From The Harvester, June 1977

W.A. CARTER, III KNOWS PROBLEMS OF FFVA MEMBERS

Billy Carter, brother of the President of the United States, frequently projects a public image as a hell-raising, red-necked, white-socked, blue ribbon beer-drinking yokel.

But when he becomes William Alton Carter III, the businessman, he is a no-nonsense, hard-driving executive.

The May 1977 issue of Nation's Business tells about Billy Carter in an article entitled "Frustrations of the Small Businessman."

Although Billy Carter experienced many of the same problems at his peanut operation that FFVA Members were faced with in the 1970s, he found time to promote his own brand of beer.

Billy knows the peanut business from the ground up. He operates the Carter warehouse, which buys, processes, stores and markets peanuts; and sells fertilizer, lime and other farm products.

As an agriculturist and businessman, in spite of being the president's brother, he still has the same kinds of problems familiar to most members of FFVA.

During the past two years, the Carters have spent about $1.2 million on warehouse improvements, largely involving a new peanut-shelling plant with facilities for additional storage. "We simply could not meet OSHA requirements in the old plant," Billy says.

He estimates that 22 percent of the spending on the shelling equipment in the new plant - the total came to $800,000 - was dictated by OSHA and EPA requirements. Despite that, federal inspectors are still on his back with niggling complaints.

Pointing to the top of a grain elevator where the shelling operation starts, he says, "We had to spend $400 for some guardrails up there, but one man might go up there once a year."

At the peak of the processing season, in the fall, the Carter warehouse employs up to 75 men and women. As more and more laborsaving devices are installed, the number of employees has been falling off. Unfortunately, the victims of the laborsaving devices are some of the hard-core unemployed in the area.

"Every time the minimum wage goes up, we have to lay off a few more people," Billy says. At one time, there were 24 women sorting peanuts by hand; virtually all have been replaced by a series of electric eyes that sort the peanuts mechanically. In the shelling plant that was shut down because it would not meet OSHA requirements, there were jobs for about 35 men and women.

Billy hired a student at a nearby school for problem learners to sweep the plant and do other odd jobs. "I could have given jobs to five or six boys in that school if it weren't for the minimum wage," he comments.

"I would prefer a system where we could hire people at a lower figure and gradually raise them to the minimum wage," he says. "That way, we would have a chance to see if they can do the work, or even show up for work, before giving them a regular job."

"I'm really on the spot. Every time the minimum wage goes up, I have to give a raise to my other employees. It's not fair to have your better employees making the same as those who don't put as much into their work."

He pauses and laughs. "You know, I shouldn't be talking like this. Every time I say anything about the minimum wage, I get more hell - especially from the unions. But I'm going to say it again. A lot of people simply aren't worth the minimum wage."

The White House has no appeal for Billy. He would not find it difficult to choose between attending one of his brother's state dinners and drinking beer with his buddies.

As for travel, "I don't like to go anywhere if I can't get back the same night," he says.