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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1966-03-16, Page 21Insimp nthe teart ' what d is doing the as resenta' o .look the yet heart", !ice and ary.,. ruly; DATION 'chards PTH ,DER I HELL, NEL 111 R 1TH HAY • MARCH i7Tth, �,u.rlfflik . M tMk ..... ? +. � WEDNESDAY, THE LUCKNOW SENTINEL, .LUCKNOW, ONTARIO" PAGE TWENTY-ONE LETTER TO THE EDITOR Dissaf.isfled RepIyHasFarmer .F Dear Sir; In reply to last week's .letter pub- lished in your paper signed. " A. sat- isfied -farmer', I would lik."A to. express shy, views on the .so called. "business of Lfarming" So the satisfied farmer thinks we have never seen it so. good, foes he? Well, ;I .am glad he. is• • satisfied for he :is the first one I have ever'heard of that .is,: True It in,' We have never had hog prices as good as in the past Six months', but what, good is that for the Man,.who has few or' no pigs. ' By the' time he would get into them, they, will be down in price again, and no profit in them for the farmer, and the same ,Would apply for •the cattle prices, It is a shame we cannot depend • on a profitable price. for our'farm Products when • we have: put so muchhard. work and ,expense into it.. We cant ev- en depend . on the :government of this country to do justice for us. I would like. to ask the satisfied farmer if•he has ever seen land tax as high as it is right now?' In the past 15 years, machinery has . doubled' in price, (hogs and 'cattle' haven't) not to mention fertilizer,. gag, oil repairs, fencing wire, minerals,. •concentrates, etc. Now we have the. pension plan and com- pensation, and also more provincial. tax all thrown on. us. I: say, .sir; where will it all come. from and • • when will it end? • I Would say' it:will end. With the big operators,. the doctors, the lawyers, the .millionairsfrom; oth- er businesses and Canada Packers: taking.�ver, andthose of us who. are left Working for them•; Sounds exciting , doesn't it? You say Most of the ,30 .000 'farmers that cleave their larid'`each year would sill be there had .they not tried o become big operators.', ;This I on't believe because any 1 have een leave, were not big operators! If we small -fainters are to. exist • uch longer' ,. our Minister of Age. 'culture and the` government must o something for: us; We need, a carolled production •plan,that ould.cut the too -big an operator ack to a .sensible size; We need egulations and laws that will for id the :Packers, Doctors. Lawyers tc a from' being' in agriculture . in °Y• way. 'I still say'if these .gent seen fanners were not .there pro-' ucing. on such a huge .scale there. ould be enough ,demand on the arket: that we fanners couldex- ct reasonable .prices most of the It is"absolutel impossible to 'mpete with these outfits because the large sum of money they are aking.in their own business that • n be used for. overhead. About e year ago we, had one of the ildren to a doctor iri. the city for examination which cost Some - at Over $1.0U •per' minute:. ese men are in agriculture only beat the government out of in- me tax. They canoperate at a and still be money, ahead ' en they write' it off their income Let us remember that in, by other countries, over 90 per nt of the population is viral and gaged in agrigUlture.. Surely in , s country of Burs, that is said to so great, it *is not right that ase of us who have been raised the farm should be forced off our land takenOverby the, n With the money.. Marvin Scott. 'Member of Ontario tier's tjnon,' Local 342 Ashfield • LETTER, TO • THE 'EDITOR' 'Questions .logic Of Disc�ntinujng local Hi h Scho�l. Lucknowa, Ontario, March 14, 1966. -Mr. Donald Thompson',. Editor,, Lucknow Sentinel,, Lucknow', Ontario,; TO THE • PARENTS ,OF LUCKNOW DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOL STUD- ENTS; '. As a parent and ratepayer I am intensely interested in the' future of Lucknow: High School, First. I would.like.to ask a few questions, •• (1)' Isit logical to transport studentsto a school when some students will spend equal to approx. imately half the school day trav- elling to and froth school? (2) Have statistics proved that the large schoolis' turning out bet- ter students? Pass and failure ree olds' have: remained much the same (3) Do wewish to losethe 'free dom of democracty and allow .dict- atorship' of government and a • few glib 'speakers 'tto.have'us':do What ' they think is best? There' are still teachers, and the number is increasing, Who prefer teaching in :.the small school :where they are not subject'to the pressures of the big school . system. In Lucknow, the students are known to the teacher, not just •a • number,- and are free to;participai e in school activities; They will be •denied this privilege further., from home. as the bus 'service cannot be •alteredto suit individual needs. •* • Consider the slower student who may want the Arts .course, and who. may have to repeat a year. or two `of Sehool to obtain it; in .the larg- er school where everything is pres- sur.ed for speed, the: first year . lost, and he is transferred to voca, done' school. - No school is perfect, there are weaknesses in every school.. In the large school these weaknesses are covered up due to the large number of students,. When .studied• in the true light, in many cases their passing- average is not any • more•impressive than the smaller school, Instead of giving up our School, •let tis work '.hard=:to:keep it; once closed it will never be opened.•,. Too late we will'realize our mis- take. I is-take...I ask each individual. to think seriously before we bow to the master ,,rinds. Yours truly, An Interested ,Parent LETTER TO THE EDITOR Questions- Why Was Business: Lost • • . Queen's 'Park, Toronto, Ontario; • February 24 1966. Lucknow Sentinel; Dear EditoI:' .RE PROPOSAL TO DISCONTIN- UE PASSENGER TRAIN SERVICE. BETWEEN HARRISTON AND:OW.EN SOUND, STRATFORD AND LISTOWEL, • STRATF"ORD AND GODERICH. I am enclosing an editorial in the Beacon Herald following my speech in the -Legislature on Febr- uary 10th, during the evening session, in which I voiced com- plaint on the services presently • - being provided Borth 9f Guelph.. In their application tb the Board. LETTER TO THE EDITOR LETTER TO TME EDITOR Farmer's Wife Says 'Go Ahead Or Back{ ' RR#7, . Lucknow, .Ont.. The Lucknow Sentinel, Luc know , Ont. To the Editor; By making available large am-•; ounts of credit to farmers, big op-.. aerators are being encouraged'by our Government. We are being. • educated to think Big, and operate sAig.. The word 'efficient' is•re- peated on every farm 'demonstrat ion on 'TV showing Big 'operations The ARDA •program is considering • removing small and inefficient fanners 'from their lands, 'and re- educating and, .re-establishing them in other' occupations. Many•,of us on our family farms fall :into this. category. . . We need only look .around usto find -farmers or their wives who are working away from hone.. This. includesa variety of jobs - salt mine., good •roads; teaching, • nursing, 'unloading boats, to name" 'a few, Obviously, these •people cannot all be poor managers; most' are not big operators. What ,other conclusion:can there be, but that, the farmer is not snaking a living on his farm? • Oh_yes, the price'of pork and ". beef is up... Any housewife can tell:you that the:pric.e of bread;.• children's clothes, • and many other items are also.up in price. : Pork has already; begun' to drop , the other items do not. Don't be too satisfied. MI.:. Farmer. No one ever stands still, it is either go ahead, or•go back. • Farmer's Wife, they stress' the. faster service they have attempted to provide which. was never particularly. asked for- .no for-no one asked them to take:the.ex-•• ;press' off the trainrin our area. • Back 1950 on by. their own figures . (C, N, R.) all the branch lines., particularly out of Palmerston were paying to the extent of $350, 000.00 to' $400 , 000.00.. ..The question, how did they lose the business - it would be" more to the .point to investigate,how and why? There are, apparently,: too many chiefs and •not enough Ind- ians Also, ,a: fewyears ago at a meeting at. Wingham it was con-.. tededthat.the Express was paying: its .way on the trains, ''Particularly 'on .the Goderich line the time of operation was not conducive to . • travel also the 'early departure 'from Kincardine,. Southampton • • 'and Owen Sound was: certainly. a . . (•deterrent •also. Even when their Own employees advocated changes ' the officials have told .there to ' ,mind their own business =- that they (the officials). wererunning the railway -- the morale of the men was never lows., Maybe its time to put the,Box Cars back ontlie rails -- where. cement, steel, explosives and. heavy loads: belong, • •It has been suggested the Sunday night train should turn back at . • Guelph and provide a Monday mor- ning: train- thus' allowing not only a.return to Toronto Sunday night, but also to the points north to. God- erich, Kincardine, Owen Sound and: Southampton. Why not give the public the full. story re freight, express and pass- enger service?. Re: Jobs, This will affect 10 men front Stratford, Ow- en -Sound and Palmerston. I would sincerely hope you would in your columns and through your Federal Friends lend a hand to im- prove the present services provided - in our areass and let us become first class citizens. . 1 remain, Yours very truly. J .fired Edwards, M. P. P., (Perth).. • A Convicted:'Man' Reply Ta The afitsfied. Farm Editor, Lucknow Sentinel., It is with mixed 'emotions that .I must defend myself against this malicious attack upon myself personally and publicly.. You, a satisfied • far mer, have taken it upon yourself to be my judge and jury; It is hard for me to conceive. what manner of man' would public :ly launch such,•a vicious attack upon any one individual' and sit' aback in•the bushes-andbe afraid Y to Come out in the open . Upon _^ the text of his arguments, ream only assume that my aggressor must be a very illiterate man. . a very poor man, ashamed of his station in society, a very .jealous man, or ,a downright coward. 'Let us begin with my letter to the Minister of Agriculture. When I wrote that letter' I expressed iny, own personal opinion and I signed MY OWN NAME• to it. I wasn't afraid or. ashamed' of anything I wrote .in•that' letter. I will stand upon everyword I said, and ram: sure that there are .many that will :stand with me. I wasn't the•first nor the last to express' my opinion of what I think •would.be better '•forthe country. as a whole.:. It is p' only through suggesti "ons, through discussions, • through trial and error that humanity *goes forward, and not bythe attitude to let some- body else try it while 1` sit back 'and wait. I am wondering if Mr. Stewart himself will put up an arg- ument• in his defence,.It would be • my .pleasure to sit down with the': man facet° face and discuss our different Problems. It is'onlY through -such discussions. that an amiable agreement can be reached It is obvious that,you weren't farming in the •forties 'and .the early fifties, 'when•our wheat was $2.40 a bushell, and our beans Were $9 and $10 a:bushell, not a hundred - Weight. and our'cattle were 39¢ and 400 per lb., and eggs'70¢• a dozen, and coin 2.25 'a bushell, while on the other hand our bread'. was 10 to• 15¢•a -loaf, and fertil- izer was $40.00 a ton, a tractor was $1000.00 .to $J:500.op,.our. . combines $1000 'to $2000; and everything else respectively, It is the money that we• saved in those days that we are living on• today, but;that money is fast dis- appearing for even those' that had the ambition to make•it at that time. I further presume that you must, be some sort of a dreamer, when you say that we have a 'Social .sec urity plan and compensation for all farm labour and a ;medical: in-:- c ' • surati a plan.' In my opinion you. must have what you have today, • either given to you or you must have come'by it sonieeasier way. than. I did, ,because I don't 'expect 'to get any of this so called secur- ity 'without paying for it. • I have been in this country for' • 30 .years•• and q have yet to get :.my first'slice Of bread for, nothing. There is no Santa Claus,; Mr. fanner, at least not for rhe. I am my own Santa Claus, Itis evident that it irks the 'satisfied farmer that there .are • other men:. who are willing. to take over the responsibilities of three farmers and 'shoulder the burden, their burden, and through,their .efforts and management are able to produce more food than a doz- en satisfied farmers, because these so called satisfied farmers think only of Themselves. Just think where wouldour country be if we Were all the same as 'you, • What would our millionaires do with all their money if there was no one with enough ambition to put it to work,. I can't 'help but wonder what your contribution to this country has been. Would • we still lie working our •land with oxen as did our forefathers, • And aren't. you my friend going a bit too ,far when you even blame, :'the weatherupon usg. _farmers,. did it not effect •.your crops , if you had any. • And as to your so called status- symbols, I'wonder if you. still trav- el by horse "and buggy. We bfarmers•work hand in. hand with our brothers in the cities,. they build the•"tools 'that we. need to produce the food that they need, There •is only one complaint,, . somewhere. in between the balance ,has gone the wrong. way. And -now we come,to the only point on which .I agree with you:Completely do you think' for a moment that I • would not •rather. be able to, make my living ori 100:acres-of land instead' of 1000. Ididn't get this way by choice. .l was forced into it by the people• with the ,Money. 1. was willing to work and they ' • • were willing to let' me. it is apparent •that you are not too well informed on the trend to bigger and fewer farms.•`. The hue and .cry of our government.is get bigger and more. efficient and pro- ducecheaper food. Where have 'you been.for•the; past few years? +- And as. for the Honourable Mr. Stewart,'it is not so long ago"that he was an honourable Mr, farmer, only not too satisfied" and being a man With the future in mind, could• foresee that there must be a better way.. of making 'a living than, milking cows'and`feeding:pigs, And•'Ihardly think that Mr.`Stew� • ah will come backlit 'that .honour - 'able occupation of 'necessity. • The 30,000' farmers that leave . t"IieTland each year are just that • much' ahead of the 30,000 that will .leave •in the future, unless the remaining farmers stand together. How .old a man,: are you, Mr. Sat- isfied farmer? How many sons do you'expect to start up:in farming?. How•much money. are you paying in taxes to educate our children to find .a better way of life than you and I' have had?• Do you be-:' .lieve in. progress? How many;. . peopleare dependent -upon you to . . make a living for'themselves? What has'been your contribution • to the welfare of the country? Have you• ever helped anyone but yourself? ' • :And as:for your turtle. winning. the race, that ,is. a story for,little children, not grown men r think of Columbus, of 'Alexander 13e11, of .Newton, of the Wright brothers, . of Henry Ford, of the/ many scientists, think of their. contribution to the human race, • if you can? Now the time has come for you. .; to make 'your decision.. either go'back into your cave or join the rest .of civilization, and •see if you can ado anything to better it. If your .way is better than Mine; and you can prove it tome, . I will be. the first to shake your hand. And in closing, I have much to be • thankful for. I have my •health:, my friends, and my honour and I am not,; ashamed of my name. Mike Penich.• P. S. TO' THE EDITOR Dear Editor, . It is .very gratifying to know that. you are. an impartial public serv- ant. It is only throughthis type of ..,. communication that the public is aroused to the various problems that confront us from time to time. My only regret is that your little paper cannot get into the homes • of everyone in the country; I will be much obliged to°you if you will. print my ,answer to The Satisfied Farmer. thanking: you in advance. • Yours truly,' ' Mike Penich. Ottawa postpones some building tb check inflation- frank' admiss- ion -that government ,spending can cause inflation, .� • • .4 .1%."; :1 •7. Yue ari •