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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1989-11-29, Page 5-. \ ■ Letter from the editor THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1989. PAGE 5. Letters Don’t blame the merchants The story behind the letter BY KEITH ROULSTON Usually, it is our policy not to comment on letters submitted by readers for the letters to the editor column. This week, however, we break with tradition. Elsewhere on this page is a letter to the editor which refers to a letter sent privately to John Harrison of the Golden Lantern Restaurant in Brussels. In order to understand the contents of the letter to the editor, we feel it is essential that some of the information given in the original letter be printed. As background, a letter was circulated to Brussels businesses regarding participation in a Christ­ mas shopping promotion on a radio station. Mr. Harrison had contact­ ed me shortly before the deadline for last week’s newspaper to see if The Citizen wanted to participate. I said no but, given the constraints of time, didn’t take the time to properly say why The Citizen felt it should not participate so later wrote a letter privately to explain the company’s reasons. In the letter I explained that Environment story left too much out THE EDITOR, In regards to the front page article “Environment can be saved’’, (Nov. 22 issue) the cover­ age of Professor William Andrews in Lucknow on November 15. Your article was vague and failed to mention what is causing these environmental disasters or the consequences of our behaviour and continuing lifestyle will do! When you mention his testing of the growth rate in local trees, it is implied that this is just a local problem when in fact Professor Andrews stated he had tested trees in Muskoka, Haliburton, Quebec, New York State, New England States and down as far as Kentucky with the same results. He stated some forests he had see in the past were now dead in the United States. The causes given for this and the die-back in older trees was nitrates, herbicides and pesticides in farming as well as low level ozone, nitric oxides, and acid rain from the use of fossil fuels with the biggest contribution being car ex­ haust. He also pointed out here that low ozone from car exhaust was a chief reason for low crop yields pointing to the 20 per cent reduction in the bean crop in Southwestern Ontario. It was also stated that these older trees experiencing die-back would probably be dead in three to four years, which takes care of most of the trees around Brussels. In another five to ten years we may not have any trees left at all, not just the loss of Maple trees. The estimate to clean up the Don River in Toronto was $1 billion a month or so ago. The most recent estimates by the City of Toronto run at $3 to $4 billion. What about the Maitland, the Ausable, etc.? We can no longer put a price tag on environmental clean-up, it has to be done now no matter what the cost, or we are all going to pay the ultimate price eventually. It was also stressed that we in the developed world should pay to although The Citizen is all in favour of business community co-opera­ tion (a business association is badly needed in both Brussels and Blyth), we hardly felt we could endorse a promotion that was going to take thousands of dollars out of the local community. I mentioned that four years ago citizens in Brussels and Blyth felt so strongly that they needed their own community newspaper that they invested to become share­ holders (so many people invested we had trouble with the Ontario Securities Commission because we had too many investors and we had to give some people their money back). The confidence of those community supporters was shown as The Citizen quickly built up a strong subscription list, more than 10 per cent larger than the old Blyth Standard and Brussels Post combined, even though there had been some overlap between the two papers coverage area and there are unfortunately a lot of farm homes that aren’t occupied today that were 10 years ago. Through long hours and hard work by a dedicated staff, (who are underpaid by nearly any standard), The Citizen has become a news­ paper that has won 11 provincial and national awards in just three years of competition. More impor­ tantly, though, the paper has won new subscribers in areas that were once not traditional areas for either the Blyth or Brussels papers. The sad fact of economics, plant trees in the rainforests of South America and elsewhere around the world as well as here. Th|ose forests are just as important, if not more so than here. When he talked about big cars, he made it abundantly clear that we should be buying smaller, more fuel efficient cars. It was then suggested that we stop using them as much also. It was also stated that in five years you just won’t get the fuel to run our vehicles as we are now. Automobile exhaust was also fingered at as one of the primary causes of ozone depletion, not just CFC’s, and the greenhouse effect. Plant patents help only business THE EDITOR,. Fifty-six percent of respondents to Country Guides’ October “Your Opinion’’ poll responded no when asked if research scientists who develop new crop varieties should receive royalties from the sale of seed. They were really saying no to proposed plant patenting legisla­ tion (PBR). The churches and public interest groups who strongly oppose Bill C-15 would argue with Dave Wreford’s editorial assump­ tion that the success of plant breeding in Canada is dependent on privatization. If passed, PBR would allow this government to decrease its com­ mitment to the world-class, publicly-funded research within Agriculture Canada, and to priva­ tize the industry. Ninety percent of industrial patents in Canada are owned abroad, with extremely little R & D occurring in Canada for Canadians. Why would anyone expect anything different from this form of plant patenting? Canada s small to medium sized private plant breeders will not fill the gap if cuts continue at Ag. Canada, rhey will not develop and market seed specific to Canada’s uniquely vari­ ed climate and geography. They will instead fall easy prey to the market strategy and corporate power of companies whose profits exceed the GNP of many countries. however, is that subscriptions pay only a small part of the bills (about 18 per cent last year). The largest part of the costs of running a newspaper come from advertising. The Citizen has been blessed with some very good advertisers among local businesses. We don’t need to mention names because they ap­ pear every week in the pages of the newspaper. In small communities like Brus­ sels and Blyth, however, there isn’t a large business pool to draw from. We also pointed out that money spent in The Citizen gets returned into the community in salaries, salaries that go into buying grocer­ ies, gasoline, automobiles and meals at restaurants. Every year about this time The Citizen generally includes an edi­ torial that encourages local resi­ dents to think about the conse­ quences of their going off to the city shopping centres to spend their Christmas shopping dollars: the loss that this means to local businesses. We try to remind people that if they want to have that local food store or hardware store or clothing store, they have to help keep it alive. There are only so many dollars in a small community and when we export them, we hurt ourselves by sending them out of town. The same applies to advertis­ ing dollars: there are only so many dollars, especially for some smaller businesses. Dollars sent out of town are dollars that might have kept a newspaper alive. He pointed out that ozone deple­ tion would allow the ultraviolet radiation of the sun to destroy the plankton in our oceans. This pro­ duces the oxygen we breathe. He said the oxygen produced by trees was insignificant compared to what the oceans produce. While I know you could not print every word Professor Andrews said, I do feel you missed a lot of significant points he made. People have to be made aware of what is going on around them and what the solutions are which is part of your job as a newspaper and reporter. Doug Trollope, Brussels. PBR is a marketing strategy promoted within some industrializ­ ed countries by foreign-owned agrochemical and pharmaceutical corporations to market the varieties they develop. The success of their varieties is often dependent on use of the agrochemicals these corpora­ tions produce. Canadian farmers and consumers have spoken - they do not want pesticides used in food production for the sake of consum­ er and farm family health, and the health of our soil and water. PBR promotes an ecologically unsound, short-term agricultural policy at a time when the world faces its greatest challenges -- environmental degradation, chang­ ing clima.e and increasing popula­ tion. .’.’ith privatization in plant breeding, knowledge becomes an industrial secret and products be­ come available only to those who can pay the price set by industry. Canada must reject PBR and instead actively promote the im­ mediate development and imple­ mentation of a just, global agricul­ tural strategy in order to ward off world-wide food shortage in the near future. The strategy must reflect the common good - not the profit motive of private industry. Mr. Ellard Powers - Chairman Genetic Resources for Our World R.R. 1 Beachburg, Ont. THE EDITOR, Once again, Brussels businesses have come under attack from you. On Nov. 23, we were hand-deliver­ ed a letter from you to our business. You seem to think Brus­ sels businesses would rather spend avertising dollars to support out­ siders and not our local paper. I would like to take this time to answer some questions from your letter concerning advertising or lack of it. I agree that advertising is the backbone of your business and regular customers is ours. Satisfied customers is the number one goal for us all. Advertisers, I believe are your customers. Your advertising department de­ signed a full page ad for Brussels businesses'again this year. Our response was good, or so I thought. Brussels merchants have always been supportive of each other and our local paper. Christmas promo­ tions are very important to both of us. I also realize that many of us do not advertise weekly, but on the other side, many do. Not all businesses benefit from advertis­ ing and many of us are limited to advertising dollars we can afford. CKNX radio, although it is located in Wingham, is still consid- Blyth promotion a big success THE EDITOR, Did I rise from bed too early last Saturday or were there really dozens of people walking the streets of Blyth in their pyjamas? For those who stuffed them­ Pompous Lee proposes canal THE EDITOR, A letter to the Citizens of Huron, Greetings from our Nation’s Capital. I would like to update Huron residents on my efforts on their behalf these past months. In spite of my valiant efforts, I have not been able to convince my friends in Ottawa to keep the trains running from Guelph to Goderich. I shall work just as hard to keep the Stratford to Goderich line open. As for the Guelph-to-Goderich line, well, all is not lost. My friends, I have a vision of a great canal being constructed along its path, and beyond, all the way to Lake Ontario in the Hamilton-Tor­ onto area. Just think, we will be able to ship Goderich salt and Huron beans right down that canal to consumers on the other end. And not a worry for fear, we can even find room for lots of fat porkers to ride along. Let the cities have Pork & Beans! In the summer, tourists will come sailing up that canal by the thousands, loonies just a jingling in their pockets. Yes, there will be major economic growth for Huron. But my vision doesn’t stop here. With all the fill that will be removed from the path of the canal we will be able to construct The views from Mabel’s Grill Continued from page 4 Yeh, said Billie, just his luck. He was going to open a furniture refinishing business but now the first time he mentions stripping some guy at the FBDB will throw him out the door. THURSDAY: Tim said it was certainly nice to hear millionaire Trevor Eyton thinks we’re all going to benefit from global free trade. Mr. Eyton, the head of the huge conglomerate Brascan says things always get more efficient in such situations and he warns labour unions might not like the layoffs that result but they’ll just have to accept them. As part of this new efficiency, Tim says, he just can’t wait for the announcement ered a local station to me. Broad­ casting by radio is just another side to advertising. Although more ex­ pensive, it can also be very effective. We certainly didn’t mean to offend you by going this route also. Putting the blame on lack of advertising from Brussels busi­ nesses for your low wages is wrong. We all work long, hard hours to make our businesses successful. Advertising dollars, however spent, are always planned carefully. You write, I have no pride in my local paper. You’re wrong! I read your paper weekly but I am guilty of not advertising weekly. I agree that advertising is important to your paper and I could benefit more in my business. But, once again, advertising is expensive for small businesses like my own. Surely you must realize custom­ ers come from many directions when travelling to Brussels. Local people are our most supportive group and always will be. 1 just wish you would take more pride in pleasing your customers and not blaming us again. We have pride too. A Brussels Business Owner and Proud To Be. selves with pancakes at Memorial Hall or took advantage of some great Christmas values, the Village of Blyth’s Joint Christmas Promo­ tion was a great success. Jane Gardner, Blyth. man-made ski hills to attract skiers in the winter time. Mount Van Camp is a mere ant hill compared to its future size. Construction of such a mega project will create thousands of jobs, both directly and in spinoff jobs. I will be working very hard to ensure that we in Huron get at least our share. Now I’m sure that as taxpayers you are concerned with the cost. After all such a project will surely cost billions. However, 1 can assure the people of Huron that our costs will be minimal with the cities paying the lions share. You see, the cities are running out of fresh water and have their eye on Lake Huron. If a canal is constructed they can have all the water they need. Perhaps we can even charge them for it. Well as you can see the future does indeed look bright for those of us who live in Huron. And I believe this is only the beginning. In fact I expect to announce another major project in several weeks. I shall keep you informed. For now, I wish each of my friends in Huron County, Season’s Greetings and I shall continue to work on your behalf. POMPOUS LEE OTTAWA. that Mr. Eyton is taking a cut in pay so his company can be leaner and meaner. FRIDAY: Hank was chuckling over the story in the paper about the guy who claims he owns most of the U.S. and a big part of Canada. Robert Brewster claims his ances­ tor, a founder of the Plymouth colony was given all the land between the 40th and 48th paral­ lels. He wants the land back and the right to raise an army to protect it. Well, said Julia, by the time this one gets through the court we’ll have fouled up that part of the continent so bad that even if the guy wins, he loses.