HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1973-03-29, Page 4Striving for efficiency
.'ricultural production, food prices and
the OCOOO'i!1ic plight of Canadian farmers are
subjects of ke+rt interest today—not only to
those wb cderive'their income from the land.
but to all the rest of us as well. Higher prices
for food products at the farm eventually
mean higher priced meals .on Canadian
tnb►les,
The arguments about who i;# getting the
g
larger profits are endless. Farmers still
claim they are working on mere subsistence
ih;Comes; packers and wholesalers: are loud
in their claims that they make -only normal .
.profits and food retailers pdint to a very slim
percentage of markup.
The farmers are people we know and in
our acquaintanceship there are very few
who are getting rich in a hurry. The problem
of low farm incomes is,, therefore, a subject
of real concern in areas such as our own,
where the total economy is based to a very
large degree on the prosperity of the farm
operator.
As in .any other business where profits
fall close,to the danger zone, two remedies
can be applied; either prices must go up or
productivity must be improved without a
This is our land
A recent seminar on land use held in
Huron County; as well as developments in
Western Ontario communities over the past
couple of years have pointed up a problem
which is a new one for this country of .vast
open spaces.' The actual purposes to which
land is put and right of decision about these
uses have been under deep and serious
study. •
Quite appropriately we have all
awakened to the fact that the,fertile acres of
our province have been squandered over the
past century..and that unless there is legal
control
1
over and
use
future in f u ire we will find
ourselves livingin a rural` jungle, every bit
as unattractive and . unproductive as the
asphalt jungles of the big cities. Planning is
the watchword.
• Planning boards and; • land use studies
should have two basic purposes—to, ensure
that productive agricultural land is not
buriedunder buildings and pavements, and
to guarantee that housing and 'industrial
structures can be adequately serviced with
water, electrical and sewer facilities. As
long.: as the legally constituted planning
boards and civil servants stick to these
prime motives, land use plans are worth-
while.. •
The great danger, however, lies in the
1011_ aiwIerittei o �i " id neer-fouoc p e`r.
f tit 'b ge•I rt hTetiltime com "
sense c epaifs7andliij Tice creeps •in. ° '
Within recent years- the C ntario •govern-
ment ant( its municipal board have made it
extremely difficult to separate small parcels
of ,and from larger farm ; races. Even though
a . farmer owns his'own land and he has a
disaster
The blood chilling multi -vehicle acci-
dent on Highway' 400 twoweeks ago certainly
proves°the necessity of advance planning to
handle emergencies of this kind. Local .hos-
pitals play a vital role in any such organiza-
tion, and itis fortunate that we, in this area,
do have the benefit of some progressive
thinking.
In the accident near Barrie, 12 people
died and a score were injured seriously.
Dozens of others required first aid treatment
at nearby hospitals. Can you imagine the
confusion and delay which would be inevi-
table if all those patients were thrown at one
hospital within the space of an hour or two'
Fortunately there is a comprehensive
disaster plan for the area in which we live,
and the nerve -centre is the Wingham 8.
tricfi Hospital. In the event of a disaster of
proportions enough
major ro rtions there would not be en h
1
9
ambulances, doctors, operating rooms or
open hospital beds to look after the injured at
any one point. However, as the disaster plan
exists, the Wingham centre would be
comparable increase in the cost of produc-
tion, Farm prices have gone up --particu-
larly in the past few months. One example is
hogs at well over the $50 mark. However,
farm costs have also risen sharply, so the
material gain is not as attractive as one
might imagine.
The second remedy is the area in which
lies the greatest promise for profitable
farming—and farm people are showing ever-
increasing interest in better methods of
production. This winter meetings have been
held on such widely varied subjects as dairy
cattle and improved methods of milk pro-
duction; drainage plans and means by which
more land can be put to profitable use on the
average farm ; beef, corn and pasture tech-
niques.
Attendance at these gatherings has been
good and interest is keen. Younger farmers
are apparently aware that their acres must
produce more and better food if the family
farm is to survive. This attention to the
basics of efficient production is the most
promising indicator on the agricultural
horizon, pointing to a better future for farm-
ers and Canadian consumers alike.
buyer with the money to purchase a few
acres for recreational purposes, neither of
them is free to consummate a contract with-
, out the sanction of authorities in Toronto.
Although such a law infringes deeply on
the personal rights of the individual it must
be approved where there is danger That the
public interest will or may be affected. Strip
housing, groups of half a dozen one -family
residences,' have become a real problem in
sorne rural areas, particularly closer to the
large cities. The sale of farm lands fringing
on the lakes to cottage 'owners has, over the
years,all
but excluded c need th less e e affluent
citizen .from access to sandy beaches along
the Great Lakes.
The farmer who sells off slices of his
land to small property owners is creating a
problem which might become troublesome
in a few year's time. However, a new pheno-
menon of even more serious proportions
arises because of the restrictive nature of
the legislation. The city man who craves a
spot in the open countryside and is not short
of funds can buy one or two hundred acres
and simply neglect the big portion of his
holdings while he luxuriates o n the few acres
which was all he wanted in the first place.
Such uninterested owners of agricultural
properties have driven a good many legiti-.
"''rri•a-tearm:ers out of sdrne''rdr!Pa '`Hreas in a
lf' 3,TVlibtilatl belt arouh ►ffibittiiilgrr3disiil le:.'T
Tike all •other laws whish deeply affect'
4 the personal rights of the taxpayer, the rules
for land ownership must be applied with -a
great degree of common sense or they will
pi -eve more objectionable than the ills they
-were , formulated tci erase.
charged with the responsibility for despatch-
ing ambulances from all hospitals within
reasonable distance, directing the transfer
of the injured to several hospitals, selecting
the destinations on the basis of type of injury
and available facilities.
ProVincial and local police would be re-
quired to work in close co-operation With the
disaster plan co-ordinator and ham radio
operators have also been recruited to stand
by their equipment for emergency com-
munications.
The disaster plan has evolved from the
now defunct Emergency Measures Or-
ganization -a body which was formed in the
post-war years when the possibility of nu-
clear attack was not so remote as it is today..
Because the general public was never
seriously convinced of the danger of war, the
plan failed t
o att
r
act any widespread sup-
port.
es re
-
P
port. However, the basic planning program
has now developed into a highly efficient
program to deal with emergencies of a more
probable nature such as the one at Barrie.
Tornorrow's whiz kids
4 North York school principal was re-
cently quoted as saying that he was not
deeply concerned about whether -or not his
graduateslearned the correct spelling of the
Words in our English language. Is if any
wonder that so many young people are
emerging from institutions of higher educa-
tion with only a vague knowledge of how to
put down the letters with which they must
communicate?
The principal's contention was that as
long as the other person knows the meaning
of the message, accurate spelling is not im-
portant. It is pretty obvious that man has
seldom dealt with business correspondence.
Certainly he has never edited a newspaper.
To carry his reasoning one step further
we might as well contend that there is no
point .in teaching a child the fine points of
arithmetic. After all for about 5100 you can
buy a little computer, no larger than the
palm of your hand, with which even a Grade
three student could handle lorig division,
fractions and decimals with split second
results.
Similarly there would be no object in
teaching a youngster to read. After all there
is television and taped information from
which he will soon be able to draw on the
world's sum total of human knowledge.
The only flaw is that unless we still teach
the basics the fund of knowledge will stop in
its tracks. Nothing more will be added. And
then, of course, a little breakdown in the
electrical circuits and the kid could be
caught with his computer down and he would
be helpless.
THE WINGHAM ADVANCE..TIMES
Published at Wingham, Ontario, by Wenger Bros. Limited.
Barry Wenger, President Robert O. Wenger, Sec.-Treas.
Member Audit Bureau of Circulations.
Member Canadian and Ontario Weekly Newspaper Associations
Subscription, $10,00 a Year
Second Class Mail
$5.15 for Six Months, in United States $12.50 in Advance
Registration No. 0821 Return Postage Guaranteed
Ap�
March ak 1; .
Dear Editor:
Your newspaper has alWays
been very critical of' any media
advertising which tends to mis-
lead the public. I feel that'yoUr
paper has inadvertently Waled
the public in its reporting of the
pros and cons of the desirability
of Mr. Hayman's mass i
complex. It has not told the whole
story.
You have painted. the Piet**
that, at long last, a true bene-
factor to the Town of Win halm
has finally arrived on the scene.
One can assume that hero isd an
individual that is willing to, dig
down deep into his personal :s w-
ings to raise $320,000 to put ups an
apartment block purely to satisfy
the needs of all the families in the
community in need of accommo-
dation.
May I point out some of the
points on the other side of the coin
which have not been placed
clearly before the public.
It is my opinion that the de-
veloper is interested in the Town
of Wingham for one reason only --
personal profit. If the project
goes ahead he may even have an
opportunity to earn a fast profit
by selling the buildings and prop-
erty from the construction Op -
pony to the development cd n-
pany or rental company. 4t 'MO
rate you may be sure that his per-
sonal investment in the conin u-
nity will be small. The bulk of the
investment will be by a mortgage
company who will loan money to
the developer on the basis of the
projected rental 'ma
to
me
.
can
not be critical of the developer for
being motivated by profit for
this its the basis of our free enter-
prise system—but let us not )?re-
sent him to the public as a "soda)
shelter agency", motivated' by
need to serve those families in
need of housing. He is motivated
only by profit.
Your .newspaper ,printed. ,a
sketch by Guenter Heim of the
proposed complex. Mr. Heim is
indeed a capable artist but the
sketch does not fairly present to
the public the appearance and
construction details of thecoin,
pleted. project. A responsible
KvtISIMPOInllightthaVedoursiejto&
ti i~ 14ri.1 a p4000;a* '
one oftthese apartments buildings
which has already been : cork!
strutted: It is unsightly and does
not blend into the surroundings at
all. Ninety per cent 'of the lot is
used up by the apartment build-
ingitself and the necessary park-
ing lots. Surely there is enough
land in a town like, ours to provide
for some grass and trees so we do
not build a future `eye.
The planningboard is made up
of a group of Citizens who.all have
a record' ofprogrive.
citizens. witlauikwl and beyond the
town. A number of them would
stand, to profit personally by by the
construction of a;proj t h,44
this. Anumberof them have,sub-
stantial personal • investment in
the Town of Wingham. 1 submit
that they are dedicated to the
planned, orderly and profitable
growth of the community and
that their recommendations ' are
based an the facts that this pro-
ject does not fit into that long
range scheme, The reasons for
their recommendations have not
comes Out in the press; The fact
that the developer did not wish to
work with the planning board in
investigating alternate sites was
March 26,1973.
Dear Editor:
I direct this letter dot only to
the editor, but to •'all : other in-
terested citizens and taxpayers of
Wingham and surrounding com-
munities. Along with the large
majority of residents in the area,
I'm absolutely appalled at the
recent decision of .the local Plan-
ning Board and Town Council in
turning down the proposed hous-
ing project for the Town of Wing -
ham. Those housing units are not
only desirous but very necessary
and urgently required in this
town.
ItYs beenP�
uite apparent ren and
q
obvious 'that, as som e adminis-
trations in the. past, the current
Planning Board and Town Colw-
ell have no interest, or the ap-
parent lack of knowledge regard-
ing . economic expansion and
growth so necessary for this com-
munity. It stands to reason'that in
order for this area to keep in
trend with rising costs of all pro-
ducts and services we must have
more • adequate housing, more
appropriate industry and cer-
tainly more competitive prices.
As an example, Wingbain's food
stores are usually far in excess in
prices than those of other sur-
rounding tovy This also applie
to variq • 'roduc,
service. -*
This area requires the creation
of more jobs for those already
unemployed, as well as for the
future generations.
Wingham is a sleeping. "po-
tential" giant of Western Ontario,
whose possibilities of growth and
progress are unlimited. , While.
others around us are making
TODAY'SCHILD
BY HELEN ALLEN
r9 �
Bobby looks sweet and shy and gentle, and he is.
This handsoine little fellow has beautiful big blue -grey eyes,
dark hair and fair skin with rosy cheeks. His background is
Anglo-Saxon.
Bobby, four, is in good health but behind the average in
general development. He was born "prematurely and had an
early hydrocephalic condition (abnormal build up of fluid inside
the skull which cleared up itself. Doctors say it is unlikely to re-
occur. it is possible there may have been some slight pressure
on the brain during this period.
Bobby has been attending nursery school to give him extra
stimulation. Ile is doing well there but is still considered to be a
slow learner.
Quiet. co-operative and happy; Bobby used to be passive if
another child took his toys or hit him. Now he has learned to
stand up for his rights a bit, though still doesn't like to hurt
anybody or anything.
With a good memory. especially for songs, Bobby picks up
tunes fast and likes to sing the songs learned at nursery school.
Bobby needs parents who will give him stimulation as well as
love and attention. He should be -the youngest in the family.
To inquire about adopting Bobby. Plepse write to Today's
Child. Box 888, Station K, Toronto M4P 2112. Por general
adoption information please contact your local Children's Aid
Society.
LiKKS NUR Sgait SHOOL
to
not reported.
It is true that the citizens of the
area have some .selfish reasons
for fighting ,against this project.
They all bought their properties,
on; a clear understate that the
area would be 100 per cent single
family dwellings and could not
build their horridbefore the de*
sign was approved by the
velopper, the late 1VIr,. Tom J1en-
derson. •These facts are all re-
corded in past minutes of council
and planning boards. They are
simply trying to protect what
they understood was protected.
They are being asked to give up
what they bought and paid for in
the past.
The citizens of the area are in-
terested in the growth of the com-
munity. They have a combined
investment in the community
which.far exp the ,pct of the
apartment compld' it Is in
their `f
a1:9 t that the town grow.
i
But, t mfi.t grow in :a planned
d .organd m beck.
these cites• are 104 to:
and liven lin Wim 11ow and in
the future. They are not going
back to London to live or to the
• nextcommtn ity to findfast profit
opportunity
There are newer areas m the
community that have been
planned for single' family
dwellings. There are other built-
up areas '
where atub-atandard
homes and woken down build-
ings exist beside buildings of
better quality that have been kept
up over the years. Surely the
town, both from an appearance
and tax revenue poilnt of view,,. as
well as the home owners in the
great strides forward in attempt-
tug to attain a better standard for
their citizens, Wingham just
steeps on and on, slowly sinking
. into oblivion,
What attractions are there for
the tourists who come into this
regibn? I've observed some of
them in the past couple of sum-
mers; sitting there in their tents
or trailers at the ledge of the
Lower Town Pond looking out at
times, over the weed and brush
overgrown water. This area
should' have a program. of
beautification . and attempt to
provide a more feasible setting
for tourist attracdo
As one reader recently sug-
gested,the building of an artiti
cial lake with. marine and fishing
facilities, outside of town, would
certainly do for a start in that
direction. It's believed that this
was an exceptional idea, one that
could possibly replace Wingham
into the, map of Ontario.
But alas, in order to achieve all
these things one must have the
combined efforts of the citizens
and local governments, but .also
and most important of all, we re-
i nmediate area who hove looked
after their property would On
these questionable properties ✓
were torn down and rep]ac, d
with Ittractive, well planned ,and
landscaped multi -dwelling units. '
. Everyone would gain. '
It maybe a that the town; needs
more apartments. Let's develop
our. town in a planned and or.,
geed manner and let's ash
the responsibility for this de-
velopment 'plan, to the planning
lanai board. and council, and reqUest
that
they enact the necessary
zoning by*laws so all eitizeus
know where they stand, and there-
are pretermined locations for •
all types of development.
Let's also, Mr. Editor, try to
put all of the facts of the case
more clearly before the public.
Yours very truly,
R. W. feVan.
quire strong leadership in our
town fathers and a little bit of
courage, foresight, determina-
tion as well as leadership in oue'r
Planning and Development
Boards,
I sincerely believe that a corn-
- bination of these would make
Wingham and community a
much nicer, more prosperous
place in which to live, not only for
the present, but for future.
generations as well.
Thank *you.
J. Storozuk.
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BY MURRAY GAUNT, MPP FOR, HURON -BRUCE
Report from Queen's Park
Ml eyes were on Lieutenant
Governor W. Ross MacDonald at
this week's opening ceremonies
marking the opening of the
Legislature.
A legislative chamber Packed
with Members, representatives
of the judiciary and guests heard
Mr: MacDonald read the tradi-
tional Speech from The ,Throne
revealing the government's plans
for preserving the province's
land, environment and resources
and cracking down on crime.
The legislative program ap-
peared weighty but inexpensive.
The major theme was 'the con-
cern for the physical en-
vironment, by controlling urban
sprawl, desire for green space
and attention to the quality of life.
More than a million acres in the
Niagara Escarpment as well as
parkway ' , belts around Metro
Toronto and good agricultural.
land will be preserved by the es-
tablishment among other things,
of a Niagara Escarpment Com-
mission to save a million square
miles stretching from Niagara -
on the -Lake to the end of the
Bruce Peninsula.
There will also be a Royal
Commission enquiry into
criminal activities in the con-
struction industry, something
that has been drawing increased
attention this past year.
An independent commission
will redistribute Ontario's
electoral districts. It wasn't
mentioned whether this will be
done in ' time ' for the next
provincial election expected in
1975 or not, but presumably it
will.
Other highlights of the speech
were:
(1) A crackdown on trafficking
in hard drugs.
(2) Improved efficiency in the
courts and elimination of grand
juries.
(3) Increased payments to
workers injured on the job under
the Workmen's Compensation
Act.
(4) Stronger controls on the
sale .and use of pesticides.
(5) Regeneration of ferest
lands that have been cut over,
and preparation of idle land for
seeding and planting.
Premier Davis said that
despite two by-election loess last
week in which regional govern-
ment was an issue, he still in-
tends to go ahead with plans for
regional government east and
west of Toronto.
The Auditor's Report was re-
leased this week. There were a
number of very important mat-
ters drawn to the attention bf the
Members in the report. The most
glaring was the matter of civil
servants who run the Ontario
Health Insurance Program de-
ciding on their own last year not
to collect some premiums and to
bill too little for others costing the
province about $55 million.
In November of last year, the
Minister of Health, Richard Pot-
ter, asked the Legislature for $50
,million in supplementary funds.
There were some 80 other
major criticisms of provincial
spending, among them the
Provincial Auditor cited use of
government aircraft by cabinet
ministers, senior civil servants
and their families, on F non-
business trips, and . a $3,182 taxi
bill from Thomas - Symons when
he was chairman of a Royal
Commission on French language
education. Also there was a huge •
underestimate of the $29 million
cost of Ontario Place.
M
g
N
A woman may be willing to for-
• give and forget, but will she for -
.get what she forgives?
"Class" is having your overdue
bill turned over to a human by the
computer, so that you'll get a let-
ter tiolely for you,
1