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The Wingham Advance-Times, 1975-04-03, Page 6Adv es, Thursday, April 3, 1L9n ABOUT FIFTY BEEF PRODUCERS attended a meeting sponsored by the Huron County Federation of Agriculture at Londesboro Hall last Wednesday. Doug Fortune, presi- `dent of the county organization, said he was disappointed at the turnout, since there are about 700 beef producers in Huron County. GROUP DISCUSSIONS were the core of a beef producers' meeting last Wednesday at Londesboro. The meeting was sponsored by the ,Huron County Federation of Agriculture in the hope of obtaining a consensus on solutions to the beef problem from county beef pro- ducers.' • More questions than answers atbeef�y.p There were more questions than answers at the beef pro- ducers' meeting in Londesboro last week when the Huron County Federation of Agriculture spon- sored "a working meeting to find answers" to the problems cur- rently besetting beef producers in Canada. .With 700 beef men fn Huron County, it is second only to Bruce County in the Ontario . cattle business, but only about 50 persons attended Wednesday's meeting. The problem facing beef pro- ducers this year is no secret, with market prices fallen below the cost of beef production. Doug Fortune, president of the Huron County Federation of Agricul- ture, quoted the present price for finished steers at about $38 cwt. as compared to a high of nearly $65 cwt. over a year ago. The beef producers at the meeting made no bones about the solution either: "We're here to get more money . . . and a fair deal," George Underwood said. • How to achieve this end was the topic for lengthy discussions and debates. The most controversial and disputed 'solution was pro- posed by Alan Walper of RR 3, Parkhill: "If we're not satisfied with the situation as it is, let's take over from the start to finish," he suggested. His pro- posal of the marketing board principle for beef production organization and management found some verbal support among the other beef producers represented at the meeting but almost foundered when it was put to- the vote. The dispute was somewhat handicapped by the inability of those present to clearly define the implications of a beef marketing board. In the upshot, it was almost a 50-50 split with a slight majority in favor of ftl 1S1.! i• .. G M.,r ,2, t, -. ,y 0 "the principle of a marketing board." A more immediate solution for relief of the problem was pro- posed by a discussion group chaired by Maurice Beane of the Huron County Federation - of Agriculture. They suggested that the federal ,beef stabilization, pro- gram be modified to a quarterly period of financial assistance geared to a 90 per cent production level ' rather than the one-year interval specified at present. Mr. Beane explained that this would help the beef producers now, when they really need the financial ' assistance. He said "farmers are always optimists... so this would be a program only to fall back on .... an insurance if the Marketing situation fails- this ailsthis way." A corollary solution that pro- posed restrictions on wholesale and retail profits failed for lack of support. Although many of the beef ,p'roducers said they agreed that the retailers "should be re- stricted to reasonable gross profits," they said it wouldn't do any good to suggest this as a solu- tion, since nobody could really agree on the definition of a "reasonable profit." The general opinion was .voiced by one unidentified beef producer : "1 dory -'t think we should mess in selling; let's just stick to pro- ducing the beef ! " A proposal to control the im- portation of beef from the United States earned almost unanimous support. It was suggested that a 10:1 formula be used to calculate quotas on a per capita basis. Mr. Underwood explained that "it doesn't take many cattle to throw us off ... and a quota would pre- vent an overglut of United States cattle on our market." Mr. Underwood also suggested meeting to groups that compiled such statistics might help in the future but would be of no immediate value. "We're in the beef in- dustry regardless of predic- tions," they said, "but we could vary our marketing procedures based on accurate statistics." The status of the beef producer specifically and the farmer in general was also a topic for debate. Mr. Underwood said "the farmer wants an income that is similar to others." He cited em- ployees who went on strike to en- force their demands and said he wonders what the farmer can do to make known his needs. At least one dissenting opinion was voiced by Glen Miller, a cash crop that improved public re at ons and.' information might help the situation. "Maybe we need an agricultural Mrs. Plumptre," he said. He proposed an application to the government for a grant to study the problem and "tell our story to the public." He said he thinks "the public may have a false impression of the cattle business ... we should not be too proud t� admit we've lost .money." The step from public informa- tion to government information was swift and argumentative: "How much truth is there in statistics?" Glen Miller asked, "Should we listen to it?" The general opinion voiced at the meeting that "governments are usually one step behind ... if you go opposite to their , statistics, you're closer on it" was some- what tempered by Mr. Beane's reminder that government statis- tics are only as reliable as the input which comes from the beef producers in the first place. Some beef producers suggested that greater support and better input Used Car Savings '74 PONTIAC Lemans 4 - door Sedan, V-8, auto- matic, power steering and brakes, radio 12 PONTIAC 4 Door Hard- top, power equipped, radio '71 VALIANT, 6 cylinder, automatic, radio '71 PLYMOUTH 4 Door 10 VOLKSWAGEN Wagon, automatic '69 METEOR Rideau 500 2 - Door Hardtop CHRYSLER - DODGE PLYMOUTH PHONE '57.3.62 Minister says milk industry to be probein is Hon. Wil t Ste art Ontario minister , �t'trra$' tore and food, announced lastwegk in the Legislature that the Ontario Milk Commission has decided to hold a public inquiry into certain aspects of the milk industry. "Milk, a basic food necessary to good health and nutrition, has undergone several price in - eases in recent months, said the minister. "These price in - ;.1 eases have come about for se, eral reasons, some being in- creased input costs at the pro- ducer, processor, -distributor and -etailer level, and the withdrawal of the consumer subsidy on milk by the federal government." "Whatever the specific reasons for increased^ milk prices, the consumers in Ontario as well as those individuals connected with the milk industry, have a right to know how certain elements in the milk chain, from the cost of pro- cessing and marketing fluid milk products, trade practices, price spreads, management policies and methods of financing, contri- bute to the final price paid for a glass of milk." ".Recent milk price increases at the producer level have been reviewed by the Milk Com- mission of Ontario and upheld. Indeed the Consumers' Associa- tion of Canada has supported these necessary increases to our farmers but they, along with the Milk Commission, are concerned about what happens to milk prices once the milk has left the farm." Bearing this in mind, the Com- mission upon its own initiative and under authority vested in the farmer from Grand Bend. "The Milk Act (1970) will proceed farmer cannot base his income on along the following lines: that of a regular employee," • he 1. Investigate pricing practices explained, "becuase the farmer and margins between processors, is not an employee, he's a small distributors and retailers of fluid businessman and sometimes a milk products; large businessman." General 2. Inquire into the manner in opinion on this subject varied but which these practices may vary seemed to crystallize into a within a corporate organization. truism : farmers and beef pro- 3. Examine the manner in ducers aren't asking for a which these practices may vary guarantee, just an even break from one part of the province to and a chance at what everyone another. else gets. • 4. Inquire into the variations Mr. Fortune explained that the proposals agreed on by general consensus would be forwarded to the Ontario Federation of Agri- culture for consideration and possible implementation. He said the federation couldn't offer any guarantees either but hoped that input from Ontario beef . pro- ducers could,provide them with' • program of action to suggegr ' solutions to the government agencies involved. Mr. Miller, who chaired a study group that pondered long and hard on the causes of the beef producers' dilemma, could probably sugges. an alternate approach: "We didn't have theanswers," he said, "but we asked many ques- tions." - public inquiry practices lbetweer, IA' l fferent pro- cessors, distributors and re- tailers within the province. 5. Investigate the retail margins currently being given on the basis outlined in numbers 2, 3 and 4. 6. Inquire into discount prac- tices in and after the year 1972. 7. Compare the retail margins and discount practices in Ontario with those in other jurisdictions. This public inquiry will begin as soon as the necessary arrangements can be Made. OPP. seek pair in connection with robbery Ontario Provincial Police, Mount Forest detachment, are seeking two men in an orange Volkswagen in connection with the robbery of a Clifford variety store Thursday night, March 27. The men, believed to be in their 20s, entered Grummett's Variety Store about 7:30 p.m. and took $90 from the till. The car was last seen tra- velling south on Higgrway 9. GEORGE UNDERWOOD, president of the Turnberry Township group of the Huron County Federation of Agricul- ture, chaired a group discussion on the Canadian beef prob- lem at a meeting last Wednesday. The groups were asked to suggest solutions to the problem for presentation to the On. tario Federation of Agriculture. in Bluevale Sunday guests of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Johnston were Mr. and Mrs. Neil McGavin and family, Mr. and Mrs. Keith Johnston and family, Miss Theresa McNiel of London, Dr. Terry Johnston, Seafortli and Dr. Kenneth Leslie of Georgetown. The Women's Institute annual meeting will be held April 9 at 12:30 p.m. in the Presbyterian Church. The members are asked to take a gift for the Cancer Cup- board. The roll call is, "A place you would like to visit on the W.I trip." Church service was held on Good Friday at 11 p.m. in the Presbyterian Church with the United Church congregation sharing the fellowship. Larry King and Wayne Baswick were in charge. Sympathy of the community is extended to Mrs. Allan McKercher, Mr. and Mrs. Glenn McKercher and family, and Mr. and Mrs. Clark Sharpin and family on the death of Allan McKercher. The funeral service was condt4cted by Mr. Wayne Baswick on Thursday from the M. L. Watts Funeral Home, Brus- sels. Miss Connie Mann and Bill Taws spent the Vveekend with Mrs, Ross Mann. Mr. and Mrs. Rick Korda and Adam of Guelph visited with -relatives in the Bluevale area. BILLY GRAHAM says about the- new motion Picture 'Rime to Rud'... .1 feel that thousands of people will see -a pert of themselves in the' 'film. Hopefully, families seeing it will be brought clone,mmunicat onether in �. understanding adco �,. I urge you to take your children ... or your parents ... to see TIME TO RIM when it comes to your community. 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