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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1982-03-24, Page 6editorial O The I.UCKNO1ilr' SENTINEL "The Sep y Town" Estawl red 1873 SHARON, J. DIETZ Editor PAT LIVINGSTON - Office Manager MERLE ELLIOTT - Typesetter ,JOAN HELM - Compositor Imeknow Sentinel, Wednesday, 24, 1982 ---Page 6 Business. and Editorial Office Telephone 528.2822 • Mailing Address P.O. Box 400. Lucknow, NOG 2110 Second Class Mail Registration Number 0847 Subscription rate, 514.50 per year to advance Senior Citizen rate, S12.00 per year in advance U.S.A. and Foreign, $38.00 per year In advance Sr. Cit. U.S.A. and Foreign, $36.00 per year In advance simumminimmar- ANEW The 'sciipt is familiar The United States involvement in the civil war in El • Salvador looks like a rerunof an old movie: Viet Nam. In 1981 Washington sent military advisors to El Salvador and pledged $144 million in economic and military aid policy decisions that brought comparisons in the United States with U.S. involvement in Viet Nam more than a decade 'ago. According to a .recent"Gallop Poll, the American public opposes' sending U.S. troops to El Salvador by 89 percent to eight per cent. Even sending military supplies or advisers is opposed by substantial majorities. But officials of the Reagan administration claim El Salvador is not Viet Nam. According "to Secretary of State Alexander M. Haig, to drawa comparison between Viet Nam and El Salvador is to overlook a 'number of fundamental differences. • First and foremost he says, Central America is of strategic importance to the United States today.. 1 "The outcome of the situation there is in the vital interest of the American people and must be so dealt with." And Viet Nam; where America' lost 57,639 lives and squandered $130 billion, was not of vital importance to the United States? According to Haig the leftist Salvadorian rebels are being commanded, controlled and run externally and are not espousing the wishes of the people of . Salvador. But the Reagan administration is not asking some very vital questions. What about the history of El Salvador where 14 families ran the country'like a family farm for decades`? What about the supposedly anti -communist Christian Dem- ocractic politicians in El Salvador who have joined the rebels? What about the accusations that the army and police , are responsible for most of the deaths and ' arbitrary violence? Haig believes he knows how this movie will end. He sees refugees. He underlines the prospect of illegal Central America immigration into the United States if one state after another in the area becomes totalitarian. The comparison to the Vietpamize boat people is only too compelling. Thereseems to be broad scepticism of Reagan's theory that a Russian or Cuban lies behind every Central American tree. Nicaragua might one day play the role of North Viet Nam, but for now the Sandinistas are still building their own army. Yet Nicaragua is only 40 kilometres or so by sea across the Gulf of Fonseca from Salvador's easterncoast and arms are believed to be . coming into the country. ' regularly in smallwooden boats that cannot be easily detected by radar. h, In addition, the guerrillas are trained in bases inside Niaragua probably byy some of the 2,000 Cuban military instructors in that country. Theyaiso operate from mountain' hideouts ;in, Honduras, just across the border to the north. National elections to be held March 28 are to elect 'a constitutional assembly which wilt work out a new consti tution for El Salvador. But in essence the country., ikbeing governed by an uneasy coalition of colonels and centrist politicians. Even if a new representative government were to be formed, the guerrillas would still be out there in the hills and fields, planning new urban operations. There is little doubt the Sandinistas and Cuba are not totally committed to a perpetual'. confrontation with the United States, But the Reagan administration has already committed itself rhetorically to an outcome in El Salvador, just as it committed itself to an outcome in. Viet Nam, long before* • was• clear this outcome could be achieved. Haig has committed the United States to do whatever is necessary to head '.off a rebel victory in El Salvador. It all sounds so 'familiar. Please someone change the Script. letters To the Editor: I am trying to find out when the Lucknow Table Company was in existence, and wonder whether you or your readers might know. Years ago, we purchased a table and on removing the stain and varnish, have found a label stating that it had been made in Lucknow, Ontario. It is old and very beautiful and my husband and I would like to know more of its history. Any information that you could . give us would be appreciated. Yours truly, Marie Cattet. 54 Aurora Hgts. Drive, Aurora, Ontario, L4G 2W7 redtrees by don c.arinpbell 11 The Schooner . "Kingston Lass" weighed anchor in Toronto harbour. There was a stiff April breeze whipping up white capped waves on Lake Ontario and the ship, with only half hercanvas to the wind, leaned to port, as she madeher way westwards with her crew still high in the rigging. On the quay, her late master; Captain Ian Jamieson, watched her go, like a man who sees the woman he loves, sailing out of his life. :The seven seas, the Great Lakes and indeed,all the vast stretches of water throughout the world were both loved and hated by those adventurous souls who matched the frailties of timber against the might of wind and water. ,But forever there remained that inde- scribable affection for a craft to which they clung in calm or storm; a haven of escape which, for some, was the only home they ever knew. Thus, the ship became almost human in the eyes of mariners. That guardian "she", was the mother of them all! There were three other seaman who watched the departure of the "King- ston Lass" with no less feeling of nostalgia than her kte captain. They, like Jamieson, were Highlanders, who chose' to join the :"Friends of Skye",. sacrificing a life of adventure and unpredictability,„for the lure . of land and prosperity. They too were bach- elors and, ' for the duration of the journey, would drive the wagons of supplies which belonged to Jamieson.. Long before Jamieson had decided to journey with the "exiled people", he had to settle on the . role he would play in the new community. He might, in spite of his ignorance of the land, have chosen to become a farmer, but his knowledge of trade and commerce guided him along another course. He would be Ian Jamieson Esquire, General Merchant. So whilst the schooner slowly disap- peared into • the distance, the men loaded a variety of essential supplies upon the four wagons. Flour was the most important commodity and Jamie- son paid particular attention to this item, opening barrels at random and checking the white powder to ensure that it . was free running and dry. "Keep" a weather eye open for weevils,” he told his helpers. "We'll no be needin' beasties in the bread!" They loaded casks of tea, sacks of sugar and cakes of salt. One wagon was completely filled with oats; an essential ' food for both horse and Highlander. Besides . the essential items of food, more general merch- andise was loaded. There were blank- ets, pots; spans, lanterns, candles and all the usual fundamental necessities for survival in the bush. When it seemed' that there was not an inch to spare for another single item, Jamie= son pointed to a small crate which had been standing on the dockside. ""We shall: have to find a place' for this lads. I have not carried it from Halifax and kept it for so long :to leave. it here!" The men were curious as to what the box contained. With a triumphant flourish, Jamieson' slid open the side of the crate to reveal a . ship's bell. On the tarnished side of the brasswork was inscribed the word "Mavis" and the date "1822". "It's a name I don't intend to forget one foa.t in the furrow lads! It might remind all of us, aye and perhaps our grandchildren too, that freedom is not bought easily, neither can .it be held, unless it is defended!" There was no argument with the captain's sentiments, only the thought ,of what practical purpose it would serve in the new settlement. Jamieson was quick to enlighten them. "It will be an alarm lads, to summon the 'people together in times of danger and emergency." He smiled, as a sudden thought crossed his mind. "As for its permanent place in the community, I'm sure that the Reverend Duncan MacLeod will show us where it should be!" It was noon before they were ready to. move. Even so, they ate a meagre meal of bread and cheese whilst seated in theirdriving positions. They could not risk' leaving the wagons unattended even for a few moments, and certainly not to eat in the tavern just across the thoroughfare called Front Street. The four wagons made their way through the crowded waterfront and headed towards the west. Jamieson was still dressedin .his blue coat and sported the type of cap usually worn by themasters of merchantmen. Just west of Bay Street he was spied by an Old acquaintance, who was no doubt amazed to see him at the reins of a wagon team. ' "Ahoy there, Captain Jamieson! It would appear you are no longer bound for the rolling waves," the man called out sarcastically. "That is indeed true, 'Sir„” Jamie- son replied. "I am setting a course for the rolling land!" by bob trotter Year after year in the United States, Cargill Grain' registers the highest return on investment of any other company in the United States, higher than drug firms, computer firms, high technology firms. That firm registered 'a return on investment of more than 33 per cent. Who feeds Cargill . Grain? The farmers of North America. Cargill gets rich on farmers and so do some of the largest corporations in , Canada. In the Financial Post's compi- lation of the 5.0:largest companies is Dfound the George Weston empire, ominion Stores, Safeway, Provigo, and Steinberg. Many other companies within the food chain have grown, in the last three decades to become enormous multi -national corporations. The Wes- ton Corporation alone has about 245 companies around the world. All these firms profited from the productivity of farmers. De not misconstrue niy statements. I'm not trying to discredit these companies. They are .in business to make a profit. They are businessmen and excellent businessmen at that. But I do know how many officials of those companies are aware that they are killing the :.goose that laid their golden. eggs. I have just returned from a market- ing arket ing seminar sponsored by' the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. SPeakers from a dozen sectors of the farming community stressed the same thing, over and over again: Farmers in both Canada and the United States are in deep, deep trouble. They have just come through three years of disas- trous prices.: They are in debt in Ontario alone to the tune of $5 billion. • • Most of thespeakers said' they did not think the cries •of . farmers • were being taken seriously. They're chronic complainers, these farmers. They'll complain all the time anyway. Doesn't matter what is done for them; But this is not the Case. The farming community is going to die a slow death out there and nobody seems to be doing much about it except for a "few politicians at Queen's` Park,, Ontario's newest program will help a few of them but it may be too little, too late. The` situation is 'serious. Farmers 'cannot continue to produce and get • less than what it costs to grow their products. it is happening in beef,, hogs, grain, corn and' in some vege- tables. Farmers were able to borrow ori ;their equity until recently but that equity has disappeared: With a $5 -billion debt load, interest rates alone will eat up all the earnings of all the farmers in the province this year. Which leaves nothing at all for labour or living. Agricultural specialists, farm econ- emists, farm leaders and just plain producers told (the ' same tale, of diminishing returns. Not one of them • saw any light at the end of the tunnel. An increase in farmgate prices was not predicted by any one at that confer- ence. They all said it will not be this year. or hext year and maybe not for three years. . Most farmers with any kind of'debt load in Ontario simply cannot hang in there that long. • We have heard that farm bankrupt cies have skyrocketed in'the last two years. Well, if you can believe the best brains in the business, you ain't seen, nothin' yet, The next two years will be worse than the last three. Agriculture. will die when some of the 'best farmers in the • country are forced out of business. And where will Cargill go then for their astronomical profits? , I�I