The Rural Voice, 1978-02, Page 20the idea that mergers resulting in
efficiency gains, even if they substantially
lessen competition, should be permitted.
"The politically influential of both major
parties clearly approve of the existing
concentrations of economic power.
"It is not coincidental that the only
orders of the competition board subject to
review by the Cabinet are those that would
prevent or dissolve a merger, involve
partial divestiture of a firm engaged in
monopolization, or modify or revoke a
specialization agreement."
Huge barn collapses
under snow and wind
A Staffa area farmer lost at least 12 head
of cattle when the roof on his feedlot barn
caved in in the middle of a January storm.
The barn, owned by George Vivian of
Hibbert township was only two years old.
Mr. Vivian said that he had checked the
barn and the 450 head of cattle it housed at
12:30 p.m. and found everything all right
but when he returned less than seven
hours later, the entire east side of the barn
roof of the 224 -foot long building had fallen
int(' the stables. He said he was thankful no
one was in the barn because they would
have stood little chance of surviving both
the falling roof and stampeding frightened
cattle. Besides the 12 animals that were
killed or had to be destroyed several others
were doubtful and several were shipped to
slaughterhouses with injuries such as
swellings as high as six inches on their
backs. Mr. Vivian said he expected to lose
at least $1000 more in extra trimming of
the meat on these animals.
Mr. Vivian said the building had been
built by a "reputable company" with the
help of various subcontractors. But "one
slip of the calculator" could result in an
error that could have weakened the roof.
"The building was designed to hold safely
four times the amount of snow that was on
the roof," he said. "It may have been just
the way the wind blew up on the roof that
day."
Two engineers of the Ministry of
Agriculture and Food examined the
building to determine if there were
possible design errors in the roof's trusses.
They are concerned because several other
barns of the same design have been built in
recent years.
The barn is 84 feet wide by 224 feet long
and would normally have housed 650 cattle
but a snowstorm had delayed shipment of
new stock leaving only 450 head in the
barn. Mr. Vivian said the roof is beyond
repair and will have to be completely
replaced.
Consumer advocate
finds hot time
in Hanover
Ruth Lotzkar, outspoken president of the
Consumer Association of Canada was
invited to attend the Grey -Bruce Farmers'
Week in Hanover in early January but
instead it was her vice-president Annetta
Turner who showed up. Ms. Turner may
have wished she too had stayed home.
She took part in a panel discussion and
came under a good deal of heat. Other
.members of the panel were John S. Hyde,
a director of the Canadian Egg Marketing
Agency (CEMA); Bill Benson, second
vice-president of the Ontario Federation of
Agriculture; Bill Hodges, past president of
the Grey County Federation of Agriculture
and Harold Poechman an egg producer
who is also second vice-president of the
Bruce County Federation of Agriculture.
Ms. Turner got her shots in, saying that
consumers are highly suspicious of the
monopolistic aspects of the marketing
boards which enable them to operate
against the interest of consumers. She said
the consumer association believes the
"purpose of production is consumption".
"All Canadians should have access to a
nutritious diet at reasonable cost.
Consumer interests aren't taken into
account when national food policy is set,"
she claimed.
Mr. Hodges quipped that "It ill becomes
anyone to bitch about the price of food with
their mouth full." He criticized the
consumer associations for "kicking the
farmer around everytime the food price
index increases." He was particularly
critical of an article written by Ms. Lotzkar
which termed industrial milk subsidies
were welfare for farmers. The subsidies he
said, were more to consumers than to
farmers. Relieving the price of food for low
income people is society's problem, not the
farmer's, he said. There are other elite
groups contributing to high food prices that
aren't under such consumer scrutiny, he
said.
Mr. Benson said that marketing boards
provide farmers with the mechanism to
market the commodities they produce and
to carry out research, promotion and sales.
He said farmers need to be organized to
deal with large food conglomerates. He
pointed out that in 1947 food made up 25
per cent of the disposable income
compared to less than 18 per cent today.
"Our responsibility as farmers is to
present the true story of the needs of our
industry to consumers," he said.
Mr. Hyde said consumer associations
and marketing boards should be working
together because producers need consum-
ers but he said CEMA is working "to
provide the best product for the best price
and to insure that egg farmers make a
decent living." CEMA's pricing policies
PG. 20. THE RURAL VOICE/FEBRUARY 1978.
are under continuous scrutiny. he said.
Mr. Poechman said that without a
marketing board for eggs. he wouldn't be
in the business today. "In the past 16 years
eggs have only gone up four cents," he
said. "In three years eggs haven't
fluctuated for the consumers more than
five cents."
During the question period following the
presentations of all the panel members, all
questions were directed at Ms. Turner.
One farmer accused the consumers'
association of being slanted against
farmers but never taking on the sacred
cows of unions which contribute hidden
costs to the price of food.
Ms. Turner said that farmers need to
communicate their problems and feelings
as producers to the consumer.
London named major
beneficiary
of Glengowan Dam
The city of London is clearly identified as
the major beneficiary of the Glengowan
Dam in a breakdown of benefits and costs
of the dam outlined by the Upper Thames
River Conservation Authority.
The total cost of the dam was outlined in
the letter as $17.590,000 with the Ontario
government picking up 89.97 per cent. Of
the remaining 51,765.000. the city of
London has been assigned 93.45 per cent
or $1,649,392. The rest of the money will
come from other municipalities affected.
Cost of land acquisition alone for the
controversial project. is reported at $3.5
million.
Farm jobs must
be made more
attractive
Jobs on Canadian farms must be mrc1r
more attractive in order to attra
Canadian workers. Ron Canter('
ent of the Ontario Fruit and
Growers Association told the a,
conference at University of Guelp
January.
Mr. Cameron said that last summer
about 5000 foreign workers were brought
in to do harvesting jobs on Canadian farms
at a time when unemployment was high in
Canada. He said that effort must be made
to hire harvesters for lonker periods of
time, perhaps by planting crops like
cucumbers and tomatoes on the same farm
which could be harvested one after the
other.
"Canadians will take the jobs if you can