The Wingham Advance-Times, 1966-01-06, Page 10For many years we have
heard politicians from all par-
ties proclaim that the family
farm must be preserved; that
farm people must be given re-
turns for their produce that will
compare favorably with the in-
come of other people in our
national society, but there the
matter stops. We are living in
a changing world. Working
equipment and conditions are
vastly different today on the
farms than they were 50 or even
20 years ago. What of the fu-
ture?
In order to project the future
it is well to look back to the
beginning of agriculture in this
part of Canada. Our forefath-
ers, the pioneers, came to the
shores of the New World from
England, Scotland, Ireland,
Germany, France and other
European countries. These peo-
ple had all lived under the
fuedal system in the Old World.
They were tenants and laborers
who had no prospect of ever at-
taining ownership of their home
or farm and for the chance of
ownership they were willing to
suffer the hardships of creating
homes and farms here out of
the wilderness.
I wonder if we-today really
appreciate the heritage that has
been given to us by these wor-
thy pioneers? Even though their
lot in the Old World held little
prospect for them, the thoughts
of leaving relations and friends
behind, knowing they would
never see them again, must
have been hard, Then the oc-
ean voyage by sail boat of four
to six weeks duration; the trip
from sea shore to their future
homes here by train, where it
was available, ox cart and on
foot from where the rail stop-
ped, to a farm covered with
bush. Why? All for the purpose
of having something for their
very own, a farm, a home or a
business.
These were established and
today we have them to enjoy.
Through the years these farms
have been the means of liveli-
hood for two or three genera-
tions. They have been the
means of many sons and daugh-
ters receiving their education.
Communities sprang up as cen-
tres of spiritual and social en-
joyment for the people. Farm
and community life was enjoy-
able, instructive and satisfying.
Today much of this has
changed. The appeal for young
people to remain on the farm
no longer exists. Few parents
have a desire to see their fami-
lies remain on the farm. Big
salaries in the professions and
industry with shorter hours of
work have a greater appeal to
the majority of people. That
desire to own a farm has lost its
appeal to our own sons and
daughters and many New Can-
adians have come to our shore
to take advantage of our heri-
tage, to claim these farms for
their own.
We asked the question: What
of the future?
There are about 55 million
acres of native range and po-
tential northern pastureland in
Canada.
W. R. HAMILTON
OPTOMETRIST
Josephine Street
WINGHAM
a
FOR APPOINTMENT
Phone 357-1361
—SHUR-GAIN Creep Feed is extra palatable.
—SHUR-GAIN Creep Feed contains a high level of
antibiotics.
—Fed in a creep, young pigs will start eating solid
feed at an earlier age.
Whether you are growing pigs through to market or
selling weaners, drop in soon and discuss the SHUR-
GAIN Creep Feeding Program. You'll have healthier
and heavier pigs at weaning time if they receive
SHUR-GAIN Creep Feed from 2-3 days of age. MU" CAIN 011151011
clog,' a Win
Wingham
Feed Mill milQ:m.)1
DIAL 357-3060, WINGHAM, ONT. feed service
wwweiti.ftwikamr-••••••-...-41.- -Imao
CONTAINS
'65 DODGE 4-Door, 8 Auto, Radio
'65 PLYMOUTH 4-Door, 6 Stnd., Radio
'64 CHRYSLER 4-Door, power equipped
'64 OLDS 4-Door Hardtop, equipped
'63 VALIANT 2-Door, Auto, Radio
'63 VALIANT 4-Door, Radio
'61 METEOR 4-Door, 8 Auto, Radio
'61 RAMBLER 4-Door, 6 Auto., Radio
'61 PLYMOUTH 4-Door, 8 Auto.
'60 METEOR Convertible
'60 DODGE 4-Door, 8 Stick, Radio
'55 FARGO 3-Ton Combination Dump
LEN CRAWFORD
MOTORS
Your Dodge - Plymouth - Chrysler - Valiant Dealer
JOSEPHINE STREET WINGHAM Phone 357-3862
amweruir.i.e.we
Mr. Thomas, who is presi-
dent of the Federation, looked
into the future in his report.
"Farmers of the future, " he
said, "may have to spend sev-
eral weeks each year attending
courses and tours just to stay
abreast of new developments."
"The future of agriculture
looks very bright for those farm-
ers who are now established and
are operating efficient, well-
managed farms. The future
looks less bright for the new in-
dividual trying to start with too
little capital and education."
The president also pointed
out that land prices are rising
and that the resultant high cost
of capitalization may prove a
greater problem than market-
ing has been in the past.
JUNIOR FARMERS
Tom Cunningham, presi-
dent of the Junior Farmers, re-
ported for his group and outlin-
ed a very active year. He said
that the Junior Farmers have
been selling markers to warn of
slow-moving vehicles. The re-
port stated that though not re-
quired by law at the present
time, the markers are a very
valuable safety factor and it is
hoped that they will be made
compulsory.
Simon Hallahan gave the re-
port of the Whole Milk Produc-
ers which agreed with the poli-
cy of the Ontario Milk Market-
ing Board. One of the object-
ives advocated in the report was
the provision of adequate in-
centive to encourage the pro-
duction of high quality milk
and to encourage the promo-
tion and advertising of milk
and milk products. The result
of such a program should be in-
creased consumption of milk as
the best value for the consum-
er's dollar.
The report referred to a re-
cent address by a former agri-
cultural representative from
Huron who had stated that to-
day there are 1800 less farmers
in the county than there were
ten years ago.
SOIL AND CROP
Ian McAllister, who report-
ed for the Huron Soil and Crop
Improvement Assoc, , said that
the annual seed fair, held at
Clinton, saw a decline in both
number of entries and number
of exhibitors. It was also point-
ed out that it is difficult to find
a suitable place for the fair.
The high schools arc among the
few buildings with enough
spaeu, and it is extremely hard
to place all the exhibits when
nothing can be done before the
students clear the schools on
Friday afternoon.
One of the up-coming pro-
jects is co-operation of the
Huron association with six
neighboring counties to put on
a Corn Day at the International
Plowing Match which will be
held near Seaforth. The day
will feature demonstration plots
and machinery in action.
One of the observations fol-
lowing the report was that there
is need of regulations which
could be enforced under the
Food and Drug Act to control
the spraying of corn.
Robert McAllister reported
for the Hog Producers and said
that during the past year a $10
premium was paid on 30 gov-
ernment-approved boars. In co-
operation with the Clinton Agri-
cultural office a survey of boars
in the county had been made
and it was found the quality
was better than anticipated.
ONTARIO FEDERATION
Robert Eaton reported on be-
half of the Ontario Federation
of Agriculture. Among the spe-
cific recommendations was one
which asked that the freight
differential between corn and
wheat shipped from this part of
the province to Montreal be
abolished; that an advisory
committee to the ARDA direc-
torate be established, to be
made up of representatives of
the voluntary organizations in
Ontario; that training programs
in the field of rural develop-
ment be set up; that the burden
of taxes for education should
fall chiefly on the senior levels
of government.
On the matter of expropria-
tion a nine-point policy was
outlined:
1. Each conservation auth-
ority be required to prove the
need for each parcel of land in
a properly conducted trial of
public necessity and conven-
ience;
2. An authority placing a
registered plan upon a given
property be required to pay the
landowner for this option at the
time of placing of the plan up-
on the property; 9
3. All property owners be
given at least one full year's
notice of their property being
required by any conservation
authority;
-I. All lands that may be ex-
propriated he appraised by prol-
Please Turn to Page Three
While the rising Nile River
threatens some of Egypt's great-
est treasures, elsewhere in the
world, a fall in the waterlevel
in McGregor's Creek, a slight-
ly smaller and less famous body
of water that runs behind the
C-I-L fertilizer plant in Chat-
ham, Ont., has exposed inter-
esting relics.
They are the remnants of
two wooden dams which once
supplied a head of water for
two grist mills. The larger mill
was built in 1792 by Thomas
Clarke, a Loyalist emigrant,
and the story of its construction,
Varied Program
For Soil and
Crop Convention
A program of wide interest
to farmers has been prepared foe
the annual convention of the
Ontario Soil and Crop Improve-
ment Association to be held in
the Coliseum, Exhibition Park,
in Toronto on January 26, 27
and 28.
During the three-day con-
vention experts in the various
fields of agriculture will address
the gathering and participate in
several panel discussions.
Business meeting of the As-
sociation, under the chairman-
ship of Robert Sparrow, presi-
dent, will be held on Wednes-
day morning. The Pedigreed
Seed Section's business meet-
ing will be held at the same
time under the chairmanship of
Wallace Laidlaw.
During the afternoon session
Morris W. Reid, vice-president
of the J. I. Case Co., Racine,
Wisconsin, will address the con-
vention on the subject of seed-
ing. Later in the afternoon Dr.
W. E. Tossell, Crop Science
Department, Ontario Agricul-
tural College, will discuss for-
age crops.
On January 2'7 Dr. Ford Stin-
son, Kemptville Agricultural
School will be one of the many
experts addressing the meeting.
He will discuss developments in
cropping practices. R. K. Ben-
nett, Livestock Branch, Can-
ada Department of Agriculture
will speak on meat animals and
George McLaughlin, Beaverton
will take as his subject "The
Farmer's Share".
The annual banquet in the
evening will be addressed by
Dr. Charlotte Whitton, former
mayor of Ottawa.
Friday's session will feature
the use of aircraft in agricul-
ture, use of herbicides and her-
bicide residues and weed con-
trol.
The Canada Farm and In-
destrial Equipment Show will
run concurrently with the con-
vention. Over two hundred ex-
hibitors will display their equip-
ment.
as told in the 1898 inaugural
edition of the Chatham Eve-
ning Banner, makes it sound
like a lively affair.
"The mill was of a square
form built of hewn logs, which
were nearly all considerably
longer than the respective
sides and were allowed to pro-
ject over without regard to uni-
formity."
The newspaper's explanation
of this eccentricity was that the
building was constructed at a
work bee at which strong drink
flowed freely. At the beginning
of the job, the logs were cut to
fit, but Clarke — perhaps in an
effort to appear more like an
affable host than a taskmaster
— is supposed to have said:
"Oh never mind boys, let
them (the logs) hang over at the
corners."
Poor Clarke may have been
simply trying to make a good
impression on future customers,
but his misshapen mill was
doomed. The business went
badly and Clarke borrowed
money from a John McGregor to
keep it going. As a result he
landed in debtor's prison and his
mill and land grants were turn-
ed over to McGregor, who prob-
ably cared little for house-
warming parties, work bees and
other expensive drains on one's
income, but who knew how to
turn an honest profit. He made
it pay and the business remain-
ed in his family's hands for sev-
eral generations. - CIL Oval.
On Tuesday of last week re-
presentatives of the farm or-
ganizations in Huron County
gathered in Clinton for a din-
ner which was also attended by
members of parliament and
other officials from this area.
Purpose of the meeting was to
present a series of briefs to gov-
ernment representatives which
would outline the problems,
ambitions and objectives of the
farm population of the county.
Government members pre-
sent included Murray Gaunt,
M. P.P. , for Huron-Bruce; Mar-
vin Howe, M.P. for Welling-
ton-Huron; Bob McKinley,M.P.
for Huron; Glenn Webb, war-
den of Huron County and Doug.
Miles, agricultural representa-
tive for Huron.
Charles Thomas of Brussels
acted as chairman for the ses-
sion, at which 18 separate re-
ports and briefs were presented.
The gathering was sponsored by
the Huron County Federation of
Agriculture.
is
any
• • :dat,ion7liitzeot7Zrma
nd°rtghaen i- W
II some good work but they are
not getting at the root of the
problem,
Our greatest threat is that
we are likely to lose the heri-
tage of ownership if we don't
act decisively and soon. We
have farm marketing boards
which are a help. It seems to
me that legislation must be
brought down to give the sole
right of food production to farm
people and not,be allowed to
pass into the hands of corpora-
tions.
You might say that this in-
terferes with free enterprise.
Let me explain. A couple of
years ago a new school was
built in Howick Township.
There were several local carp-
enters and workmen who ap-
proached the contractors about
work. The first question they
were asked was: Do you belong
to the Union? No. Well we
can't hire you. Yet these same
people pay the taxes that will
help pay for this school.
That being so, why should
the farmers not have the right
to say that they and they alone
have the right to produce food?
Anyone who has an income of
over $5, 000 from any other
source should not be allowed to
produce food. If this were done
farmers would not live in fear
of being squeezed out of busi-
ness.
Why should a feed mill be.
allowed to feed thousands of
hogs? They have feed at cost
and get the same price for hogs
as any farmer. They have a
profit on feed and hogs. The
miller expects to sell the feed
to the farmers at a profit and
at the same time steal their
market for hogs. The same
story is true of broilers, eggs,
beef, etc. If this market were
left for farm people there would
be no rural poverty. This is
one of the things the farm or-
ganizations should insist on. It
has not been done and govern-
ments will not enact this legis-
lation unless farm organizations
insist.
The government is offering
farm loans to young farmers to
start in business, This is every
worthy piece of legislation but
unless some sort of legislation
as I suggested is enacted many
of these farm loans will never
be paid because such corpora-
tions as feed mills, packers and
processors will make it impos-
sible for these to exist and
maintain a decent standard of
living. You might say food would
become scarce and expensive.
When the farm people were
asked to increase production
during the war what happened?
The farm people responded and
would do so again if proper in-
ducements were offered. As to
price, if farms get into the
hands of corporations and all
help becomes unionized you
can be assured prices will rise
because productivity per man
will not be as great as would be
produced under individual farm
ownership. Then food would be
scarcer and more expensive.
What of the family farm in
the future? If the farmer is
given the needed protection to
be the sole producer of food-
stuffs, he will continue to be
an asset to the community and
farm people will not become
the underdogs of society but if
this is not done we will revert
to the fuedal system of the old
world. Agriculture will revert
to conditions that existed three
or four hundred years ago.
Elmer J. Farrish
Page 2 — Wingham Advance-Times, Thursday. Jan. 6, 1966
A Miller's Tale
Huron Farm Groups Present
Briefs to Members of Govt.
Today we read of crop fail-
ures and the call for strike ac-
tion if the Government doesn't
help the farm people who are
in trouble, We read and see
the effects of vertical integra-
tion of farming. We read and
know of high priced equipment
and of low prices of farm pro-
duce. We read of the govern-
ment's concern of poverty
stricken areas, many of which
are farming areas.
We are also told by the ex-
perts, (sometime ago I read the
definition of an expert and it
was: " An ordinary man away
from home" and I sometimes
wonder if there is not a great
deal of truth in it) that the
farms must become larger, must
produce more to make more
money. Where does this lead?
Farm population now is about
10% of the population. It has
been my privilege and work to
be among the farm people for
the last 15 years and it is my
observation that the farmer who
is in the happiest position is the
one who is closest to being self
contained. I have seen farms
growing so big it becomes nec-
essary to employ extra help and
some morning the farmer wakes
up and finds his help has gone.
Then he is in real trouble be-
cause farm help is almost im-
possible to obtain. Machines
can do a lot but these machines
have to be manned.
If farms become corporations:
and farm population is cut in
half or less it will not only af-
fect farm people but also the
urban population. Most of our
urban centres in Western On-
tario are largely service centres
that depend on rural business to
succeed but if this population
is cut in half, either there will
be fewer service centres or the
income of those in business will
be reduced. A number of years
ago I was in Saskatchewan and
close by there was the village
of Tate with all kinds of ser-
vice centres, a hotel, stores,
machine shops, elevators, etc.
I was back a few years ago and
ail that was left was an eleva-
tor. One man had acquired
nearly all the farms around and
there were no people to serve
so the village ceased to exist.
It could happen in Ontario un-
less something is done.
What is this something? I
read in the press that a confer-
ence was called in Ottawa the
other day to consider the plight
of the poor in Canada, yet at
this conference no one in a low
income bracket was invited to
attend this conference. Yethow
in the world can these problems
be solved if the people who are
directly affected are not in-
cluded in these discussions?
It seems to me that this is
what is being done when family
farm problems are being dis-
cussed. The people who are
affected are not being consult-
Hardiest tractor in 3-
plow farming. .Quadra-
matic control, two-stage
clutch, full range of
speeds, variable drive
PTO. Spend your time
working instead of ser-
vicing.
MASSEY-FERGUSON TRACTORS
TRY OUT THE MF 50
MASSEY-FERGUSON
NEW AND USED
EQUIPMENT
DIONE HARVESTERS
CHAS. HODG1NS
MASSEY-FERGUSON SALES & SERVICE
WINGHAM PHONE 357-1440
Wean healthier, heavier pigs !
Feed SHUR-GAIN Creep Feed