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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1978-03-15, Page 17TREE SURGERY? — Plastic sap lines connect all of the 3900 trees to the sugar shacKat Robinson's sugar bush at*R.R. 1, Belgrave. The sap is drawn from the trees by a vaccuum pump. (Staff Photo) Get Your Car. Ready for SPRING DRIVING Free Visual .Inspection of your car's front and rear suspension system, broke system, exhaust system, and electrical system and report any required work to you crinnomn TIRE '4411:$1, F. W. Tilley Ltd. Seaforth • With our 'OF mann TIRE THE BRUSSELS PQSTMARCH 15, 1978,-1 Amen Schuessler hard and kept honest. you'd amount to something. And all those rags to riches stories, built on sweat, long hours and honesty for honesty sake--the McQuffey REaders that educated the nation were full of those kind of things. ‘Life back then was simpler and idyllic. You 'figured with a little integrity and respect on both sides. you could work something out--between emplOyerS' and employees, labour and management. With each living tip to its responsibilities, with each one practicing a little give, a little swept reasonableness. You wanted to think all problems could be worked out. in a reasonable way among reasonable men. Certainly life didn't have to get mean and vicious with threats and connterthrcats. Tally and retaliation. Press for press. Squeeze for, squeeze. But it did. That's the real world. That's real life. That's the way it is. But like so many other things in life, the legends persist. The myths linger on. It's hard to drain your system of them. A teacher carrying a picket sign? Might as well have God refuse to grant. forgiveness to a sinner, A teacher drOpping his books and sentence at 3:15 because his time is up? .Might as well have Superman not save Gotham City. A teacher not showing up in class while all the students wait at their desks? Because the teachers are 'strike rotating? Might as well have limberger ,eheese smell good. It can't be, but it is. Our teachers—now come of age and out to get their fair share in the economic" pie. . -Sure. It's all fair, legal and legitimate. But way doWn deep it hurts. It's not easy to watch your heroes and exemplars go out on - strike. by Karl I can't get it through my head. I just can't get used to the idea that teachers are strikins or threatening to strike. It's beyond me. I can't understand it. I can't put it through my system and make it come out good. Let's face it. My system is geared more to the last century. Oh, alright, put me back another century past that, if you want to. But this body of mine still wants to live in the pre-industrial age. when strikes, collective bargaining and lockouts weren't even wards then. When no one ever heard of work-to-rule. pupil-teacher ratios and a final offer selector. Those were the days when teachers worked hours and overhours; when they'd probably admit they had too many pupils, but they accepted that as part of the job. They taught five and six grades at one time. Put wood into the stove and saw to it that the kids cleaned up the yard and washed down the windows come spring. That was before the time of the yellow school bus, when kids had to walk to school; when the school was one room and red. bricked. The teachers were either maiden or married, but no matter which, chaste. Because they were the examples to the community. In those days you didn't anticipate sickness and total it up in a certain amount of days off. You didn't wonder how you'd get your -fair share if you didn't get sick. You probably figured you were lucky you didn't get sick and let it go at that. But this is all nineteenth century nonsense. Pie in the sky. Whoever thinks that way today? Why don't I get real?. Grow up. When we turned the corner of this century, we put away those childish things. Things like,a good day's work for a good day's pay. A college education gets you ahead in life. If you worked Opinion: Shalt thou eat By D. A.,Campbell "The cost of living rose again; mainly due to food prices." This kind of statement might cause the Public to think that the farmer is laughing all the way to the bank. The fact is, the economic plight of the average Canadian farmer is desperate, and since one in every four jobs in Canada is dependent upon his survival, a large slice of the nation's economy is threat- ened. "By the sweat of thy. brow shalt thou eat bread."- • Since biblical times, food has been measured against labour. Let's get back to basics and look at food prices logically. In 1949, a person had to work 39.3 minutes to earn enough to purchase one pound of sirloin steak. By 1976, this time factor had been reduced to 19.7 min- utes. The cost of all other items of Canadian produced food have, (when using this standard Of measurement), been reduced substantially. Eat hearty, you are consuming the cheapest and best food in the world! The farmer is the scapegoat for international trade. The dumping of foreign fob(' products on the Canadian rnatket, not only in- creases his economic burden but reduces the number of jobs in urban areas' which could other- wise be available' - transport, processing, packaging, etc. Agriculture is faced with ever increasing input costs - land, machinery, maintenance, hydro, fuel, labotir, fertilizer, chemicals - the, cost is enormous. Compared to other industries, agriculture receives little tariff protection - the farmer must take blows from all directions and he is gradually being beaten to death! Farmers' real incomes have dropped More than 301/2 since 1975 - they have to,borraw heavily merely to survive. Peter tlatmam, President of the Ontario P`ed- eration of Agriculture has stated, "Yob can't have a sound, well run industry , if it's losing money, If things don't change soon, we,can, expect more bankruptcies and a further exodus from the farms. The worst part is, that it is the Younger farmers who will be 'hurt the most. They will be the first to leave. Who is going to meet our future food requirements?" The farmer is not receiving enough for his products in order 'to ensure his survival and the Canadian public must accept this fact. A farmer does not demand the income 'rises which the average Canadian seems to ex- pect with every passing year. There is no threat to strike and deprive you of food. The farmer does not grumble about working long hours everyday.All he wants is a fair return for his produce in order to make a half decent living. Only 5'/2 of Canadians are farmers but their impact upon the Canadian economy is tremend- ous. If the farmers fail - Canada fails! How can you help? Think about the farmer when you push that cart around the supermarket. Whenever possible, buy only Canadian products. If you are not sure, ask. "Is this produced in Canada?" Thus, I wind up another article. Writing is one 'way of trying to make a few bucks to help to support my other occupation, which should be supporting me! I look out of the window across last years acres of toil and sweat - for what, and for whom? loolkerwolarsWiftiarol'•n ••••••• _ roomftwoomliftisolmiftrolftramoumeasmow WEDDING INVITATIONS THE HURON EXPOSITOR PHONE 527-0240 — SEAF'ORTH