HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1978-12-06, Page 5Diane Van Den Brooks of Gorrie (left) and an unidentified
friend obviously liked some of the things they saw on display when St.
Ambrose CWL held a bake sale and bazaar on Saturday. Here they
discuss some of the articles with Mrs. R. Dietner. (Photo by Langlois)
I LIKE THIS
WEEKLY SALE
BRUSSELS STOCKYARDS LTD.
EVERY FRIDA Y
. At 12 Noon fi"
Phone 887-6461 Brussels, Ont.
J. SPANJER mauFAcTuRria
• Tractor Manure Pump
▪ Electric. Manure Pump.
Electric Manure Spreaders
• Stabling
. The way you want it at a better price
Mitchell
THE BRUSSELS POST, DECEMBER 6, 1978 — 5
Charges, counter-charges
and denials were flying
through the air at Thursday's
annual Huron County meeting
of the Ontario Bean
Producers Marketing Board
held at the Hensall arena.
About 250 producers
attended.
Producers who sharply
quizzed OBPMB manager
Charles Broadwell, directors.
and board chairman Lewis
Sherman, are unhappy about
lack of payment for their
1977 bean crop, and about
litigation which has the
board suing two dealers for
payment for 1975 benas. and
the dealers counter suing the
board. Some producers also
claim that changes in some
board policies were made at
the behest of .dealers.
Dealer, W.J. Thompson's
suit claims over $4 million
from the board; the Ontario
Bean Growers' Co-operative
claims over $1 million.
Board members told the
meeting they don't know
yeat what amount they are
suing the dealers for because
they don't know grade per-
centages or the total value of
the 1977 bean crop.
"That's because the board
didn't demand from dealers
invoices stating total
quantity and quality. You
don't know from dealers
Don't know the grades.
That's a very bad manage-
ment practise that's costing .
us as producers multi-mil-
lions of dollars," charged
former bean board chairman
Philip Durand of Zurich, to
loud claps from the audience.
"The producers are paying
,the shot whether the board
wins of loses (the suit)" he
added.
Several producers
suggested the board is no
longer needed. "I think I
could handle marketing
beans as well myself, said
Jack 'Ford of Stephen Town-
ship. "We need a real hard
look at whether this board's
an asset or not."
Correct Things
"Has anything been done
to correct things so this year
we know what's been sold at
what price?" asked hean
grower Ross Reynolds. •
,Repeated questioning
about the actual value of the
'77 crop came from other
farmers, like Lloyd Willert of
Hay. The stabilization pay-
ment growers received was
based on a five year average,
and used the value of sales
invoiced as the 1977 crop
price, Mr. Broadwell told
another questioner.
"I don't think the bean
board has the majority of
people in favour of it any
more," said Zurich area
farmer Jim Love. "We need
a vote on whether or not we
need this board. Other
businesses run this way
would be long gone,"
suggested Mr. Love who
added the rest of Huron's
bean producers probably
weren't at the meeting
because they'd said to
themselves", What's the
use? The damn fools do what
they want anyway."
A series of questions to Mr
Broadwell by Ted Melady of
R.R.2, Dublin centred on the
upgrading of beans by
dealers and who gets the
profit when #3 beans are
pumped up to #2, or when
the culls produced when
beans are upgraded to #1 are
sold for food aid, at $13 or
$14 a cwt.
Board member Lloyd
Taylor told Mr. Melady pro-
ducers have the option of
taking culls or tailings home
rather than giving them to
the dealers.
Profit
Another point of view
came from Nick Whyte of
Hullett who felt if a dealer
could upgrade lower quality
beans, he's entitled to a
profit.
Other dissatisfaction at the
meeting centred on, in the
words , of Don Geiger ,,of
Zurich: "Why is a producer
obliged to subsidiZe #3's and
#4's?". Normally only a
handful of leans fall into the
lower category,' answered
managr Charles Broadwell,
but 1977 when only a small
portion of the estimated crop
was produced and delivered
was an exception.
Mr. Geiger's suggestion
that bean, like corn growers
be paid fcir what they pro-
duce was answered by board
member Frank Vanneste that
the polling system had been
in effect for 10 years and
Middlesex producers were
against grading.
Produber Jack Ford ac-
cused the board of changing
its rules in the middle of the
1977 crop year so that he was
ineligible for crop insurance,
because his low quality
beans were accepted by a
dealer, but he was paid very
little for the crop. "Black
beans became white. #4's
were #1 and you advised
dealers to do it. Therefore
it's your. reponsibility," he
charged.
Following the disaster to
the 1977 crop, the board tried
to get as many beans -as
possible to processors,
answered chairman Lewis
Sherman. "We tried
desperately to get ourselves
out of bad situation," and
Murray
Cardiff
back on
bean board
Former Ontario Federation
of Agriculture president
Gordon Hill is back on the
board of directors of the
Ontario Bean Producers
Marketing Board.
Mr. Hill who was a
membe'r of the board of
directors for two years in the
1960's was elected at Thurs-
day's annual meeting for
Huron (District 5) held at the
Hensall arena.
Three current members
of the board were re-elected.
They were Bob Allan, Joe
Miller and Murray Cardiff,
Defeated in an election bid
was Stephen township
Farmer Glenn Miller. Hill
replaces Glenn Hayter on the
board.
met committments with less
than #1 beans, he said.
Mr. Sherman agreed that
bean were accepted in '77
that wouldn't have been
accepted this year and called,
that "an ingrained weakness
in the marketing system.
Defended
The board's actions were
defended by Middlesex
director 'Frank Vanneste
with: "We didn't make a
mistake last year. We for-
ward sold as we have for
years and years. If any of you
were on the board you
couldn't have done dif-
ferently. If you don't want a
board, okay."
Although the total 1977
crop of about 923,000 bags
should have met the 850,000
bags the board had advance
sold , the beans weren't all
available in time, producers
were told and many were #4
splits.
"We don't know how'
many beans the dealer had
committed out of 850,000
bags. Maybe he was
speculating," Suggested
producer Jim Love.
The two pool system the
board tried was unsuccessful
said Bev Hill of Varna, who
asked if the board knew of
any instances when dealers
called beans class two
"which you knew were class
one."
Frank Vanneste answered
no and director Lloyd Taylor
told producers they had some
reponsibility to insist that
dealers mark their slips #1 or
#2. "You knew we were
trying to make the 'two pool
system. work . . . Are pro-
ducers not part of the
problem?"
ENJOYING A CUP OF TEA — Lawrence Ryan
and FAther Anthony Sonderup enjoyed a cup of
tea at St. Ambrose Church when the Catholic
Women's League (CWL) held a bake sale and
bazaar on Saturday..
(Photo by Lanslois)
It's safe driving week
Deaths, injuries
down here .
In the first 8 months of this conditions can - make for
year 592 persons died and treacherous driving con- •
50,308 were injured in motor ditions.
vehicle accidents in Ontario, "That, coupled with the
says Minister of Transpor- coming festive season and
tation and Communications the temptation to drink and
James Snow. drive makes it necessary to
"This is 30 fewer deaths be doubly alert as well as
and 602 fewer injuries than courteous," 'Snow said,
in the same period last "Pedestrians, too, can do
year," Snow said, "but I feel their part, crossing only with
we can do much better." the light at stoplight inter-
"If Ontario drivers and sections, and by using cross-
pedestrians would observe
the slogan of this year's Safe walks properly instead of
Driving Week, Dec. 1-7, jay-walking.
vehicle-related deaths and
might see a further drop in "Courtesy is Caring", we certainly go together," said
Snow, "and this sense of
"Courtesy and caring
involvement with other injuries."
people should be in the Snow thinks it is apt that minds of every driver and
this special safe driving week pedestrian, not just dur ng
comes at a time of the year Safe Driving Week but every when unexpected snow, ice week of the year."
and fast-changing road
YOUNG'S *
t VARIETY
wk Winner
of Christmas Cake
o Mrs. Louise Hishop Brussels
it Phone 887-6224 Brussels At
Charges fly at Huron
bean board meeting
1 05 /8 O
annually 60 years and over
1 011 /2.0/ .under 60 years of age
/0 Senior Citizen: Have your
income tax done now fort early refunds:
RONNENBERG INSURANCE
AGENCY
Mouktou Office Open Brussels Office Opens
Monday thru Saturday Tuesdays & Fridays
Phone 347-:2241 - Phone 887-6663