The Rural Voice, 1980-10, Page 21VOICE OF A FARMER
The view
from here
BY ADRIAN VOS
When at last it seems the Davis government is beginning to
understand that it is patently unfair that rural users of electricity
pay 29 per cent more for power than their urban customers, it
comes as a surprise that not everyone agrees with that point of
view.
T.B. Lounsbury has formed an association Against
Equalization of Electricity Rates. He finds this an unjust plan. It
is not that he begrudges ruralites lower rates, but he correctly
supposes that the money must come from somewhere, and that
this somewhere will be the pocket of the urban majority.
It is strange that the policy of successive Ontairo governments,
since construction of the first generating station in Niagara Falls,
has been that all regions of Ontario be charged the same rate,
regardless of distance from the source, except where it
concerned rural areas.
Reading the other day about Dr. Samuel Johnson, a sage from
the 18th century in London, England, I couldn't help but think of
our present day money lenders. Dr. Johnson said: "1 do not call a
gamester a dishonest man; but I call him an unsocial man, an
unprofitable man. Gaming is a mode of transfer of property
without producing any immediate good."
There are many examples today of "transfer of property
without producing any immediate good." 1 think of speculators
in the futures and the stockmarkets, (distinct from investors)
who sometimes spread rumors to make the price of stock
fluctuate so they can take money away from other investors
without doing any work but that in their devious brains.
After the English language lost a perfectly good word, "gay",
to the homosexual movement, it stands to lose another good
word to the activists. The word is "environmentalist". Properly
used, it means someone who is concerned about his
surroundings as they affect us all. Lately it has come to mean the
much narrower definition of crusaders against the introduction of
foreign substances into nature. That creates the impression that
many disciples of environmental studies and old time protectors
of nature, such as farmers, are opponents of environmentalism.
But I guess that's just one of those developments of
language growth we will have to get used to. Some of the new
expressions remain, and some disappear after a few years.
Remember when someone who was well informed was "with it",
and how he later was considered "hip"?
What is it today? I don't even know.
VISTA
VILLA
Happenings
DANNY BOB
SIRED THESE WINNERS
GRAND CHAMPION
Production Tested Carcass Barrow
1980 Ontario Pork Congress
GRAND CHAMPION
Production Tested Live Barrow
1980 Ontario Pork Congress
GRAND CHAMPION
Truck Lot (5 Market Hogs)
1980 Ontario Pork Congress
We bred Danny Bob, Sire of these winners.
They were tested for Average Daily Gain,
leaness, Carcass Quality and Visual
Appearance.
Our breeding can do
these things for you
Robert J. Robinson
R.R. 4, Walton 345-2317
THE RURAL VOICE/OCTOBER 1980 PG. 19