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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1975-10-23, Page 20• ii PAGE 8A--GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, THURSDAY; OCTOBER 23, 1975 AttefltiOnT .armers .icks 1- CUSTOM WORK NOTICE - Notice Mr. Farmer - We have built a new addition to the .Abattoir, all processing will be done right at the plant,,,,,,Due to lower operating cost, we have lowered our charges for custom butchering. Call us for your next custom kill. We will be able to save you money, Ripley Abattoir, 395 -2905 -or 395-2961. --41t1 ,C - WANTED WANTED -quantity of hay suitable for horses. Doo Little Stables, 320 South Street, 524- 8429. —43 Farmers! It pays to advertise II It111111111IIIIII11111111111111IW111111 WINr,IIN1181tl1MIIMIP.IIUGYfWPAI 1111 i1iM41111M 11111) U� " Ai:IMIIIWII'tlll��;��i R EM 1 NDER rI� rN11111'tl ! I II ',1511 *KW 11NP I IrIU 11! r.Wllll' .0, Buyers of 'Timothy, Red Clover and Birdsfoot Trefoil SEED 'MAPLE LEAF MILLS SEED DIVISION EXETER, ONT. PH 235-0363 (Jones, MacNaughton) Misconceptions card them It is amazing how many people have a misconception of what a farmer is and 'what he does. Defending the agricul- tural industry in this country seems to get more difficult instead of easier For instance, not long ago 1 was involved in a discussion with a city -born political writer. "Don't cry about farmers to me," he said, "They've got more opportunities to cheat the government than any other segment, of the population, How many farmers pay income tax'' They have all kinds, of loopholes in the tax act. "•How many of them pay gasoline tax? I'll bet every one of them can show a loss every year on their operation and then chuckle all the way to the bank with their tax rebate cheques. They aren't producers; they're parasites, They live off you and me as much as the hippie who won't work because he figures the country owes him a living. In fact, the hippie 'is better for the country than the farmer because the hippie is at least' honest about taking the nation for 'a royal screwing." In some ways. that political writer was correct. Some farmers do cheat on their income tax forms, just the same as a great 'many people such as'political writers. Some farmers do cheat on gasoline tax. - But in my experience, most farmers are more honest than the rest of the population. I know a great many farm- ers who are scrupulous when using their tax-free gasoline And most of them are using diesel fuel these days 'anyway and 'cannot cheat, • Try diesel fuel in your -car and see how long it lasts. ' Most 1farmers take advantage' of tax loopholes simply because those loopholes were put in the laws for their bene fit. Why shouldn't they get some tax relief? Every industry I know hires expensive corporation experts to take ,advan- are like traditions It fo�tint byfurrow' G� Letters are appree aced by Bob Trotter EldaIe Rd Elmira Ont N3B 2C7 is difficult to dis- Roll up your sleeve to save a life... BEA BLOOD DONOR CanadianF of A want to meet new anti-inflation board head One of the first groups. to -meet with Jean -Luc Pepin, chairman of the new Anti - Inflation Board is expected to be the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, Gordon Hill, president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, announced in Hamilton last week. Action by 'the CFA was prompted by telephone calls from CFA members protesting Pepin's "handl there's something wrong with marketing boards",/,, OFA representatives` will accompany the CFA group who 'are anxious to visit the new chairman as quickly as possible t� offer him basic information on how farmers' marketing boards operate. "It's a shame Pepin has gotten off on the wrong. foot," Hill commented at a luncheon with media representatives in Hamilton. "His reference to government -established marketing boards makes 'clear he lacks , knowledge of the historical development of farmers' marketing boards and their operations.", Mr. 'epin appears to reflect an Ottawa myopia, aware only of the Canadian Egg Marketing Agency (in effect a national "marketing board) and referring to milk (no national marketing board but a Dairy Commission with headquarters in Ottawa) and wheat, Mr. Hill pointed out. The price of wheat is very much controlled by in- ternational trade and by the fact that t. ere is a price ceiling on wheat for domestic use, • Mr. Hill said. Farmers support the domestic ceiling . on wheat, Hill added: It is unfair and unin- formed to suggest that a marketing board sets the price which then becomes ,the only price at which elle product is sold," the Ontario F of A president said. Since farmers receive only 12,25 percent of the consumer price of bread, it seems that Pepin should look elsewhere for culprits suspected of chicken and - turkey' causing inflation, Mr. Hill marketing boaradd. stated. The remaining boards Of 20 marketing boards in which handle , the greater Ontario covering 40' products number of farm products only seven have the power to have power only to'negotiate set prices: apples,'' chickens, prices, Hill pointed- out. "Even then prices are really determined by supply and demand. And in Canada, to a large extent, prices are determined by international trade and by going prices in the United States-," he said. eggs, fresh fruits, turkeys, fresh grapes and greenhouse vegetables. • Only two are allowed to set production' quotas: eggs and flue -cured tobacco. , Three only set marketing quotas: burley tobacco, ill says Plumptre's. estimate.swrong The farmers' share of the price of processed fruit, pears, peaches, red pitted cherries and prunes varies between 8.3. percent and 12 percent. The farmer receives12.25 percent of the retail price of bread. In January,, 1975, farmer was receiving about 75 percent of the retail price of eggs. When top class steers were bringing the farmer 55 cents a pound, 'the farmer was receiving about 76 percent of the retail price. The higher percentage farmers receive for' a few products does not bring the average up to 65 percent, Hill pointed out. • From the spring of 1972 to the.fall of 1974 farm costs rose at ,a staggering rate. For example, bale, twine in- creased by over 40Q percent. Beryl Plumptre's statement that farm gate prices account for 65 percent of the cost of food' to . the consumer is , misleading, Gordon Hill, president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture said . in Toronto last week. "That is the sort -of headline -grabbing generalization that sets consumers against -.farmers and contributes to today's widespread misu.n- derstanding of the farmers' economic situation," 'Hill says. "Figures from. our research department show that, on average, farmers got about 40 cents of the con- sumer's dollar on a wide variety of products during 1974", Hill says. •- In 1975 consumers are paying, on average, 84 cents a pound for cottage cheese. Of this, the farmer gets 10 cents for the milk or 12 percent. Consumers are paying 54 cents a quart for fluid milk. The farmer g'e'ts 30 cents or 55 percent. The farmer's share of the cost of processed vegetables, pease tomatoes, corn and carrots varies between 3.2 percent' and 12 percent.. LOWER INTEREST RATES Now Available On 1ST AND 2ND,MORTGAGES Anywhere in Ontario On • RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL and FARM -PROPERTIES Interim Financing For New Construction & Land Development For Representatives In Your Area Phone SAFEWAY INVESTMENTS AND CONSULTANTS' LIMITED r . ,(519) 744-6535 Collect Head Office - 56 Weber;St, E. Kitchener, Ont. —We Buy Existing Mortgages for Instant Cash— tage of every loophole in the acts governing taxes. Work habits have changed a•great deal over the Years in the industrial sector. Get as much as you„can for as little work as possible, Simple looking for bigger pieces cttif pie only obscures the fact that what is needed is a bigger pie Only more productivity can produce -a bigger pie. If industrial workers could understand this principle, they, wouldn't be demanding bigger pieces of the pie until pro- ductivityAndwhat incrdoeseasesthis have to do with .farming'' Let's' quote a few figures from a speech given recently by Fart Butz, the U.S. secretary of agriculture when he spoke in Bloomington, I11. Output per man hour on farms is three times higher to- day than it was 20 years agog Output per man hour in man- ufacturing is only 1,8 times higher than it was 20'years,ago. And that is because agriculture has not resisted' c hange, contrary to popular opinion. Agriculture has -seized tech- nology in .a welcome embrace. It has not resisted the ap- plication of scientific and technological development as many labor unions have done, "The farmer doesn't stand by the water cooler -bragging about yesterday's accomiflishments while today's work goes undone,” said Mr. Butz. "He goes to work to produce more than ever before. The family farmer has not learned to punch the clock at 40 hours (or 38 or 34 or 32, I might add ►. The family farmer does not go on strike to put two men in a tractor cab," Right on, Earl, baby! The family farmer cannot go to.the barn and say, "Look, Bossy,, I'm going away for the weekend so just shut off the milk for two or three days.:' Call it the work ethic, ,.Call it, old-fashioned, but the an- swer is simple: We get only what we work for and what we produce. That's all there is in the pie, There isn't any more. (•r oscIN I J.1 VIN'S T YOUR MEAD QUARTERS FOR , +ROGERS MAJESTIC TV •EXPERT TV SERVICE • ANTENNA & TOWER INSTALLATION r 162 MARY ST. GODERICH 5 2 4-9089 WATER WELL DRILLING Latest modern equipment Domestic - Industrial. - Municipal Free Estimates You and your family deserve the best of water so don't hesitate to •Gail' TOMLANG PHONE 524-6410 NORTH ON HIGHWAY 21, GODERICH CLAY — • Silo Unloaders • Feeders - Cleaners - Stabling f' - Log Elevators • Liquid Manure Equipment • Hog Equipment FARMATIC — • Mills - Augers, etc, ACORN - - Cleaners - Heated Waterers , ZERO — Bulk Tanks Pipeline & Parlou'r Equipment W EST E E L. ROSCO•Granaries B & L - Hog Panelling Bulk Tank & Pipeline cleaning Detergents, Teat Dip, etc. Bovadine Dyne Losan Uddei'san Foamcheck Kleeneasy LOWRY FARM SYSTEMS RR 1, Kincardine, Ontario, Phone 395-5286 On Oct. 29th we'll open our ranch in :Godcrich Ron Allin is the manager of TD's new..Goderich2 branch m- the Suncoast Shoppers .Mail, 397 Bayfield Road, and he brings you over 14 years experience. -Experience has taught him that the best way to meet banking needs is to -provide courteous and effi- cient service and to be available for any special banking advice: Join Ron and his staffwhen House I�. they celebratethe opening of their new branch' on Wed- nesday, Oct. 29th from 10 a.m.. to .3 p.m. in the new Suncoast Shoppers Ma11.a Oficial ribbon cutting cere- monies will take place in. the Mall at 9:30 a.m. Our bankinghours are Mon- day to Wednesday, 10 a.rn. to 3 p.m.; Thurs- day,10 a.m.,to 8 p.m. and Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. If you need us, we're here. Ron Allin, Manager .Suncoast Shoppers Mall 397 Bayfield Road Telephone: 524-2681 "iD BANK ,i" ay TORONTO 17OMINION the bank where people make the difference