HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1976-03-04, Page 15Two weeks ago, the final report of the now-defunct food
prices review board was released.
The board has gone the way of all flesh and a goOtng-,.
too. Any more horrendous reports such as the last one and'
farmers -could justifiably. descend on Parliament Hill like
a gang of vigilantes.
In essence, the report said that marketing boards — farm
marketing boards — were chiefly responsible for the in-
crease in, food prices. In fact, the report said only one
villain was found in the food chain and that villain was
marketing boards.
Such rot!
I would like to know how much research was done along
the food chain. A few weeks ago, this column suggested
that ripoffs are not coming at the farm gate. All farmers
are. trying to do is get a reasonable return on their labor
and investment, an investment these days that can reach
$250,000 in a very short time,
The farmer gets one price for his produce, the price
paid when he sells it.
But those huge food chains get a bite of 'profit all the
way along the line. The degree of manipulation can be
amazing when you are dealing with conglomerates. And
most of ' the officers of those companies have been char-
acteristically reluctant to give any infOrmation to govern-
ment researchers or even government inquiries.
• For instance, LOblaws says it has to get more money
for bread becauge Loblaws has to pay more to its suppliers:
The bread comes from •Westons. Westons owns Loblaws.
Westons says more money is necessary because of in-
cr,eased costs •of milk and sugar. But where does Westons
millosand' sugar? From Donlands Dairy and Royal Dairy
and West Cane Sugar,
But who owns these firms?
. Westons, that's who. • The price of flour for the bread went . up, too, because
was bought by Westons, jr.n.pri McCarthy Mill or the Soo,
Line. But they. too, are owned by Westons.
Distribution costs increased, too, of course. Which me'ans
distributors such as National Grocers or , York 'Trading
had to be paid more money. But who controls York Trad-
ing and National Grocers?
Wes• tans, that's who. As well as O.K. Economy Stores,
L-Mart, &Ter Valu, Economart, Zehrs and Shop-Easy.
Ank.fted & White Stores, Lucky Dollar Stores and Shop-
Rite.
You've got the picture, surely. Every one of these firms
gets a kick at the food pot from the time it leaves the farm
gate and every penny of profit goes into the same con-
glomerate pocket.
If this sounds as though you have heard it before, you
have. You read it in this column five months ago. But it
is worth repeating:
I simply cannot understand how the farmer can be
blamed I-- how marketing boards, operated by farmers —
for increased food costs.
'And why just pick on marketing boards?s'Teachers, doc-
tors, lawyers, civil servants set fees and salary schedules.
Every sector of the economy with a few exceptions set
1-aTaTies and fees. The only reason farm marketing boards
and, by implication, farmers, get singled out is because
everybody has to eat three squares a day and food is so
visible.
Food and farmers are being blamed for contributing 50•
per cent of the increase in the cost of living. Some poli-
ticians are even quoting 60 and 70 per cent.
It simply is not true.
From 1970 to 1975, food prices contributed 37.9 per cent
to the increase in the consumer price index." "Taken' over
five years, that's' less 'than eight per cent a year. How
many union contracts were settled in those years for a
paltry eight per cent? I can't think of any.
During those years, too, production costs in the farm
sector skyrocketed. Any farmer can tell you about repair
costs, bale twine increases, energy increases, labor in-
creases, tax increases, fertilizer increases and everything
',else that is used on 'a modern, technology-oriented farm of
today,
I'm glati..the' food prices. review board is defunct. Any
more reports like the last one and farmers would throw
up.
eon board sells 362,100 wt.
••••••-•"4
Very reliable sources have
informed the Maitland Valley
Conservation Authority staff that
Program 26 :(formerly SWEEP)
will be operational again in 1976.
Staff members have begun work
on preparation of this years
program projects and are actively
11* soliciting projects from Authority
members and watershed
municipal councils. Interested
students 16 or older may pick up
application forms at the Authority
Office or may request them by
mail.
Following a training program of
interpretration of Infra Red
photography, the Authority staff
have completed the analysis
▪ portion of the Infra Red mapping
=study of East & West Wawanosh
TownshiPs. 'Two phases, blue
Program 26 again
planned by MVCA
producers
name '76
officers
The County Annual meeting of
the Ontario Egg .Producers
Marketing Board for all egg
producers in Huron County was
held in the Board Rooms of the
Ministry of Agricullure's Clinton
Office on Monday, February 16.
Zone Director, Bill Mickle of
Hensall reported on the 'Board'
activities since the semi-annual
meeting in Toronto in November.
Mike Miller, Associate Ag.
Rep. for Huron conducted the
election of Committeemen for
Huron for the year 1976-77.
Seventeen were nominated,
and after the election the
following will represent Huron:
Bill Mickle, Hensall; Bill Morley,
Usborne; Jim McIntosh, Tucker-
smith; Bill Scott, McKillop;
Richard Kootstra, • Stanley;
Howard Cartwright, Hullett;
Walter . Arnold, Ashfield; Bev
Wallace, Hallett; RalpbLubbers,
East Wawanosh; Ken Moore,
Tuckersmith; Max Demeray,
Grey; Gordon Haasnoot; Howick;
Mao Govenlock, .McKillop.
e foot n
furrow' "Al-
Letters are appreciated by Bob Trotter, Male Rd . Elmira. Ont. N311 2C,7
THE HURON EXPOSITOR, MARCH 4, 1910
RPM shovsi
fights inficition
The Ontario Bean Pr oducers
marketing Board manager
Charles Broadwell announced
recently that the board sold
362,100 hundredweight bags of
beans to domestic and foreign
markets last week at prices of
$25.50 and $24.50.
Mr., Broadwell said the price of
beans had been fluctuating at
various levels over the past few
months but beans hadn't been
selling. The board, decided to
lower the price in order to move
some of the 1975 bean crop.
printing and colour co-ordinatirrg.;
remain to be completed on these
two maps. A number of valuable
ground water recharge and
source areas have been
tentatively identified using
new technique., This project will
be completed during the summer
of 1976 with assistance from
Project 26 employees.
The " Authority is currently
actively investigating the posSi-
bilities of obtaining funding from
the Ministry of Culture &
Recreation for Authority
historical projects or museums. It
is hoped that planned restorations
of the Brussels and Gorrie Mills
will .become eligible for grants
provided by ' this Ministry.
Preliminary plans, include
discussion with the Ministry
representative. scheduled to visit-
the mills involved during the
A $33,000 Ontario Government
grant will, be awarded to, the
Maitland Valley Conservation'
Authority to alleviate flood
problems in Listowel., The, Natural
Resources Ministry has
announced.
Preliminary engineering
studies indicate that the repair
Preparation of a map of the
Wawanosh Township. Park for
presentation to a meeting of the
joint councils of East & West
Wawanosh ' Township on
February 42 to discuss their
future municipal park plans:.
Otgering of pamphlets from the
Soil Conservation Society of
America and the Conservatoul.0 •
Council of Ontario 'as Well' as
ordering of 20 dozen M.V.C.A.
Rocky Racoon T-Shirts;
Preparation of plans for the
1976 scrapbook competition to' be
held in 5 watershed elementary
schools;
Reviewing and commenting
upon all subdivision and
severance applications, and
ordering of 50 - 6 to 8 foot trees
for the Falls Reserve
• C.A.campground,
Due to a shortage of trees this
spring the size of some orders has
been reduced in the Reforestation
Assistance Program for 1976. All
accounts have been prepared and
the applicants notified.
Over the past months the field
staff' have been restoring -picnic
tables, building. privies, and
constructing signs at the Falls
Reserve C.A. and constructing
tree storage racks for the
Wawanosh Valley C.A.
The L.I.P. staff have been busy
restoring picnic tables and
cleaning and repairing the mills
at Gorrie & Brussels. Cutting
cedar poles and plantation
• management will commence at
Wawanosh Valley C.A. and
Morris Hill Forest Tract as soon
as weather permits.The -staff and
activity in , this prOgram speak
well for the L.I.P. program in
1975-76 and it is unfortunate that
the Federal Government is unable
to continue such a worthwhile
Scheme in the future.
and improvement of an existing
conduit on Middle Maitland River
is the most feasible solution to
frequent'and serious flooding in
Listowel.
'The Authority . will in itiate
detailed design engineering of
,the conduit before calling
tenders.
"I'm sure the individual bean
-producers were looking for a
higher price," said • Mr.
Broadwell, "so I'm not sure
whether the sale is good news or
not.", •
,
• He said the price•was above the
average .received by the bean
producers last year but lower than
the $35.00 per hundredweight
many expected to receive. About
50 percent of the .1975 crop has
now been sold according to Mr.
Broadwell. Twenty percent had
been sold before the crop had
been harvested.
Mr. Broadwell said after the
sales last week, the board has set
the current price at $29.50 for
export and $30.50 for domestic.
The board ma/lager said the
present price to producers in
Michigan is quoted at $23.00 with
,$21.00 for prime grade.
"It's been very inconsistent,"
said Mr. Broadwell. "We'll just
be playing the market.from now
on. There's no firm price from
Michigan right • now."
Mr. Broadwell said Michigan
buyers were buying from "hand-
to-mouth" and in some cases
were taking the beans "right off
the shelves." He said the buyers
were doing everything possible to
"break the price."
Mr.13roadwell also announced
that the board has hired the
Toronto firm of Hickling Johnston
to do a complete. study of bean
marketing and the possibility of
"one desk selling." He would not
disclose the cost of the study.
"OOP /411Att.i90.11*FiX-
is the- chAlkpeine theme. for *-
1976 Farmf Show, to be .b0i4 at
the Western Fair grgunds'Match
2, 3,4 and 5, Four speclollhOttO
programs highlight the for -40
show, taking a serio4 .loolc.Attbe
modern farmer and his problem,
opportunities and futOre. , •
The latest in farm equipment
and machinery will be on display
as well as hundreds, of home- and
farm equipment exhibits. Special
films, baking exhibits and
demonstrations will also be
featured. ,
An ever-changing program of
demonstrations and competitions
will be presented 'for the ladies,
-On Tuesday a film program will
be offered in the second floor
grandstand exhibit hall ..a.nch.
Wednesday's program highlights
a demonstration of fine cooking.
On Thursday, a fashion shoW,
"Fashion Turnabout" will be
presented,and a' demonstration
on,. "Growing House Plants in
Your Home" is the topic of
Friday's Ladies' theatre program.
Beauty and charm take the
spotlight on Tuesday evening
when 26 attractive young ladies
compete for the title of Farm
Show Princess: Immediately
following the 'crowning, the
Junior Farmerama program will
be staged.
Farm Show '76 offers four
exciting days for the entire
family, March 2, 3, 4 and 5 in the
Progress Building and Grand-
stand, Western Fair Grounds,
London. The show opens at 10:30
a.m. daily and activities' conclude
at 10:30 p.m.. each .night, except
Friday, when doors close at 4:30
p.m.
'Adult admission price is $1.00'
and children under 14 accompani-
ed by an adult are .admitted free.
CLERE-VU
AUTO WRECKERS
NEW, USED AND REBUILT
trucks
DUNLOP & REMINGTON
Car, truck and tractor tires
TRACTOR TIRE SERVICE
REPAIR SERVICE
Clinton 482-3211
Hwy. 8 W. of Clinton
R.R.2, Clinton
H u ron egg monthof February or March.
Approval haS been received for
'
the acquisition of a 52 acre parcel
of land from Mrs. R. Brewer of
Morris Township. This parcel will
form an expansion of the Morris
llill Forest Tract, bringing the
total acreage at this part icular
site to approximately 250 acres.
A letter froM Mr. R. J.
O'Reilley, Chief Charitable and
Non-Profit Organi'tations Section,
Department of National Revenue
was presented which advised that
the Authority has been, registered
tinder the Income Tax, Act. With'
thi;; • registration, donours of .
'articles, land or money to the,
Authority will be able to claim a
tax deduction. To facilitate such
donations, , registration of the
Maitland Conservation
Foundation is OXpected in the
near future. •
Other projects which staff staff
reported on at the .last Executive
meeting were as follows:
'33,000 grant to stop
flooding in Listowel
YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO SPEND
ITH
TOPICS OF CURRENT INTEREST WILL BE PRESENTED
INCLUDING:
• "How to get an even break from the tax man"
• "Your Bean Producers' Marketing Board — Why and Flow"
• "What's new in chemicals."
TWO DATES & LOCATIONS FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE
"FOOD & REFRESHMENTS AT NOON"
KIRKTON-WOODHAM
COMMUNITY CENTRE
KIRKTON,,ONT.
Thursday, March 18
9:30 a.m.—early bird cof/fe-e
10:00 a.m.—program begins )
PlNERIDGE CHALET
Hwy. 84, 2 Miles W. of Hensall
Tuesday, March 23
9:30 a.m.—early bird coffee
10:00 a.m...- .progranl begins
Imerelleeledeemene~11111.11100"
Pick Up Your Free Tickets At Any Of Cook's Elevators --r- Herisall Centralia == Ycrtit i ,
Due to limited accommodation, admission is by ticket only on a first come, first serve basis.
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