The Rural Voice, 1990-05, Page 14IT'S SPRING
CLEAN-UP TIME
with
K.E.W.
High Pressure Cleaning Equipment
• SALES • SERVICE • RENTALS
• Sandblasting Equipment • Cleaning Detergents
• Drain Cleaning Attachments
KEN3PRO Southwestern Ont. Distributor for K.E.W.
St. Agatha — 5 min. west of Kitchener
L 1 M 1 T E D KEN REICH — 519-746.7811
Complete inventory of parts for K.E.W. and other quality pressure cleaning equipment.
THE GREAT STEEL PLACE
A complete inventory of
angles, pipe, tubing, flat bars,
plate, beams & channel
Elma Stee
and Equipment Ltd.
3 m. E. and 2 m. S. of
Listowel
519-291-1388
11[5141 111111.PJAr
6000
00111*
YORKSHIRE DUROC HAMPSHIRE LANDRACE & HYBRIDS
67th PRODUCTION SALE
Wednesday, June 13 at 7:00 p.m.
At the farm of WARREN STEIN. Located one mile south
and two miles west of Tavistock.
We are offering York, Hamp, Duroc, Landrace, and
various hybrid breeds; including a good selection of
Hamp x Duroc boars. We also have a good selection
of boars available at all times.
Ontario's largest selection of R.O.P. tested and veterinary inspected
boars and gilts. Ranked "Good" by the Animal Industry Branch.
Delivery arrangements available.
For lusher Information, or for catalogues please contact
Richard Stein
R.R. 6, Woodstock, Ont.
519-655-2942
Warren Stein
R.R. 2, Tavistock, Ont.
519-462-2704
10 THE RURAL VOICE
FEEDBACK
ID cards for farmers?
In response to the question, "Do you
think that a form of farmer registration
should be compulsory ... " in the Ontario
Federation of Agriculture's March
Members' Digest:
It is interesting to note that as the rest
of the world moves toward greater person-
al freedoms, our various governments and
elected organizations move toward less
freedom and more suppression in the form
of legislation, taxation, and licensing or
farmers' identity cards.
Be honest: if you have to be a member
and have a "card" to farm, then call your
organization what it is: a union.
With the union theme in mind and out
in the open, the OFA might use a little
caution when whining about, at present,
one-third producer membership. Organ-
ized labour doesn't have a much larger
following, yet is able to set the provincial
and Canadian standards and offer, through
solidarity, comparatively better wages,
working conditions, pensions, etc. The
OFA, on the other hand, has so far its one
jewel to offer: the property tax rebate, a
politically oriented handout. There have to
be more benefits to joining the OFA union.
I do, however, favour "solidarity"
through registration that is both voluntary
and incentive -based, one that would
provide obvious benefits for the cardholder
— automatic property, fuel sales tax, and
GST rebates and the less obvious benefits
of a single united front.
... Pork and cattle producers already
pay a checkoff to commodity groups. Un-
less their membership also becomes com-
pulsory in the union, we see a danger in
mandatory OFA funding, with all three
groups being paid by us to oppose each
other. Witness the Cattlemen's Associa-
tion and the Beef Producers for Change
and the subsequent cry of the OCA for
more money, which it wasted fighting in-
ternally and through a loss of membership.
The OFA might also consider if its
present membership is declining through a
general exodus of farmers either by re-
tirement, insolvency, or just plain giving
up. It also might ask whether it is making
or has made enough tangible, significant
contributions to long-term farming in the
past five years, and finally, if it really
deserves to represent all Ontario farmers.
These are drastic times for Ontario
farmers which require drastic measures to
ensure their survival.0
Karl Landstrom
R. R. 3, Markdale, Ontario