HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1977-04-07, Page 3More than three dozen entrants braved cold temperatures
and icy water in the annual Seaforth Optimists canoe race
last Sunday on the Bayfield •River from Egmondville to
Vanastra. The Clinton Kinsmen are holding their first
annual canoe race on the Maitland River on April 24 from
Auburn to Holmesvllle. (photo by Wilma Oke)
Egg board not producer run; farmers told
By Wilma Oke
"Our egg marketing board is not run
by producers but by graders," poultry
farmer Alfred Etzler of RR 4, Goderich
told the 35 egg producers attending a
meeting at the agricultural office in
Clinton Thursday night.
It was a special meeting called
because of a concern over the possible
loss in the future of a local egg market he
lipid. "They are working against our
producers' interests, I feel no graders
should be allowed on the Egg Producers'
Marketing Board," he said,
SBriaEllsworth, Toronto, general
n
anager of the Ontario Board, pointed
out to the 35 producers present how the
board is formed now — the producers in
th 13 zones in Ontario elect their own
pt5ducers' committee for each zone.
A' producer to be eligible to be a
committeeman Has to.have been allotted
% egg quota or be a tenant with one.
Then the committee members in each
zone elect one director from among
themselves for one year. In Ontario
there ore 158 committeemen.
The concern over the possible loss in
the future of a local market arose when
the' Gay Lea Co-operative egg grading
sti tion in Seaforth, more than a month
ago, lost a 6,000,000 dozen -eggs -a -year
antract with Loblaws when two or three
very big producer -graders undercut
their price by three-quarters of a cent a
dozen, reportedly at a loss.
One of the producer -graders who got
the Loblaw business, Joseph Hudson of
Lyn, in Eastern Ontario, is a member of
the egg board. He is one of the six \egg
producers who are also graders on the
13 -man board.
In effect, the board member was
underselling the 115 independent Ontario
ccg producers who have their -eggs.
graded at Gay Lea.
Gay Lea's Seaforth grading station
puts out about $-75,000 a week to egg
producers in Huron County, mana er
Tom Young reported. It has a staff o 8
and an annual payroll of about $156,000.
Two employees have been laid off after
the loss of the Loblaw contract.
Presently the Seaforth plant is selling
its eggs to the egg board. But if the trend
cofptinues and possibly in four or five
years, Huron County eggs would go to
Strathroy or the Niagara Peninsula
where Gay Lea has larger plants, Mr.
Young said.
Ed Brady, general manager, and one
of the officials of Gay Lea invited to the
meeting, said: "There has been a lot of
Illkiscussion here and in the papers
ecause we lost a large order. This
happens every day — lose it one day, get
it back the next. Our concern is if this
trend continues, where will the family
flocks be in Ontario?
"We are set up to serve the producers
and we felt we should raise our concern
for them. Basically the vertical in-
tegrators want to take over the egg
business," he said.
One man said, "What happens if this
continues .and the business moves into
the hands of three or four? Then where
would we sell !"
Some of the producers at the meeting
were concerned about eggs coming into
Canada from the U.S. when a producer -
grader received a large order and
couldn't fill it himself. Such producer -
graders are known to get permits ,to
import the U.S. •eggs at lower prices
rather than wait a few days to fill the
order with Canadian eggs.
Mr. Brady suggested that if an ad-
visory committee of ,, producers or
producer -graders was set up within the
board, then this would leave the board to
be made up of producers only, then "if
we had a problem we could go to the
board but with competitors on the board
now, we cannot do this."
Bill Scott of Seaforth said he felt that
advisory boards were never called on
most of the time.
One man suggested an appeals board.
Mrs; ,...Mae Govenlock of Seaforth said
after being involved with an appeal
board with Ontario Hydro, she didn't
want to get involved with any other
appeal board again.
After much discussion, a resolution
was drawn up to be taken to the annual
meeting of the Ontario Egg Producers'
Marketing Board in Toronto April 13-14
which members hope will be approved
and will protect their local markets by
having only producers on the board and
eliminating any producer -grader.
Their resolution states that producers
will not be eligible to be a com-
mitteeman if he as a quota holder has a
controlling interest in a registered
grading station license, with, the ,ex-
ception of a registered station that
grades products from five or less
producers.
In addition, the resolution states that
the board of directors must be approved
by a vote of all committeemen at the
annual meeting.
However, if the candidate was not
acceptable, then the zone would elect a
new candidate for director immediately
for presentation at the same meeting.
After three attempts if he were not
approved, then the board may appoint a
director from that zone.
Unuseddrain money.to be spread.
Acting on a recommendation 01 ineir
Development Committee, Huron County
Council authorized a letter be forwarded
to the Ministry of Agriculture and. Food,
Drainage Section, suggesting that any
money not required by municipalities in
Huron County be allocated to 'tother
municipalities in Huron which could use
the funds.
The recommendation was the result
of a •• - • 'ng between the committee and
n, Agriculture Representative
for r•n, at which Mr. Pullen
presented a report which set cut the
methods used by the Province in
allocating funds and amounts allocated
to municipalities in Huron and the
surrounding counties.
McKillop Township Reeve Allan
Campbell asked just how the funds could
be redistributed when each township did
not know until November at least how
much money they had used.
Morris Township Reeve Bill Elston ,
*-
CIdNTON NEWS-RECO1M THURSDAY, APRIL 7,1977 »P4O '
Tuckersmith clerk resigns post
By Wilma Oke
The resignation of clerk -treasurer
James McIntosh was accepted with
regret by Tuckersmith Township
Council at a meeting in Brucefield
Tuesday night. The township will blso
lose its assistant clerk -treasurer,
Brenda McIntosh, who will give up her
position when the township' office is
moved from the McIntosh home.
No reason was given for the
resignation by Mr. McIntosh but said it
was not the , result of problems with
Council or the job.
Their resignations will be•effective as
soon as a replacement for them can be
hired..
Councillor Frank Falconer said, "I
feel it is a big loss to the township," as he
commented on the resignation of Mr.
explained that it would in fact be funds
from the previous year which woujd be
redistributed to cover the cost of
projects in other area.
Council also approved a budget of
$6,850 for the County Exhibit at the 1978
International Plowing Match.
Another council endorsement went to
a recommendation for the continuation
of the ARDA program, on the same basis
as in the past, and that' the Ministers
responsible for a new agreement, and
Federal and Provincial Members of
Parliament be advised.
That endorsement arose from a letter
from the Rural Development Officer,
ARDA„ Branch of the Ministry of
Agriculture and Food, advising that the
ARDA program in Ontario which began
in 1963, was coming to the end of its
present Federal -Provincial agreement.
Both Ottawa and.Queen's Park share
in the financing of the program.
SAFETY with
precast concrete steps
MS In
MB ii
Mr. Unit Step can provide you
entrance
• Non Slip Safety Treads
• Expertly replaced in hours
not days
••Steel reinforced precast
concrete provides longer life
with a safer
• Maintenance free No painting
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• Many sizes of steps
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4
Quality Ornamental iron railings to compliment your entrance
Cali Mr. Unit Step for your free estimate
UNITSTEP
STEP
ALAI( 1,1H1
4Ctirt>:.0NrEE
Seaforth 527-1320
Your Precast Specialists
McIntosh who has been the township several other systems in the Seaforth
clerk -treasurer for the past 16 years. area and'will cost installed $2,647.91.
In other business, in the council The township will tender for a new
session which continued for almost road grader as one of their three graders
seven hours (from 7:30 p.m. Tuesday to must be replaced. The old 1961 550
2:20 a.m. Wednesday) council will buy'a - Adams grader will be offered for sale.
FM two-way radio system ,for township Road superintendent Allan Nicholson
road employees. The purchase is subject reported the new Hanna Bridge will be
to approval by the Ministry of Tran- completed by May 15.
sportation and Communications. The engineering firm of B. M. Ross of
The Seaforth 'office of United Trails Goderich has offered to inspect the 15
Inc., which operates many of the school township bridges at a cost"of $2,500 and
buses in the area and is open from 6 a.m. will complete the work by September 1,
to 6 p.m. ea -ch -day, will be a base for the. 1977.
system at no cost to the township, and The Ontario Government has ordered
has given permission for their frequency bridges int hui•
safetyall inspectedt. Ite will paypicipalitthe toies+vnshiptobie
of Tuckersmith a subsidy grant of $2,000
for the inspection.
(continued on page 13
to be used.
The system will be .purchased from
London Radio and Communications
Service in London which services
oard to hire -only one teacher
Huron County Director of Education
John Cochrane was given approval
Monday to begin staffing county schools
for the school year 1977-78. Board of
Education approved the director's
recommendation to begin staffing
elementary schools to a maximum of 315
teachers and secondary schools to a
maximum of 273 teachers.
Cochrane reported to the board that
the elementary school staff need was
based on an expected enrolment of 6,768
students, down slightly from this year's
enrolment of 6,787. Cochrane said parts
of the county other than Clinton would
merit a reduction of one teacher but
increased enrolment in the Clinton area
would have made the engagement of one
additional teacher necessary even
though Vanastra School were not
opened.
The opening of Vanastra requires an
additional 1.5 teachers making the
Grades 1-8 ration of teacher -student 21.5
tel one in 1977-78.
For special , areas in the system
Cochrane recommended the hiring of
two home economics teachers, two in-
dustrial arts, teachers, one half teacher
for each 28 pupils for kindergarten and
a maximum of four teachers for special
education.
At the secondary school level the total
adjusted enrolment in 1977 will be 4,692,
up three students.. The present staff is
273 and Cochrane recommended that the
ratio of 17.5 students to one teacher is
adequate and that the same complement
of staff be kept.
Clinton Trustee Dorothy Williams
pointed out to the board that the ratio of
students to teachersis based on all staff,
principals and librarians included, and
that not all the staff actually teaches.
She said the results is that not every
class has only 17 students in it as may be
suspected by the ratio used for hiring.
Youth arrested after break-ins
Thieves were active Monday night or
early Tuesday morning according to
Police Chief Lloyd Westlake. Two break-
ins were reported and police are sure
they were by the same person. A 17 -year-
old boy has been arrested.
Counter Cash and Carry Building
Supply on Princess street was broken
into and wrecking bar and hacksaw was
stolen. The tools were later found at the
scene .of a break-in at McPherson's BP
Service Station on Albert street.
At the second break-in, some
cigarettes, cold drinks and a small
amount of cash was taken. Police have
not obtained a full estimate of what had
been taken.
Chief Westlake also reported that two
stolen cars had been recovered during
the week.
A car which had been stolen from in
front of 233 Huron Street either Wed-
nesday evening or Thursday morning
was recovered near Sebringville the
same day.
Police also recovered a vehicle which
had been stolen in Elora on Saturday.
They picked it up in front of the Credit
Union here in Clinton. Charges have
been laid.
MEN'S RACER 22" FRAME
Victor 10 speed
BOY'S RACER 18" FRAME.
Reg. price 595.95 .
5 speed
$121.95
iADIES' or MEN'S
5 speed Touring
Reg. 496.95
$8$95
MOTO CROSS 20"
ONLY
Reg. $77.95
$6
995
TRICYCLES • WAGONS (WOODEN OR STEEL)
BICYCLE ACCESSORIES ALL
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Clinton Home H
24 Albert St.
rdware
4827023
4,
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