, dropped the block in and announced over areawide radio they'd just drowned Sir Charles. The hue and cry was so great from outraged mothers and crying children that the next day Lantz resurrected Sir Charles, saying it all had really been just a joke. For his Chauncey, the Cow, gig, Lantz had his first early taste of life as farm news editor. Promotions for the program showed Lantz sitting on a stool milking a Guernsey cow. "I used to carry on quite a conversation with that cow over the airwaves," Lantz recalled.

Like Sir Charles, Chauncey, the Cow, was a small, noise-making block that "mooed" when Lantz flipped it over. Those were also the days when Lantz called on his friends to join his program without pay anytime they wanted. Dan Carmody, of Carmody Funeral He, became assistant to then farm editor Frank Bill in 1954 and took over from Bill six years iater, McClelland, who becomes editor to-' day, joined the Pantagraph in June, 1969, while a student at Illinois State Univer- sity majoring in English. Meat flap, unnecessary WASHINGTON (UPI) The govern-1 ment made a mistake in not sounding out public opinion before permitting the production of meats containing bits of "ground bone, an industry spokesman says. In the future, said President Richard Lyng of the American Meat Institute, the Agriculture should go through formal "rule-making" proceduresproviding for public review and comment before authorizing significant new developments in food processing.

The deboned meat flap began earlier this year when processors got the department's production go-ahead in the form of temporary manufacturing regulations for such products as hot dogs, luncheon meats, chili and pizza. A court challenge by consumer groups led to an injunction against the regulation, which Was issued without ad-, vance public review, and the department ordered production of the meats halted on Sept. 14. COMING PUBLIC SALES Be sure that your public sale is listed In this It will be published every day qxcept Sunday. Listing will begin 21 days before the Sale provided a minimum size advertisement of 5 inches is used 2 or more times in The Daily Pantagraph.

Sales using less than this minimum amount of space will be listed 6 days prior to sale. Jan. 3 Warren Martin, Clinton. Machinery Consignment Sale. Martin Auction Co.

Jan. 3 Martin Auction Center, Clinton. Machinery Consignment Sale, Martin Auction Center, Auctioneers. Jan. 4 Lawrence Wic ken ha user, Wapella.

Closing Out Sale. Warren Martin Auction Co. Jan. 4 Hoberd Hasselbring, Cissna Park. Public Auction.

Feller and Trunk, Aucts. Jan. 5 Howard Sherman, Rantoul. Public Auction. Stagen Auction Service.

Jan. 5 Gilbert Gallagher, Maroa. Closing Out Sale. Warren Martin Auction Co. Jan.

6 Clarence Taylor Estate, Lovington, Closing Out Sale. Warren Martin, Aucl. Jan. 6 Vincent D. Connel Neighbors, Streator, Closing Out Sale, Stonier Auction Service.

Jan. 6 Harley F. Forbes, Colfax, Closing Out Sale, Wick and Wieganti, Auctioneers. Jan. 6 Stan Whitlock, Cisco, Closing Out Sale, Beckhart Auctions: Jan.

7 Gerald Wissmiller, Heyworth. Closing Out Sale. Fred Murphy, Auct. Jan. 8 John Chenoweth, Decatur.

Closing Out Sale. Warren Martin, Auct. Jan. -8 John and Fred Foster, Washington, Closing Out Farm Sale, Wiegand and Garber Auctioneers. Jan.

8 Wilbert Kaesebier, Lincoln. Closing Out Sale. Col, Chan Fuller, Auct. Jan. 8 Ray Schertz, Flanagan.

Closing Out Sale. Stonier Auction Service. Jan. 8 Ora Russell, Sparland. Closing Out Sale.

Billy DeWalt, Auct. Jan. 8 Mr. and Mrs. Robert L.

Frank, Tremont. Closing Out Sale. Yoder and Coulter, Jan. 8 Cifford Wertch, Delavan, Closing Out Sale, Col. Mike Fahnders, Auct.

Jan. 8 Glen Warnick, Mt. Auburn, Closing Out Sale, William L. Gaule, Auct. Jan.

10 BeMerbeck and Harms, Cullom. Public Auction. Immke, Trunk and Feller, Aucts. Jan. 10 Mr.

and Mrs. Howard Dingledine, Closing Out Sale. Yoder, Wettstein, Coulter, Aucts. Jan. 10 Fred Krumwiede, Paxton.

Public Stagen Auction Service. Jan. and Ada Hill, Stanford. Public Auction. Norm Roth Auction Service.

Jan. II Ray and Douglas, McLean. Public Auction. Fred Murphy, Auct. Jan.

11 Edwin E. Kerr, Decatur. Closing Out Sale. Warren Martin, Auct. Jan.

11 Dick and Bob Clark, Rankin, Public Farm Sale, Brenner, Humphreys and Decker, Aucts. Jan. 12 Lynn Krutewitt, Cabery. Farm Sale. Feller, Trunk, Immke, Aucts.

Jan. 12 Roland Martin, Eureka. Closing Out Sale. Bob Wettstein and Ken Coulter, Aucts. Jan.

12 Darsey and Anne Helander, Wenona. Closing Out Sale. Stonier, Augsburger, Wilkey, Aucts. Jan. 12 Earl Little Estate, Maroa, Closing Out Sale, Warren Martin Auction Co.

Jan. 12 Vernon and John DeWolfe, Wyoming, III. Closing Out Sale, Col. Jackson and ol. Vanhyfte, Aucts.

Jan. 13 Wolf Lostant, Closing Out sale, Stonier Auction Service. Jan. 13 Everett Sancken, Saunemin, Closing Out Sale, Immke, Trunk, Feller, Aucts. Jan.

13 James A. Olson, Bloomington, Public Auction, Coulter and Yoder, Aucts. Jan. 13 Everett Sancken, Saunemin, Public Auction, Immke, Trunk and Feller, Aucts. Jan.

14 Mr. and Mrs. Ed Pfeffinger, Washington, Closing Out Sale, Coulter, Wettstein, Stonier, Aucts. Jan. 14 Joe Sears, Colfax, Closing Out Sale.

Loren Powell and Harold Kindred, Aucts. Jan. 14 Clarence Dixon, Saunemin, Public Auction, Vitzthum and Immke, Aucts. Jan. 15 Major Waller, Carlock, Closing Out Sale.

Wiegand and Reynolds, Aucty Jan. 15 Frank G. Hexamer Estate, El Paso, Executor's Public Auction, Stonier, Augsburger, and Wilkey, Aucts. Jan. Tendick Mt.

Pulaski, Closing Out Sale, Gene Howe Auction Service. Jan. 17 Emmett Yoder, St. Anne, Public Auction, Yates and Fuller, Aucts. Jan.

18 Special Feeder Cattle Consignment Sale, Bloomington Livestock Commission Co. Jan. 20 Melvin During, Gibson City, Public Auction, Hannagan Auction Co. Jan. 20 Ivan Nohl, Goodfield, Closing Out Sale, Wiegand and Reynolds, Aucts.

Jan. 21 Armington Area Farmers' Consignment Sale, Fred Murphy, Auct. Jan. 22 Merle Kennedy, Shirley, Closing Out Sale, Murphy and Kindred, Auct. Jan.

22 James F. Nelson, Macon, Closing Out Sale, Warren Martin Auction Co. Jan. 22 Marion Briggs, Lincoln, Closing Out Sale, Col. Chan Fuller, Auct.

Jan. 26 Mr. and Mrs. Adam Fritz, Dwight, Public Auction, Wollgast and Henderson, Aucts. 1 Farm numbers dip, but at slower rate Home fame, was marvelous on the organ, Lantz recalled.

And some of his friends weren't bad crooners, either. Lantz was an aggressive news gatherer while at the radio, his friends recall. Election eve, the Pantagraph always had its giant results board outside at the corner of Washington and Madison streets to give passersby the latest-minute election returns. Lantz, it is told, used to gather his radio equipment together and take it over to an upper-story room of the old Tilden Hotel just opposite the Pantagraph. With his binoculars trained across the street at the Pantagraph board, Lantz, too, had the latest results for his radio listeners.

As a farm news editor, Lantz has roamed all over Central Illinois in search of news for the farmer and has even made it as far afield as the Soviet Union, Europe, the Middle East and Canada on assignment by The Daily Pantagraph. The most recent trip, to Moscow, was with a 15-man trade delegation in 1972. It was the first delegation of its kind to visit the USSR, and Lantz reported on it first-hand to Pantagraph readers. Lantz has won just about every agricultural award known to this region during his 17 years as a farm editor. Perhaps his most surprising award was one he received with Frank Bill just days after he took over as editor of the agricultural page.

The American Seed Trade Association gave the two men their national award for outstanding agricultural newspaper writers in 1960. In 1969, he was chosen one of the 10 finalists for a national award from the Newspaper Farm Editors of America organization. And as recently as 1976, Lantz was still receiving awards. The Bloomington-Normal Ag Club gave its 13th Annual Outstanding Service to Agriculture Award to Stanley Lantz. Ditto the Newspaper Farm Editors of America.

Looking back over his 17 years as farm editor, Lantz said it was one of the "best educational opportunities a guy could have." Agriculture has been changing continuously over the years and the ag page has been changing with it. "When we started this, it was kind of a primer for farmers," Lantz said. "But the farmers don't really need that type of thing anymore. They've become educated. They know it already." The farm page has changed from giving just the basics, Lantz said, to providing information on consumer matters, agricultural politics and economics, and of course the ever-changing technology of the farm.

"I think the agricultural page is one of 15', New; International 26' Vibra Shank Field Cultivator with Hydraulic Folding Wings; J.D. 694 Planter, 36" Wide, Hydraulic Folding Markers; Oliver 6 Row 36" Cultivator with Swinging Wings; J.D. 6-Row, 3 point Rotary Hoe; Glencoe 9 Shank Soil Saver Chisel Plow, New; New Idea Stalk chopper; Oliver sickle Mower, 3 Point; 2 DM I Wagons, 1 center Dump, 1 Side Dump; 4 J.D. 963 Running Gears with New Parker Beds; 2 Donahue Trailers, 1(6x20) I- (7x24); J.D. S' Blade; Ford 7', 3 Pt.

Mower (Whirler); 7Vi Yard Soil Mover; Turley Oats Seeder; Cyclone Seeder; 21' J.D. Straight Disc; 4-Section Harrow, 24' (Drag); Parker Wagon Auger, 12'; J.D. Qulk-Hitch; OTHER ARTICLES TOO NUMEROUS to MENTION Auctioneer Note: All Machinery well shedded and in A-l shape. Ready tor the field. Not too many shop tools so come early.

the most important pages this newspaper has," Lantz said. I Though just 1 per cent of McLean County's population is commercial farmers, one out of seven jobs in the county is related in one way or another to agriculture and between 35 and 40 per cent of all the people in McLean County derive their incomes from farm-related business, Lantz said. In addition to his work at the' Pantagraph, Lantz has been active in a number of activities to which he wilr" continue to devote time. He is president of ParkLands Foundation, a group that is dedicated to preserving woodland and prairies in the Central Illinois area. He is also a member of the board of directors of Brokaw Hospital and of the Campus Religious Center at Illinois State University.

Lantz said it will take him at least a year or 18 months to wind down those activities. "You don't just quit all that stuff cold turkey," he said. And while he's still getting these affairs in order, he will also be working part-time at the Pantagraph perhaps as many as 15 or 20 hours a week, he said. He and his wife, Evelyn, and daughter, Becky, will travel to Europe this summer visiting friends, the 59-year-old Lantz said. And within two years, they will be moving to Durango, where according to Lantz the weather is superb.

"We've been there all times of the year," he said. "We've decided that's where we're going to move." He'll be missed, for as one Pan-tagrapher has commented, "I don't know anyone who knows Central Illinois any better, or who's better known in Central Illinois." 4-H leaders to be honored The Mason County 4-H Leaders Awards Banquet will be at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 15, at the Presbyterian Church in Mason City. Kraig Krause of the Easton Ramblers will be the entertainment chairman and Karen Dosier of the Happy Hustlers will give the salute to leaders.

The Pleasant Workers 4-H Club will be in charge of table decorations and Jan Wallbaum of the Havana Ag 4-H Club will serve as hospitality chairman. Gail Swaar of the Pleasant Workers( will be in charge of arrangements. GREAT HYBRIDS from LESTER PFISTER Phone today for PFISTER21A PFISTER75 PFISTER65 PFISTER68 Be sure you have enough. Phone us today. LESTER PFISTER eQd HYBRIDS an original producer of hybrid corn officials to consider increasing the support loan rate on the 1976 and 1977 crops to somewhere above the $2.25 rate set for both years by the Ford administration.

If this pushes market prices above world price levels, one NAWG leader said the new administration should consider a temporary revival of export subsidies. The subsidies, if used, would be employed only as a temporary warning directed at exporting nations which allegedly have used a number of price-cutting devices "that the United States will not tolerate unfair competitive practices," the source said. In addition, grower sources said that as soon as the new administration takes office, it should issue a statement pledging an "aggressive" wheat export policy and should send trade promotion teams abroad. expected to be 1,081 million acres, a decline of about 2.7 million acres from last Jan. 1.

A decade ago nearly 1,132 million acres were in farms. Urban growth, highways, recreation and other non-farm usages have caused the shrinkage. While USDA experts say there is no chance that the country will run out of farmland in the foreseeable future, they are concerned that much prime land used for crops in some areas is being taken over for other purposes. Texas continued as the leader in the number of farms estimated as of Jan. 1, 1977, with 202,000 units, compared with 205,000 a year ago.

Other leading states included Missouri, 137,000 on Jan. 1, 1977, and 138,000 a year ago; Iowa, 131,000 and Kentucky, 124,000, unchanged, and Tennessee, 123,000 and 124,000. Alaska, as usual, was reported with the fewest farms 300 units, unchanged from recent years. 2x14 Ford plow, rolling fenders; IH no. 500 plow, 4x14; IH model 550 plow, semi mounted; 6-section John Deere harrow and carrier; 3 grain wagons, 2 with hoists; 227 John Deere picker; 2-1000 gallon tanks with electric pump; 2-hydraulic cylinders; Wheel weights; Tool box; Tool box for 560 tractor; IH tractor radio; Air-O-Vac grain dryer; gallon cans; Hay conveyor; Lincoln welder, 220 single phase; Shop tools; Many more Items too numerous to mention.

Fred Foster Clerks Wiegand Bros. 8014 time the following items: Deere hoe; Dunham cultivator; Flare box wagon; 2-wheel trailer with small box; 15.5x31 duals; 12x31 duals; manure spreader; New Idea mower; 9 A hog houses; Steel fence; Metal gates and chain link gates; Hog holding crate; 4x14 Case plow; John Deere 4-row cultivator; John Deere rotary hoe; M.W. gravity 200 bushel wagon; Flare box wagon with hoist; 2x16 IH plow; John Deere elevator used for hay conveyor. WASHINGTON (AP) The long-time decline in the number of U.S. farms is continuing but at a much slower pace than a decade ago, according to the Agriculture Department.

Officials said preliminary figures indicate there will be about 2.752,000 farms in operation on Jan. 1, 1977, about 26,000 fewer than at the start of 1976. That represents a decline of less than per cent during the year. A decade ago farm numbers dropped 95,000 from 3,257,000 on Jan. 1, 1966, to 3,162,000 on Jan.

1, 1967, a decline of 2.9 per cent. The report said overall farm numbers have dropped about 15 per cent in the last decade, but that the amount of land in farms declined only about 4 per cent. Consequently, the report said, the average size of farms has increased from 348 acres each in 1966 to 393 acres estimated for 1977. It was 390 acres last Jan. 1.

Total land in farms on Jan. 1 is PUBLIC AUCTION DIRECTIONS The following will be sold at Public Auction located 5 miles North of Cissna Park, III. on Rte No. 49, 2 Miles East of Idaville then 1st house South. TUESDAY, JANUARY 4, 1977 COMMENCING AT 11:00 A.M.

John Fred Foster Public Auction Located 2V3 MIIm South of Washington then 1V4 Miles West on Schucks Rd. on Saturday Jan. 8, 1977 starring 1972 4320 John Deere tractor, dlesel, 1000 hours. MS.W duals for 4320, 18.4x34; 1964 600 Ford tractor, 3 point, rear mounted blade, Twin-Draullc loader; 1963 IH 560 tractor, gas, wide front end with quick attachment; John Deere 495 planter with herbicide. Insecticide and liquid fertilizer; Glencoe vac; IH 6-row rear mounted cultivator; John Deere cultivator; Kewanee 14' wheel disc; IH 14' disc; No 37, 151Y Glencoe field cultivator; Midwest harrow for field cultivator; 4-row IH cultivator; IH no.

70 4-bottom plow; Wood 2-row rotary mower; Terms Cash Not responsible for gas 10 TRACTORS J.D. 4320 D. with Cab and Duals, Dual Hydraulic 1100 Hours; J.D.4020 D. with Cab, Dual Hydraulic, 1200 Hours; COMBINE AND CORN HEAD 1974 750 Massey Ferguson with Big Tires, Air Conditioned, Hydrostatic Drive, 20" Grain Head, Hiniker Bar Digitrol Electric Header Control, 6 Row Wide Corn Head; MISCELLANEOUS 300 Gallon Fuel Tank with Electric Pump; 1000 Gallon Fuel Tank with Electric Pump; Truck Fuel Tank, 100 Gallon; 275 Gallon Oil Tank; 3 Hydraulic Rams; MACHINERY Kewanee 1000 22' Disc with Hydraulic Folding Wings; Kewanee Cultimulcher, 15', New; Interna- Accidents should any occur Luncn MrvM Auctioneers Owners JOlM Henry J. Wiegand, 965-2422 Art Garber, 467-3312 Ph.

283 Neighbors will sell same place 1952 IH Super tractor; IH Super A tractor; 1975 Chevrolet pickup with 350 motor, automatic transmission, 4 wheel drive, low mileage, loaded; 1976 Chevrolet pickup with 460 motor, automatic transmission, 4 wheel drive; Chevrolet 1-ton truck with hoist; Solid rear wheels for Ford tractor; 720 John Deere dlesel tractor; 560 IH tractor, very good; 44a IH cultivator; 4 bottom IH plow; 494 John Deere planter with fertilizer, herbicide attachments; New Idea rake; 14' Case disc; 10' Ferguson drill jwjttMeilliendrsjtthet4ovrJohn HOBERD HASSELBRING Cissna Park, III. Ph. 457-2764 Lunch by St. Paul Lutheran P.T.L. Feller Cashier Service.

Terms Cash AUCTIONEERS ART FELLER JIM TRUNK Chatsworth, ill. Ph: 115-457-2202 ph:.