HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1976-10-21, Page 12• pmcistmlby Boo,Trothir. EWA) Rd ./Elmtra. 9ntN313207
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' 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,.
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• •
ramifications if passed.
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
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• ..
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
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