The Rural Voice, 1981-08, Page 25VOICE OF A FARMER
June 18th, 1946
BY ADRIAN VOS
Gerry Fortune, president of the Huron Federation of
Agriculture, loaned me the "Field Day Programme" of the
HCFA from June 18th, 1946.
The federation president at that time was
Russell Bolton, who has since won fame as
the best national hay champion ever.
In his welcome address in the program,
Bolton mentioned the Huron Federation was
then five years old.
The list of executives and directors is too
long to reproduce here, but many are the
names of farmers whose sons also have
played a role in the federation.
It is interesting to note that at that time
there was a committee for about every
commodity: hogs, beef. poultry. cream
patrons and cash crop.
Then there was a warble fly committee, a farm radio forum,
and a radio broadcast committee. And Goderich Elevators, too,
had a seat on the board.
The Secretary, W.V. Roy, of Londesboro, reported that the
levy law was just passed. making every farmer automatically a
member of the federation.
Ag. rep. Bain Stewart had just died. and Jerry Nelson. his
former assistant. had taken over.
Fifty farmers toured the Whyte Packing Plant.
In January, the Farm Radio Forum reported with forty-three
forums and an attendance of nearly 900 people. The secretary
thought this could be doubled in the next year.
Huron County farmers were able to procure some forty
military trucks and tractors from the War Assets.
The National Film Board showed in thirty-one townships and
in ten schools.
A subscription to the "Rural Co-operator" the forerunner of
"Farm & Country" cost 25 cents a year if bought from the
federation.
4-H clubs had a slow start. At the beginning (no date is
mentioned) only two girls completed the Junior Homemaking
Club projects. They were motored to Perth to receive their
awards.
"The two girls were Eleanor Wilson, now Mrs. Bradnock, and
Ruth Straughan, now Mrs. Jardine of Auburn," the report said.
Herb Hannam, an uncle of Peter Hannam, was then president
of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture.
In the annual brief to the Ontario government, the Ontario
Federation wrote: "Some practices of .ire -war merchandi7ing
were particularly obnoxious to agriculture. For instance, it was
common practice for butter. fruits and vegetables, and other
farm products to be sold at the retail level at below cost. This
practice became more disturbing to good trading when these
below cost prices were advertised. It is in order to state now that
should competition bring about such practices organized
agriculture will be forced to seek legislation prohibiting the retail
sale of any farm commodity below laid -in -cost plus a minimum
mark-up."
The brief goes on to assert that the trade has responsibility to
agriculture.
It seems that the trade still has not accepted that responsibility
(cont. on page 39)
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THE RURAL VOICE/AUGUST 1981 PG. 23