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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1978-02-08, Page 2Page 2 - Lueknow Sentinel, Wednesday, Feb. 8, 1978 The Lucknow Sentinel A LUCKNOW, ONTAR10 "The Sepoy Town On the Huron -Bruce Boundary Established 1873.- Published Wednesday Published by Signal -Star Publishing Ltd. Robt. G. Shrier - president and publisher Sharon J:» Dietz - editor Anthony N. Johnstone -. general manager Subscription rate, $10 per year in advance Senior Citizens rate, $8.00 per year in advance , U.S.A. and Foreign, $14 per year in advance • Business and Editorial Office Telephone 528-2822 Mailing Address P.O. Box 400, Lucknow NOG 2H0 Second class mail registration number - 0847 • Blame media Two Huron MPs blame the media for the lack of understanding the average urban Canadian hasfor the situation. of the farmer in this province and the agricultural industry in this country. In his opening remarks to the Meet The MPs dinner presented by the Huron Federation of Agriculture, MPP Murray Gaunt, Huron -Bruce, criticized the large urban papers for 'their lack of interest in the agricultural industry in the province. If an agricultural bill is before the house at Queen's Park, said Gaunt, the press gallery is virtually empty except for a handful°who represent agricultural publications. However, he added, if some insignificant . piece of legislation not related to -agriculture is presented,• the press is crawling all over the place. Thereare very few urban people. who understand the farming situationand more important, urban press do not understand the complexities- of the industry either said. Gaunt. The. burden of the -communication is with them and they are not interested nor do they understand. The urban press, especially the large dailies, of this country do not realize the impact of agriculture on Canada's economy. INCREASED. PRODUCTIVITY In 1931 in Canada, one farmer fed himself .and 10 other people. In 1951, one farmer fed himself and 16 other 'people. In 1976, one farmer fed himself and 53 other people. If every other industry in Canada had this good °a record, there would be no inflation in Canada today because we could, boast of a National Productivity which would be the envy of the rest of the world. The farmers' productivity inthis country has increased 300 percent in 75 years: Yet, the farm :income fell ,19 percent last year, 13 percent the year before and this year there is expected to a further drop of 6 percent. The farmer takes this. drop in his income at a time when other industries and professions are crying if they are not allowed a 6 percent increase in 'income for the year. Jack Riddell, MPP for Huron Middle- sex commented that the media play up the cost of living and blame it on food. He observed that . Federal Agriculture Minister, Eugene Whelan, does his best to' put the proper perspective on this. As a believer of marketing boards, Whelan finds himself arguing with the Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs, said • Riddell,, because the Ministry is a combination of~Agriculture and Food. There is no way he said, that the ministry should be both agriculture and food. "Food implies consumer and is a product. It should not be' in the agricultural ministry:`" "We have to make the big urban papers," said Gaunt, "We must get the facts' before the people. They -won't., resist higher food prices if they understand the industry." ' NOT SIGNIFICANT - Huron Agricultural Representative, Don Pullen,°told the meeting that only 1.3 percent of the Ontario budget is allotted to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food. "This is nota very significant amount when you think of the significance . of agriculture to ,this country's economy and to the Canadian people," said Pullen. It is a reflection of the government's opinion of • the importance of agriculture in this province. Members .of they ,press in Huron County are .doing their , best to present the information and the perspective necessary to keep the farmers of this county informed and to help the non -farmers understand the situation of the farmer. All of the Huron County papers were represented. at the dinner:, Rhea Hamilton for The Blyth. Standard, The Brussels Post, and The Huron Exposit- or; • Henry Hess for the Wingham Advance -Times; Sharon .,Dietz '. for The Lucknow Sentinel and- The Goderich Signal -Star; Shelley McPhee for the .Clinton News -Record; Ross Haugh- for the Exeter Times -Advocate and the Zurich Citizen and Keith Roulston of the Rural Voice. The London Free Press and the Stratford Beacon -Herald were also 'represented. It was noted however, that CKNX Wingham did not attend. Huron County papers consider the agriculture industry in this county to be our major industry. and farrn news ora farm page a significant news aspect of our papers. RESPECT AGRICULTURE 'Werespect'that Huron County is the leader in this province in most improved farm land,in production of crops, in livestock and poultry numbers, in beef cattle marketing, and near the top in milk production and pig production. We would like to see the same respect for the agricultural industry in the large urban papers and the same obligation to . inform their readers who live in the towns and . cities about the . farmers' situation and help them to understand the farming industry, its significance and relevance to their lives. Perhaps, big city news editors would sit up and take notice if the farmers of Ontario could stage. a three week walk out. Maybe even our city cousins would look again, if shelves were bare when they went to their grocery store cupboards. But it's like the story ofthe country mouse who went to visit his cousin. who lived in the city, how do we make our city cousins understand? The Counter Meeting to be staged by the Ontario Federation of Agriculture in Ottawa on the same day as the Federal government's National Food Conference should attract national attention and if it was planned by any other industry in reaction to the political gimmic kery of the federal ,government, the national press and the large urban dailies would pounce on it tike a cougar on Arabbit. Because of the serious nature of the situation, the press should' be making headlines �of the event and. the Counter Meeting should create =a stir that. just may cause a wave 'of interest in the. agricultural industry in. Canada. Tusket, Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia, January °27, 1978. Editor, The Sentinel, Lucknow, Ontario. Sir: Despite numerous attempts to suppress it, the book "Bilingual Today, French Tomorrow" has become one of Canada's all-time unadvertised best sellers. The author of this book, Lieute ant Commander J. V. Andrew, Can- adian Armed Forces (Retired), has completely and courageously exposed the devilish plot of Pierre' Trudeau, Gerard Pelletier and Marc Lalonde_oYconvert Canada from an English-speaking country to a French-speaking country. "Bilingual Today, French To- morrow" is "must" reading for every English-speaking person who intends to remain in Canada. We ignore this book at our peril. If your local bookstore doesn't have it you can order it at $3.50 a copy postpaid from: The Canad- ian League of Rights, Box 130, Flesherton, Ontario. NOC 1E0. Very truly yours, Malcolm Patterson. To the Editor of the Sentinel: Canadians should speak Eng- lish as well as French ' so our young people . would get along better. What 'can we do at this hate date to show our French Canadian friends the handicap they are passing on to their children by not teaching them the universal language of Canada and the United States today? Although I have passed my 91st birthday I would like to contribute a°word re this topic, we hear so much about today and where better than in our local news- paper. I remember as a boy listening to men ' on the . street _ corner in Ripley talking not English but Gaelic, their natural tongue and how flattered they were 'I could say a few words of Gaelic to them. However, 'they had the interest of their childrenvery much at heart and would not deprive them of one of the most important assets we have in North America today; a general knowledge of' the English language. No way will Our children grow up to -be second class citizens as our French speaking people call themselves today. This is not the people's fault. I may be wrong, and I have some real good Catholic friends whoa, I sure don't want to offend, but ' I think the Heirarchy of the Roman church is partly to blame. While they no doubt speak fluent English themselves they made no apparent ' effort to teach the younger generation this, as I see it, and why continue to carry on this political strife to the next generation. If we have both English and French, we can make ourselves understood almost anywhere in the world. But what a handicap for our children if they can't „,,;espeak English in North America today. Can we not get this message across to our French Canadian friends so we . would have harmony in Canada instead of strife? J. A. MacMurchy. Box 35, Ripley, Ontario, NOG 2RO January 31, 1978. The Lucknow Sentinel, Lucknow, Ontario. tT • Did anyone ever hear of Elijah Potts who lived in Lucknow at one time? His wife was Margaret McPherson b lieved to be from the Lucknow. area. A grandson, Jack W. Diet le, of California is seeking information. Mrs. Gladys Arnold, Research Sec. Bruce -Grey Genealogical Society. Box 855, Exeter, Ontario, ' •'NOM1SO January 17th, 1978. Lucknow Sentinel, c/o The Editor, Lucknow, Ontario Dear Editor:' Please find enclosed four press releases concerning "White Cane Week". White Cane Week will run from February 5th, to 11th, 1978 and as you probably know is a week in which the Canadian National Institute for the Blind promotes Eye Safety. This pro- gram is for information only and not for raising funds: As most members of the CNIB are blind themselves, we are really inter- ested in getting across to the public "Eye Safety and Protec- tion''. . I do hope that your newspaper will run at least some of these before and during "White Cane ' Week", as it is basically a service to the public. ' Thanking' you in advance for your co-operation, I' remain. Yours sincerely, (Mrs.) Donna Webster, Member of the Huron -Perth Advisory Board for C.N.I.B. To the Editor: For the .pasf year -and -a -half the Ontario March of Dimes has been the target of - - a barrage of unwarranted criticism by Mrs. Irene Croot, a long-time employ- - ee who'was dismissed in Septem- ber, 1976 for insubordination. Having no wish to discredit Mrs. Croot, who obviously' does not fully understand our current role in the communityrthe Ontario March of Dimes has maintained a • discreet silence. That silence cost the 1977 . campaign just over $17,000. Now, further adverse publicity generated by Mr. and Mrs. Croot is threatening the 1978 campaign. This could result in a drastic reduction of our services 'to Ontario's physically disabled pop- ulation. Since our first responsibility is to the disabled, we feel we must refute the many unfounded charges that have been levelled against us by the Croots. The attached release presents our answers to the questions raised in the press and elsewhere. B. LEE RULLMAN, Executive Director February 3rd, 1978. In the fall of 1976 the Ontario March of Dimes regretfully were forced to dismiss a long-time staff member, Mrs. Irene Croot. The reasons for her dismissal were her insubordination and lack • of co-operation with other staff menibers, which', in retrospect, CONTINUED ON PAGE 7 tl