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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1980-07-09, Page 7.1'. .. , . . , * , . - And never building-a tree house close to pOwer lines, where children could be seriously injured. There are many other ways to practise electrical safety. And they all have one very important thing in common. Common sense. Think about it,please. ontario hydro Lucknow Sentinel., *often*, 41113, 9, 1940-,-P*00 um r on welfare 'rolls up from last year Huron •County Council learned at their July meeting there has been a , • drarr,Mtior increase in .the number of people receiving general Welfare. •assistance in Junethis year:compared to the riuniber Of cases in June 1979. According to the administrator of the Huron County's social services, John ,. MaXiiihon, a sually Ontario Ministry of' Cern/Ili:014y and .customary decrease of the number on welfare in the month of June but: it hasn't happened this, year. He said, he believes this reflects the general state of the country's econOMY Last year- he noted, Several people, who had been on welfare roles for .a considerable length of found jebs working on the censtructien of highway 21 ,.south. Goderich. But this year he commented there just seems, to he no Work. , • • ,There were•47.,emploYable People, an Welfare rolls this June' coinpared to - only 21 laSt year. The rollS are usually much lower in June; there are. 341 on, thO.rolls this Jane coMpared to,only 185 , in June, 1979 • , , • 'The number on :welfare rolls are up across' the' proVince this, year said - McKinnon but it is, the firSt Year Huron County has `been Up. Of the :county's total population 'normally -.4-- Percent' Social •Services, to increase the basia' needS, calculations for general welfare assistance. , •'The report also asks that the General • Welfare Assistance Act be• amended to. provide an "incr'eas'e in the budgetary,. Allowance up to an' anionnt which reflects reasonable cost and which takes in to account local conditions. Municipalities : are esPecially cOA' cerned about the inadequacy of basic needs alio yances for people on General: Welfare "Assistance. This -is. .par- ticularly true With respect to ::shelter allowances and related shelter costs, especially Utilities. • ' According to, the docornentation supporting the association's report, poverty lines indicate the insuffidencY Of basic.needs. In 1978 the Senate's poverty line indicated a family, of four. required an annual inconie , of $11,876. -Rats Canada show the income level as are receiving welfare assistance. This rose to .7 perceitt la December1979. Huron Ceurity'S' social services committee recommended in their report to county council on July 3 that they concur with a report prepared by the Ontario Municipallocial Services Association (01VISSA), which' asksthe ••• • • I • • • . .1F014 'T' , $9531. per annum 'and the Canadian Council on Social. Development Uses a figure of $19,605, A General , Welfare Assistance allowance in 1979 -for two adults and two dependents As- $5,376. (heated accommodation) ,'plus .OHIP, drugs, Family Allewance, Tax. Credits, and other ,remissive beriefi_t_s„ • ‘ ,Fi "Obviously," says the re rt-- "welfare provides a very _mini uin living (survival?) allowance Proposed . increases in 1980 will not significantly altar this situation." Several studies completed by various municipalities indicate there is a serious deficiency in meeting' private. Market rents , because the shelter component is so low. A family of two is allewed•.$130. a month for rent, and,,a,- single person is allowed $80. - , 'Because of inadequate allowances, says the 'report, social assistance recipients -are forced' to • use Money needed for fold and clothing-on re-nt. If families are, using food money to pay rent, utilitieS and other realistic ex- - penses,, a hezprd to health exists, states _the Mart "This inadequacy of allowances has an impact on family-relationships' and Most certainly contributes to health and social problems such as malnutrition anxiety, stress related',; ilinesSes, 'child abuse etc. In addition families relocate frequently and sometimes involve themselves with minor activities leading to frauds and overpayments," . • 'County council concurred with the • OMSSA rep -art • We would also like to thank the. Area businesses and factories who have already helped by providing information. We wield welcome any other information re 'field trip sites that' May have been missed. Please feel free to contact us. We are working out of the Exeter yublic School. Our address is: Experience 80, Box 599, Exeter, Ontario, ,NOM- ISO, 235-2630. • Paul Perry Dorothy Van Esbroeck • . • • *from page 6 ; program.' funded by the Ministry of Education through The Huron CoUnty Board of Education. „. • Teachers often take their students, • ,On trips to area farms, businesses and industries, We are-hoping ihat • more farms can be included in, the new catalogue Of field trips., Far- mers who' are willing to offer field • k trips of their farming operations for local children can contact us at the address below. Letters to the editor.... - • . . 17: 7., where the -average annual production . will be closer :10 16 tonnes rather than the 12 million tonnes of recent years. , And . if you think Canadian agriculture is :strictly regulated, then take a look at. Australia., A ;.planned,reduction has been under way' for two Years-in the prodaction of peaches, pears and apPles hecause the indUstry was plagued with 'surphisseS wkifet have ap- ,- peered ---as-bargainsLin-LCanada and' the U.S Now, these bargains may not be' available, Farmers have learned their ...lesson. They are' rapidly - reducing growing these products through the. Australian Canned Fruits Corp. which controls all sales of canned peaches, apricotS and pears both in' Australia and to expert markets. Now, that's control, the same type of control enjOyed by milk, tobacco,- ' chickens, eggs, and turkeys in Canada. Other countries certainly seem to spring to the aid of farmers, Why, then, in Canada is everyone screaming so loud' about "monopoly" marketing boards? Why do big-circulation magazines Such as the Reader's Digest keep taking positions -at marketing boards which are operating legally? These boards are run by farmers, Carefully scrutinized by government watchdogs: Some have even in- Chided consumer-representatives on their boards ofdirectors. I predict that farmers will con: tinue to respect the opinions, of consumers. Farmers are also consumers and they are looking to a disastrous year in 1980 with input costs spiralling, especially energy costs, and falling prices for their products: - If other countries staunchly stand , behind agriculture in domestic and world markets, 'I see no reason why Canadians 'should get so uptight about the same tactics being•used in this country. Canada has been a world leader in wheat prodaction for decades. Now, Australia is threatening that image. I suppose we'll all sit back and allow • it to happen. • Our second-rate country image wiltremain. touch:.onothephi sense between you and As* your electricity. Common sense means waiting until your .lawn is dry before cutting it with an electric mower. • Same nations in this troubled old oblate Spheroid treat farmers pretty good.. _ Most Canadians 'are aware that about 30 years age,.;the United States embarked . on a plan which paid'. farmers• /not to'produce_ on some land. The European `. Common Market .famous'--or .infamous,, depending on Which side of the fence you are located' - for Supporting :agricultural products to the point where it is impossible -to' break into- those markets through imPorts from other countries. France, for instance, has such a support price for all dairy products and most gains that other countries simply cannot sett in FranCe, I-Os no use• trying. At the same time, when France has a surplus-of a Fertain product, farmers" get their support —price and the French taxpayer pays to Sell the surplus products at prices far below what, the •French farmer Was paid. • It's a system .which keeps farmers producing and keeps them on the land, doing what they know best how • to do. I am not suggesting that. Canadians should subsidize agriculture to this degree. I . am suggesting, _though, that some countries appreciate 'farmers and willingly-deniOnstrate that fact. Now comes word' that Australia, through a planned system 'of sup. port, could soon rival Canada for the position of the second-most- important wheat exporter in, the world. The. U.S.A. is, of course, still number one exporter df wheat. Canada. has been number two for 50 ears - Australia has adopted a five-year wheat-marketing act which offers faxtherS : high, guaranteed prices: $114.70 (Australian) a tonne coin- pared to $75 a tonne now. • The changes being adopted to wheat marketing arrangements' will have profound effects on the in- dustry and should lead to permanent expansion of the area devoted to wheat, says G. A. 1VicGregor, ganada'•s first commercial secretary posted at Canberra, Australia. - Under the plan the farmers Down Under may' quickly reach a point The most important thing to remember when you're working with electricity is simply this: always keep a little common