The Rural Voice, 1982-01, Page 7There would be no severances in such
an area unless land was surplus and then
only if the buildings are used for farming.
A retiring farmer could build a house on
the property, but will not be allowed a
severance.
Of particular interest to Bruce. Huron
and Perth county farmers is the provision
that in agricultural reserves any absentee
owner of more than 25 acres (10 ha) must
sell within ten years and no new purchases
will be allowed by absentee foreigners.
A particular heated and often acrimon-
ious discussion took place on a resolution
from Wellington county, proposing a
protest at Queen's Park, unless meaning-
ful action followed the OFA's Task Force
Report within eight weeks.
Impatience with the lack of government
action, and the desperation of many
farmers was shown clearly throughout the
discussions. The resolution had a fair
amount of support from across the
province. The arguments were that the
present approach is too low key and didn't
get farmers very far. It is ignored at
Queen's Park. The government must be
shamed into action, and so on.
President Barrie told the delegates that
this was fine with him, he could be as
militant as anyone. But he pointed out that
the real militancy must come from the
grass roots. "If I have to get militant, I will
start by getting militant with you. I'll
demand that you deliver the bodies to
demonstrate and protest at Queen's Park.
I can't do it alone."
The resolution was defeated. despite
much support.
When the change in the federal
government's stand on Small Business
Development Bonds for unincorporated
farmers who are in dire straights was
discussed, it became apparent that this
"help to the farmer in distress" is less
than meets the eye. The SBDB before
the budget was with a half of prime rate
plus 2 per cent interest rate. Because of
taxing the banks for the interest income,
the banks have increased the interest by at
least three per cent. Now banks are
holding the line on all SBDB's and farmers
get no help from that source, while
incorporated farmers pay more.
Federal Finance Minister Allan Mac-
Eachen once again turned down the
request for repeal of capital gains tax on
the argument that the annual value
increases already give the farmer a tax
break because that increase is not taxed.
The reply that capital gains don't mean a
thing for a farmer until realized, made no
impression on the minister, it was
reported.
Ontario Hydro's chairman, Hugh Mac-
Auley, was present and answered some
critics on the delay of releasing informa-
tion on new transmission line proposals
last fall. He said that there was a
possibility of several hearings under the
Environmental Assessment Board and the
Ontario Municipal Board. These hearings
were contracted into one. This, he said.
gave farmers more, not less time to have
input into the location of the lines. The
summer hearings were not formal, but
they gave the farmers a chance to
contribute to the discussions. Formal
hearings won't begin until January 1982.
The complaint of farmers that hearings
are not held in the off season are
unfounded, MacAuley claimed.
Tony McQuail, Chairman of the Huron
Federation's energy committee, wasn't
satisfied with that answer and he told Mr.
MacAuley that the information was
available a year earlier and should have
been given them to the farm organizations
involved.
It appeared that the Middlesex county
federation had already accepted the
location of the new transmission line
through Huron county. Gerry Fortune, the
Huron F of A president. took strong
exception to that surmise, which caused
the Middlesex delegates to reassess their
position.
A Hydro spokesman said that Hydro is
flexible on the type of tower to be used and
is considering single pole towers where
that diminishes the effect on farm use.
The OFA vice president. Ron Jones, in
his election pitch to the delegates. said he
was in favour of supply management with
President Ru/ph Barrie
[Photo by S. Gunby]
quotas, but not as a tool to fight inflation
and high interest rates.
Huron county's request to study land
banking as practised in Saskatchewan was
granted. The discussion went from fears
that that would be a first step in the
direction of all farmers becoming tenants
of the state, and a fear of a huge
bureaucracy, to assurances that this is
only a request for a study and from a
farmer with intimate knowledge of the
Saskatchewan plan. that it's working well
and is a great help for new farmers. It is
better that government hold the land than
that absentee foreigners hold it, the
Huron delegate said.
Sir Henry Plumb on the EEC
by Adrian Vos
Keynote speaker. Sir Henry Plumb,
told OFA delegates that Canadian farmers
are not alone in suffering from falling
prices. Farming has become a risk venture
in Britain. "Bank borrowing to maintain
output is increasing by 54 million per day,
while farm incomes have fallen by around
50 per cent since 1975," he said.
Sir Henry said that, even if it is not easy,
a farmer and a businessman must be
optimists.
On the European Economic Commun-
ity's (EEC) agricultural politics, he said:
While the policy's goals of increasing
agricultural productivity; ensuring a fair
standard of living for the agricultural
population; stabilizing markets; guaran-
teeing regular supplies; and ensuring
reasonable prices for consumers might
appear scarcely compatible, to a large
extend they have been met."
Plumb said agricultural trade is mainly
in Canada's favour as far as the EEC is
concerned. Four times as much in
agricultural value goes to the EEC as
comes from there to Canada. He adds that
surplus in Canada's favour is increasing.
He answered the silent criticism that
Canada exports more raw material with
the assurance that EEC imports of cereals
is off -set by exports of wines and spirits.
Sir Henry appealed to all nations to
work together to remedy the problem of
local inadequacy of food production in the
world.
In a reply to those who promote to help
poor nations by buying their product he
asked: "Do you support slave labour?"+
As one example of how poor nations can
help themselves, Sir Henry cited Zimbab-
we. It s government decreed the doubling
of farm prices and of wages. As a result
the doubled income of the farmer has
caused increased production and gives the
population money to buy more farm
products. This creates a demand for
imports, and it works, he said.
THE RURAL VOICE/JANUARY 1982.PG. 5