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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1976-10-21, Page 12• pmcistmlby Boo,Trothir. EWA) Rd ./Elmtra. 9ntN313207 .* ' letters are '42 1. Columnist sticks with farmers This corner has been severely chastized for last week's column suggesting that Anthony Abbot. the new minister of elanSumer and corporate affairs, is myopic in his outlook on farm marketing boatds.. - "You are supposed to be an experienced reporter.'', 'a" letter from Ottawa stated. "You did not quote some other portions of Mr. Abbot's speech which gave some reasons why he wants to take'a closer look at the operation of some marketing boardg. . "Mr. Abbot said he was puzzled as to why consumers in British Columbia •can drive long distances to the United States, buy groceries and drive 'home again with .substan- tial savings." Yes. Mr. Abbot did say that. But I cannot see the reason for him being puzzled. A great many things are 'cheaper in the United States than they are in Canada •simply be- cause there are more people in the United States than in Canada. The goods can be produced cheaper in the U.S. because the market potential exceeds 200 million. In Canada, we are dealing with a population of less than 25 million. Even a rudimentary knowledge of economics suggests that the more goods that are produced, the cheaper the unit cost. And that's why so many things are cheaper across the 49th parallel. Why point the finger only at food? And why, the letter asks, did I not add what Mr. Abbot said about being fair to farmers? " Okay, sorry. I apologize, • Mr. Abbot said: "It is fundamental that we must be fair to agricultural producers who rightly expect.,,a, decent levet of income from their production. But .to'say-that the con- sumer equally has a right to reasonable prices, nutritious food should not be controversial," Right on. Tony. Just remember, though. that when farm produce leaves the farm gate it is nutritious as nature meant •it to be. It isn't the farmer who processes it and extracts all the goodness so that "enrichment" has to be, added before the consumer gets it. • And don't IN/ all the blame on the processor. either, It is the consumer who demands quick-and-easy. processed foods. What the consumer demands. the consumer gets. it seems. Which ia all the more reason farmers are sitting behind the eight bail. The consumer gets what he or she wants but the farmer is 'the thirteenth piglet ar feeding time be- cause less than six people in 100 are actively engaged:in farming these days.. To be brutally frank, farmers no longer have a political clout. Consumers do. mind you. EverybOdy is a consumer ,and consumers have a tot of votes. To suggest. as Mr. Abbot has, that as a general rule the aim of his department is to allow the market' to govern itself "by the impersonal forces of competition" seems to be in direct opposition to his boss. Mr. Trudeau. Was it not Mr. Trudeau who said jUst a little less than a year ago on television that the free market system in. Canada has failed? Didn'' Sbmetbifig like-that? Impersonal forces of competition, indeed! If all farmers are forced to return to the so-called free marketplace. then you will see multi-national conglomer- ates stepping"up their efforts to control the production of food in this country. You will see them .overtly forcing their way into big farming operations clean across Canada and putting the small farmer right out of business. And if Mr. Abbot and his department think That there is a ripoff in the market place 'now. wait ,until big business takes over. If marketing boards manipulate the market place — which has been suggested by many P'eople"wbb should know better — then watch the degree of manipulation when big 'business wants to make money and haS effectively squeez- ed out all competition. I'm not. as has been said in a few. lelters. the great chaM- pion of marketing boards. I'd like ,to know a better way to get farmers a better deal, But until now, I haven't heard a word that convinces me that marketing boards ren farm products are evil. Until a better idea comes airing. I stick with supporting farmers in their efforts to bring order out of chaos by the formation of marketing boards and even supply manage- ment if .that's what it takes to get a reasonable return•for the farmer. Enjoy the luxury of a full sized Ford,. 19'77 Ford . i! "t"•••••,!...i. 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Taxes would be placed on all churches, schools and institutions like the YM YMCA - properties presently exempt, he said. Within the next three weeks, Nixon said he expected William Newman, minister of agriculture, to 'table a revoked farm inconie stabilization' plan. The Liberal and New Democratic parties joined to reject a similar proposal earlier this year. Whatever the Mil contains, -it should be administered by the farmers' associations themselves, . rather than by . civil servants, Nixon said. The program should be comparable to crop insurance not unemployment insurance, in that faremrs, involved 'on a strictly voluntary basis, could assure themselves of a reasonable return for their !Ad, investment and production. "They're doing something like this in British Columbia and Quebec," Is1;zson said, "and as long as farmers are involved in its planning, it's a good thing. Smile A husband playing golf with his wife was overheard saying: "You'll drive me out of my mind,dear." • Said she: "That , darling, would merely be. a putt." „ , gsa ese.st • • • THE .H.MR9,0 09,81T9R, QPTOri. 21, 1.978 tittiri9s „non -..honges ti • .. Riddell Huron-Middlesex On October 6th, Ontario's Educatien Minister announced changes' in the Province's eductitiottal system. The Liberal Party, had, for some time made no secret, of the fact - that we intended to unveil our-education policy at a fund-raising dinner to be held on that date, and the Minister was certainly aware of our intentions.From statements made by our Party's representa- tives in recent months, as well as during - and. prior to - the last election campaign, he must also have had a clear idea of what our "NeW Directions for Education" would be. Obviously, , thee„. natter the timing of his announcement, nor the direction "of his changes can be looked upon as coincidental . Calling a hasty '• press conference, the Minister outlined the changes or "refinements" which had been, decided upon mainly that more solid "core". subjects, such as English, Mathematics, Canadian history or geography, will be required subjects for students entering Grade IX and X at the beginning of the 1977/78 school year. Wh ile we welcome the Government's refinements, we regret that there is still no guarantee that firm, guidelines will be established to ensure that students throughout Ontario will be given comparable instruction, - and assessed on similar achievement valuation standards. Ontario's educational system is financially supported" by the taxpayers in the belief that -a literate, skilled and articulate population is vital for the well'- being of this Province. Our schools have a vital role to play in helping' and encouraging our young people to become productive members of society, informed citizens, able to meet the challenge of today's competitive world. Under the existing • edudational system in this Province, as Liberal Leader Stuart Smith •has pointed oet, "pupils are placed in an environment where the degree of free choice is excessive for their level of maturity and inconsistent with the real world, creating unrealiStic expectatiblis.": • We believe that standards must have a place in our educational system, at every level, as they do in the, public service and, private enterprise, where individuals are evaluated against specific performanCe criteria. Province- wide educational standards would • provide a yardstick against which pupils, parents, teachers and administrators could measure accomplishment. Out Party has long advocated a required core curriculum, and our recommendation is that at least one-half of the instructional time (and most prescribed homework) in thePrimary and Junior Diyisions of our schools should encompass English reading, comprehension (Francais in francophone -schools); formal communication skills ,such as precision in spelling, grammar, punctuation and spoken language; second language and culture (as trained teachers -become available); arithmetic computation, Measurement and associated problem solving; basic • Canadian studies; fitness and health education. Students who have progressed to the Intermediate Division (Grades 7 to 10) should hive obtained a basic grounding in Stanley reeve is not running Stanley Township reeve Anson „McKinley informed his council „he will not be seeking office in the coming municipal elections. Mr. McKinley made the statement at the regular meeting of council last week. "I've had 14 years in municipal life and I feel it is time for someone else to take over." said Mr. McKinley. "The people in the township and the county h aye been good to me and I appreciate that.", Othe Members of the -Stanley Council also made their intention known regarding ,the coming elections. Tom Consitt, the present deputy reeve will run for the Office of reeve, while Paul Steckle will be running for deputy reeve. Don Brodie has stated he intends to run for council but Don, *Gregor still Undecided. totitteil' lies rented the *Orktible land 'on the farm they 'containing the newlandfiii life neer Varna to David Taylei. The Ignd has, been• 4,eriteti,.„,,,to kitaylor for a period 'of three k Yes 'at $6/.., per WC • language and arithmetk. Therefore, the .core curriculum could be extended, with the basic skills serving as a foundation. The core in this division should be composed of five major areas: Reading and Composition; Mathematics; Science; Social Science (including Canadian studies); Second Language and Culture. One of the fundamental shortcomings of the present educational system is the almost' total lack of curriculum structure in secondary schools. The open credit method places intolerable burdens of choice on young pupils and their parents. There" is widespread recognition that pupils cannot adequately choose well-balanced programs of study, that parents and teachers currently have insufficient knoweledge of pupils' attainment and interests to offer meaningful guidance. We have, in "New Directions for Education", recommended the establishment of a fourth or Senior Division, to begin at Grade XI. Ptipils at this level should have already attained a signifi- cant common background in basic knowledge, and a wide exposure to numerous subjects. Therefore, this Envision would appear to be the appropriate environment in which to introduce a basically optional or elective program of study. In our , view, province-wide examinations, based on minimum standards of attainment in core courses, would „ provide a necessary degree of. accountability. These examinations would be taken by pupils at the end of the final year of each division (after teachers have submitted final grades for that yeara). In this way, the examinations would be diagnostic - not counted in course grades - and would provide province-wide evidence which would permit pupils and parents to gain an improved perspective of development of scholastic abilities, and more realistic expectations about the future. The examinations 'Would also enable teachers to evaluate teaching methods and grading criteria, and administrators to determine strength's.. and weaknesses in the schools under their jurisdiction. ' means anything in terms of his readiness to tackle college work. This also accounts in part for the fact that students who can't read or write properly are showing up in universities." Bob Nixon speaks to Perth federation assessed 'on 100 'percent of the assessment but the government would pay 50 percent of the total on all agricultural lands leaving 'the house and surrounding small lot, exempt. "If we don't pay our taxes. we feel we're second class citizens," Nixon said. • • "Farmers don't want handouts. They want a procedure for fair tax assessment." Nixon said some farmers have indicated they will fight to pay their own taxes and fight to make them reasonable ....not too high. Such a stand, he said, reflects the farmer's independent nature. "If the province is allowed to pay the taxes on the land, the use There is little hope that the Ontario government's proposal on land tax reform will ever become law, former Ontario Liberal leader., Robert Nixon told a group of about I00 farmers last. Wednesday, Oct. 13. "I believe 'the proposal is doomed to failure because most farmerS have reacted quite negatively to it", he said.' Under the reform proposal all farm prop erty would be assessed Such examinations would also at market value.Taxes would be be useful in determining eligi- • bility for entry to colleges and universities. -At present, a. major difficulty facing admissions officers in institutions of higher learning is the great disparity in grading practices and course content 'in the Province's secondary schools. Commenting . on our education policy, a recent "Toronto Star" .editorial maintained that "the return of provitice-wide examinations at the end of high school is emphatically necessary to correct the loss of recogniza ble Standards in high schools. There is so much variation now that university admission offices don't know whether a student's high school graduation standing , of that land may very well -be dictated by' the land planning powers of the government," Nixon said. Besides its effect on farmers Nixon said the tax reform proposal would have other • 10 4' ti Ir