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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1974-10-17, Page 19(a()DERICH SIGNAL•STAB. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 178. 19744PA9E 3A Current trends in agriculture and society are threatening the future of farmers, Gordon Hill, president of the Ontario Fe.4eration of Agriculture war- ned Thursday night in Hensall. Mr. Hill warned members of the Huron County Federation of Agriculture. that a com- bination of risi•ng.' input . costs and consumer resentment to higher food costs are pushing farmers into a corner. He said farm input.cos.t have been going up for some time' but the past couple of years they've soared. He Panted to the cost of petroleum 'products and fer- tilizer, the fact that some farm machinery has increased 30 per cent in the past year and could go up an equal 'amount in the coming year, the cost of credit, labour and building materials. Mr'. Hill said livestock producers, were in the worst positiim. He said that in 1970 it was estimated it cost $156 to produce a calf. Today, he said, based on- the rise in input costs since that time, it should cost $236. He told of a farmer he knew who kept cattle all last -winter and this .sumrner and got $10 less per head when he sold them this fall. - This bleak outlook, he said, is ,combined with a "deter- mined onslaught" to destroy marketing legislation. Mr. Hill said the big city press is part of this onslaught by "people who don't want to see farmers welt - organized and in a position to do something in the market - .place." , • Mr. ' • Hill �` pou:ited to the situation over the spoilage of two and a quarter million dozen eggs and said no one had anything good to say for the Canadian ' Egg Marteting Agency during the uproar. No one • pointed out, he said, that C.E.M:A: saved consumers, money last fall by prohibiting exports•to the U.S. No one poin- ted out, he said, that C.&M.A. had offered all the eggs that spoiled for, sale lout there was, no,.buyer. •No one"pointed out that'C.E•``M.A: tried to get the government .to buy the eggs for foreign aid but the government wouldn't buy. No one pointed out that .C.E.M.A. ,tried to sell the'eggs to' the• breaking trade. The press, he said,' didn't try toy be fair.- They dealt with numbers of eggs • saying 28 • million, not talking in terms -of • dozens as eggs are usually • numbered. The press pursued a policy of "keeping it in ,front of the public as long as possible" Mr. Hill. said, as they .worked on a little detail each day. Recent treatment , of C.E.M.A., in the Press which ridiculed sending of eggs from Newfoundland to British Columbia was, also unfair he said. The facts,' Mr. Hill said, were that the .eggs had gone beyond their, normal shelf life and. C.E.M.A. tried to find a breaker who could handle them • before they spoiled., The only breaker who coup handle the •eggs was in the West. One ship- ment ,took, only seven days and . arrived in excellent condition. Another took three weeks and was shifted from one box -car to another •-at least• once during the trip leading to considerable breakage and spoilage for which Canadian National Railways ,had accepted full responsibility. ,This, however, Mr. Hill said, had not been mentioned in' news reports: Mr. Hill said the "Committee to Reform Egg Marketing" which has been formed by some discontented • egg producers would destroy C.E.M.A. and warned that farmers are. being asked to finance the •destruc- tion of their own marketing board- by supporting the com- mittee. He said those against marketing boards want the con- trol of farming to go back to those who "continue to farm farmers." He said farmers that don't support .marketing legislation are digging their own graves. Mr Hill said: "We as far- mers are going to . have to be pretty going to have to look carefully at things put before us. Nobody's .against farmers until. the farmer tries to do something about improving has income." He called Professor Forbes who leaked the Forbes Report to the press last week, a "shady charleton who picked up a bun- dle of federal' money to do a study and said before he made it he knew what the conclusion would be." Mr. Hill said he is even con- vinced Mrs. Plumptre is being usedby • those opposed to marketing. He pointed out that farm marketing boards are the only groups she has zeroed in cin after giving both the food chains and processors very lit- tle crit icisrr;i. . Mr. Hillshowed the dif- ference between farm• prices.' and supermarket •. prices by looking at ,a one pound bag of white` beans which •costs 26 cents from the farmer but became 74 cents on the super- marketshelf. He said he'd •like to find out why the cost had to go so much higher and thought' perhaps Mrs. Plumptre •.might take the time` to find out after she had "vented, her"wrath on the farmers and established her board as a permanent agency." He warned the farmers "If . we don't get serious we could lose this battle...could lose marketing jegislation"y and without orderly marketing, he said, the farmers haven't • got any control and faced with • spiralling costs, he said, far- mers would be , in the worst . position for some time. "Some people want to see free enterprise in farming, ' he said, but if farmers have to work un- der free enterprise they will be the only group that is entirely under the free enterprise system. • Everybody else; he • said, can control supply. He said he firmly believes farmers will have to 'Move -to production. 'controls, not 'marketing controls. Farmers are • going to have to decide, he ' said, if they're going to con- tinue to be "nice guys". Far-_ niers are going to have to start,. looking , on food as a product, he said, and on farming, bargaining and marketing as business. AUTO CLASS E 1MITt e e "THE GLASSNIEN OF ONTARIO" For vinyl tope-• convertible tops 0 car upholstrY • wind$hields • body protective mouldings.. 36 a. RAYFIELD RD. G.ODERICH - CALL 524..2136; We're proud to support Goderieh. We're proud to be part of this community. We're proud to have been providing insurance counselling and coverages to the people of Goderich for more than 22. years. INSURANCE - REAL ESTATE Kingston do $t, .David St. God liYtch, 5249531 Fisher Custom Builders won the consolation series against Lit- tle Bowl In the,Goderich Industrial Softball finals last week by defeating the Bowlers 7-1. The team members are Wayne McCaul,, front, second row from left Orville Wayland, Gerry Durst, Ray Donnelly, Jim Bell, Fred Pellow and JimDurst; (third row from left manager Doug Currie, Don McNeil, Mike Russelo, Doug Fisher, Jim McCaut, George Gould, Glen McNeil and sponsor Ray Fisher. Jack McKinnon waa not available for picture. (Staff -photo) • AUTOMATIC WASHERS' & DRYERS • PORTABLE -WASHERS & .DRYERS • WRINGER WASHERS • PORTABLE & BUILT-IN DISHWASHER • IN SINK FOOD WASTE DISPOSERS The Lake Huron Zone of the Ontario Municipal Recreation Association has scheduled its annual conference for Hanover,. October 19. • • Proceedings will get under. way in the Hanover Coliseum at 9:30 a.m. and will terminate at approximately 3:30• pa -n. A, highlight of this year's cop-. ference will be a- presentation and discussion on "Area Recreation"and "Cost Sharing!" As well, urban and rural people will have the op- portunity to • discuss the overlapping of services and the lacking of . services between neighbouring municipalities along with the sharing `of ser- vice and facility costs. Many rural' and urban com- munities have found a '"dead end" in trying to solve such problems., 'However, this con ference should certainly be of value to all, as a formal presen- Zone Recreation Director's tation on "Area Recreation" Association; the Sports and will be made by Civic officials Recreation Bureau Of the On- • from an Urban/Rural area ., tario Ministry of , ommunity where . the concept' has- been and Social Services; and from tried androven. the seven "Cluster" gimps Every municipal recreation throughout the Zone. :committee within the Lake The present L.H.Z. - Hurc>n Zone should have at O.M.R.A. executive includes least one delegate at this im- Presiderit .Jack Bird; Past portant conference, as this sub- President, Clare Christie, Owen ject alone pertains to all of•us Sourld; Secretary -.Treasurer, in Western Ontario. because e f Marj Metzger, Hanover; com- our urban/rural environment. mit.tee •member,,' Ruth Wolfe, Lake Huron Zone President, Clifflird; Sports and Recreation Jack Bird of Owen Sound, Bureau - Consultant, C.M. states that 'Zone Re- "Bud" 'Bitton, Hanover; and Organization" and "Reports" Recreation. Director's from the .Zone executive will Association n+liaison, Don Gravett, Hanover. Anyone requesting to attend the conference in which dinner • also be.'•cin the conference agenda. Special reports, including one by John Neill;' president of the Ontario Municipal Recreation Association, will he delivered as well as from the Lake Huron is included in a $5.00 registration fee,. should contact the Sports and Recreation Bureau office in Hanover at 364-1626 as soon as possible. MARY'S SEWING CENTRE (formerly. ' Irwin's). ' 17 Victoria Street, Clinton 482-7636 OFF on tt►e famous aa: SPERMATIC' (flat bed &open arm models) The machine .that out -s -t -r. -e -t -c -h -e -s all the other machines 4 , AUTHORIZED ZENITH DEALERFQR G0DERICH, CLINTON, LUCKNOW & FOR ALL YOUR PHOTOGRAPHIC NEEDS CAMPBELLS for the . 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