Times Advocate, 1993-12-15, Page 32Page 32
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Times -Advocate, December 15,1993
Farmers' union overlooked
"1 am disgusted by their
heavy-handed
undemocratic methods..."
Dear Editor:
Re: T/A Dec. ii•"One Foot in the Furrow" (Stable
Funding)
Farm families have never needed solidarity more
since the Great Depression. Economic constraints,
family anxieties and torn communities are testament
to growing despair and alienation. Governmental
leadership is fundamental - but, let's insist it's demo-
cratic.
On October 6, the Ontario Legislature passed Ag-
riculture Minister Elmer Buchanan's Bill 42 to es-
tablish stable funding for Ontario's new GFO (Gen-
eral Farm Organization). It became law without
individual farmers even being allowed a plebiscite.
It silenced any provision forr individuals to demo-
cratically respond by ballot or otherwise.
In essence, all Ontario's farmers must "register"
their $150 annual levy with OMAF to qualify for
Ontario's farm support programs i.e. property tax re-
bates. Program payouts will be linked to having reg-
istered. Presently only two general farm organiza-
tions (OFA and CFFO) are GFO "accredited"
because the National Farmers' Union (NFLJ) has re-
moved itself on principle, as a protest against the
NDP's methods.
The NFU of Ontario respects the right of volun-
tary choice of membership, and cannot morally nor
constitutionally be party to this undemocratic meth-
od of raising funds for a GFO. Under article 7 of
Bill 42, we in NFU have asked to be deleted from
the present list of accredited general farm organiza-
tions as a protest.
Thus, in conscience we remain a fully democratic
flattens) multi -commodity but fully .voluntary farm
union. Farmers join us for our policies, leadership,
research and educational nature, not because they
are coerced just to qualify for government pro-
grams.
In Ontario, the NFU is admittedly small, but it of- •
fers a distinctively different vision for Canadian ag-
riculture based on economics tied to social justice. I
will proudly continue to work on behalf of NFU to
promote social justice and healthy rural communi-
ties.
I will not be forced to join OFA or CFFO by de-
fault due to Bill 42. The original mandatory scheme
has become a convoluted refundable plan. It con-
tains a clause allowing my family to first "register"
by paying my $150, but then immediately claim a
full refund. Thus, I can continue to support the NFU
by re -directing my rebate to My chosen farm organi-
zation, the NFU.
If this process appears flawed, clumsy, or circui-
tous, just ask Mr. Buchanan why it was necessary. It
remains a mystery why an NDP government that
traditionally respected the worker, the individual
and even collective bargaining, couldn't allow the
farmers a democratic foot note on their own "check-
off". I am disgusted by their heavy-handed undemo-
cratic methods and lack of broad-based consultation
with the rural communities.
It is time to mend fences and look boldly ahead.
There is much to be gained where partisan interests
are put aside for a true coalition for the common
goal. Let us proceed, however, in a truly democratic
fashion, where the people themselves still are the
government.
Our strength is in union.
David Hem, Woodham
NFU by free choice
4
Funeral home contributes
EXETER - To mark three recent al Home
funerals, the Box and Smith Funer- tributed
of Seaforth, recently con- Woods program of the Ausable-
to the Commemorative Bayfield Conservation Foundation.
The first funeral home in the Ausabye Bayfield Conservation
Authority watershed to make contributions to the Commemo-
rative Woods program is the Box and Smith Funeral Chapel of
Seaforth. Above, Conservation Authority Foundation chairman
Alan Walper at the left receives donations from three funerals
from Christopher Smith.
MAKE THE SNOW GO
'AND SAVE DO,__ „
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_
r
r
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let it snow, let it snow. let it show There's nothing like a sturdy.
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Choose from 8 models that throw snow higher. faster and
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iiird
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Al q Blyth
Nothing linins like a Deere
a
5234244 , ;,
Alan Walper, chairman of ABCF,
recently met with Christopher
Smith of Box and Smith to accept a
cheque for the charitable founda-
tion. The Commemorative Woods
program provides an opportunity
for individuals, families, institu-
tions or businesses to contribute io
the tree planting program as a'I t-
ing tribute to loved ones on
sions like anniversaries, b" ' s
or memorials. Six Conunemorati e
Woods sites are available in the
Ausable-Bayfield watersheds.
Cows do not take holidays!
Of all the jobs in agriculture,
dairy farming must be one of
the most demanding. Not only
that, but recent studies indicate
that good management is more
important in dairy farming than
any other aspect of agriculture.
By demanding, I mean this:
hours worked and days worked'
Cows, no matter how good a
manager you are, keep produc-
ing. They do not take Sundays
and holidays. They do not go on
vacation. Those pesky chows
have to be done every damned
day, 365 days a year, year in
and year out.
To make matters even worse,
the Ontario Milk Marketing
Board instituted what it called.
"extended -hours milk pick-up"
in Huron and Perth counties this
summer. The board called it ex-
tended hours. What it meant
was night pick-up of milk.
I talked with a dairy farmer
this summer who wants to re-
main anonymous because he
doesn't want to insult the milk
board.
"What a stupid idea!" he said.
"To those guys in Mississauga,
(OMMBB headquarters) it
might have sounded good. Even
some of the truckers must have i
agreed to the idea. But it has
been nothing but a nuisance to
our family. Can you imagine
getting out of bed at 2 a.m. be-
cause the milk truck emptied the
tanks and we have to clean them
as soon as the milk is picked
up?
"As if my 15 -hour work days
are not long enough, now I have
.to add another hour every other
night just so the truckers can
keep their trucks on the road
more hours a day. Who the hell
are they working for anyway?"
It went on for some time: I do
not blame him at all. Although
the idea was originated to save
money -- guesses were it would
save,up to $5 million a year in
transportation costs -- it seems
that a terrible imposition to me.
"Extended" hours/meant pick-
up as late as two in the morning,
an ungodly time, an insane time.
To its credit, the milk board
has abandoned the idea at this
time but has left the door open
for future consideration. Next
time, everyone concerned
should get in his or her two
cents worth before it is tried.
I would venture to say that
transporters, too, would take a
jaundiced view. How many of
them want to keep their trucks
on the road 24 hours a day? A
chap in our area who ships milk
said night time hours are pre-
cious to him -and his crew be-
cause he needs them to keep his
trucks serviced properly. To
make him work from 5 p.m. to 2
p.m. with this extended hours
crap is, as he put it, an asinine
idea which, in my Oxford dic-
tionary means 'stupid, pertaining
to asses."
Whose idea was it? It came
from the board but it was prob-
ably instigated by some big time
truckers and a bureaucrat or two
who have never milked a cow.
Who wouldn't know an R.O.P.
from an N.D.P.
There is a difference. Most
cows have a great record of per-
formance but the NDP certainly
does not. • .
I talked with my dairy produc-
er friendthis summer but I
loved the quote that came in a
letter to the editor of the Ontario
Milk Producer in the November
issue, a magazine edited by two
very wonderful people who,
many years ago, were students
of mine, Bill Dimmick and ar-
en Mantel.
The letter was written to
protest the all-night pick-up
plan. Penned by David Marshal
of RR 1, Kirkton, it concluded
by saying: "I am very upset
about this Midnight Madness
and will continue to feel this
way until my milk is picked up
in normal working hours."
As a milk transporter, Jay
Sherwin of Baltimore, Ont.,
added:
"... will the costs of inconven-
ience of night pick-up to the
producer, transporter, processor
and board staff be measured
against the true financial sav-
ings?"
This is an idea whose time has
not come.
By Kasic Szczech
LUCAN - The Lucan Thighmas-
ters 4-H club held its sixth and fi-
nal meeting on November 29. The
president called the meeting to or-
der, and the group basically dis-
cussed old business, new business
and final preparations for Achieve-
ment Day next Saturday.
Later on in the meeting, an aero-
bics instructor came in and taught
the club how to jazzercise. She
taught the group some basic warm-
up exercises and then more diffi-
cult m'ements. All this was done
to todays modern music, which
made the exercise session fun and
interesting.
After the "jazzercise-ing", the
thighmasters presented the instruc-
tor with an official "Friend of 4-H"
certificate, and when she left all
the members then each worked on
their Achievement Day projects in
their assigntl4ppi{sand later the
meeting wasafldjourned.
This meeting was officially the
sixth and final meeting before
Achievement Day, but the club
held an extra meeting last week to
just work on projects.
JUSTIN THE "NICK OF TIME"
:le"N
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c��3ati�
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