The Goderich Signal-Star, 1981-06-10, Page 1,the
14,3naer1C1
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10,1981
50 CENTS PER COPY
Angry farmers lash out atMinisters
By Herb.Shoveller .,
More than 900 angry Ontario farmers including
many from Huron and Bruce gathered in Toronto
Thursday and jeered and called down federal and
provincial goverment ministers when they would
not • commit themselves to programs to protect
agriculture .from high interest rates and low
production returns.
Eugene-Whelan,.'federal Minister of Agriculture,
along with his provincial counterpart, Lorne Hen-
derson, were targets of most of the farmers'
frustration at the three-hour long public meeting to
provide the agricultural community with an op-
portunity to voice its concerns.
•
Ontario Treasurer Of
Miller was on the
receiving end of some of the bitter comments, while
Premier William Davis, an "uninvited guest"' who
spoke briefly; slipped out of the meeting early, un-
scathed. -
Ralph Barrie, president of the Ontario Federation.
of Agriculture (OFA), Brian Ireland, an OFA
director from Bruce County and Leslie Van Digt, a
farmer from Haldimand-Norfolk who described his
concerns about his future m farming, presented the
farmers' position. Glenn Motet, president of the
Canadian Federation of Agriculture, also spoke.
Though other issues such as foreign ownership
were touched Amon staggering' interest rates and
m6tiol u� c on -praelueticammaimd the main
issues of dispute. •
Throughoutthe steep climb in interest rates Mr.
Henderson has maintained providing relief is -a
federal concern, and his insistence appeared to have
paid off for him. After arriving late from Ottawa, Mr.
Whelan was constantly called upon to answer
questions concerning interest rates. And whenever
shots were aimed at the province, Mr. Miller fielded
them.
In the 'few instances when be did speak, however,
the provincial agriculture minister was regularly
attacked.
When Mr. Hendersonbegan his brief introductory
address with, "Through the years the government
has fried to respond to problems as we see them" an
irate farmer hollered "Bull..."
Let's talk -
Later, when he explained the government was
interested and expected to hear from the farmers at
the meeting, another audience member interrupted,
saying, "High interest, let's talk about it."
"I agree," replied '. Henderson, "and we're,
going to have the federa minister here" to discuss
them.
"Quit passing the b ck," challenged another
farmer.
Twice during his fiv
chairman -Mr. Barrie- i
order, aod when Mr. Hei
scattered applause spru
boos.
Mr. Ireland, the third
the tone for the farmer
remarks. d'We are fa,ri
said, "and we don't have
fed a diet of horse ..."
Some
In an interview later,
assessment of the meet
we made some progre
minute address, meeting
d- to -call- the audience <;to
erson sat down he received
led with a small chorus of
ealter okthe afternoon, set
' anger •with his opening
firs, not mushrooms," he
to be kept in the dark and
5.,
grecs
. Ireland issued a cooler
's success. "I would think
They showed concern by
sending . the premier and ers here. We seemed
to get some kind of co ent from Frank Miller,"
and managed to score a f :, `brownie points."
For Mr. Barrie, the suc sof the meeting will only
be measured after disuc hits with the government
• over the next morith..t.' was really essential for
us," he explained in a nterview following ad-
journment. "The secre i, negotiating with the
gad:rernment"eisektjivovingewe are .spea g -for -..-.
people." The solid turnoutThursday provided the
evidence. '
Still, he admitted, the talk -will be difficult.. "Frank
Miller is a pretty astute gu,' He's not going to put a
lot of money into short, rirsubsidies for the sake of
long term stability."
An often mentioned r : eq to provide an upturn in
the fortunes of agri rfwas a shift to supply
management, particula u*he red meat industry.
Over -supply is curre "y a major ailment, and it
was made clear, by ' I government speakers and
agricultural spoke's= that the responsibility for
better control of inputs he marketplace rests with
farmers.
Though there are
direction, certain ind
resisted marketing bo
enterprise. It is conten
would regulate flow of
Federation meets in Go
This week the town of Goderich is playing host to 40
provincial delegates attending the Parks and
Recreation Federation of Ontario annual meeting
Thursday and Friday.
The two-day annual meeting will be held at the
Assessment Offfice and the town of Goderich-will host
a reception and dinner Thursday, at the Bedford
Hotel, honoring the federation for its work in support
of leisure services.
The annual meeting will begin at 1 p.m. Thursday
and much of the afternoon session will be consumed
by director's reports. On Friday, delegates will deal
with an organization update, a discussion of the
Fisher report, resolutions and election of officers.
The Ministry of Culture and Recreation will be
represented by Robert Secord, assistant deputy•
-
INSIDE THE
SIGNAL -STAR
Black. Light dazzling
The Famous People
Players dazzled a
Goderich audience
Saturday evening with
their black light show.
See page lA fora review
of the show which was
sponsored by the area
association for the
Mentally Retarded and
the Pro Life group.
Hire a Student
'We won't just send you a student. We'll send
you the right one,' reads the slogan of the
Canada Employment Centre for Students.
Read all about Hire a Student Week in
Goderich on page IA.
New psych unit
The new psychiatric unit et AM&G has been
completed at a cost of $960,000 and patients
will be moving in today. Read about the
details and seethe pictures on page 7.
Regular Features
Tid Bits 1'g. 2 Classified... : Pg. 13-15
Newborns Pg. 2 Real Estate .. Pg. 1847
Obits Pg. 0 Jottings Pg. 4A
Editorials „Pg. 4 B. board , Pg. 7A
Cecil anane - Pg. 4 Chuch Pg. 9A
'Sports Pg. 9-12 Farm Pg. 13A
i
minister in the Field
division of the ministr
The Parks and Rec
held its fust meeting
a result of exploratory
of personnel fro
organizations. The f
voice for parks and re
The federation is
that represents 3,000
involved in the de
Organizations that
. recreation as their
bership in the federat •
Each organization
directors which sery
recreation services.
Recreation.
The federation tak
in matters of provinci
!for the recreation v
services publicati
educational trainin
standards and polici
parks and recreation
The federation ch
Haydon of Goderich
meetings will be he
room and delegates
HoteL
Canad
offers
cations pointing in that
ies; notably beef, have
and favour simple free
that a marketing agency
ucts to market to insure
rich
ces, Sports and Recreation
on Federation of Ontario
ch 1980. The federation is
k by a task force composed
provincial recreation
tion now offers a strong
tion in Ontario.
sed of six organizations
essional and lay personnel
of recreation services.
ovincial in scope and have
to are permitted mem-
presented on the board of
an advisory committee on
e Ministry of Culture and
tion on behalf of members
ncem, provides a job mart
on and develops a leisure
e body also provides
pportunities, establishes
d promotes the subject of
public.
is Robert Arnot and Elsa
es on the executive. The
he Asessment Office board
dquarters is the Bedford
Week
enty
BY JO BUCHANAN
Goderich wiil hold and annual Canada Week
celebrations June 26 -
Organizers are now the finishing touches on
what promises . to be filled weekend for both
citizens and the man its who are expected to
pour into town.
The weekend will ki 'rlday at 4 p.m. with the
Optimist Club's Mu Ftival and Friends at
Harbor Park. The Festi ftures a hospitality tent,
barbecues, children's`, and continuous folk
and blue grass music b id groups. It carries on
right through until Sand 1.p
The Goderich Sailin Ciwill sponsor a Laser
Sailing Regatta at the Dor on Saturday and
Sunday beginning at 10 a.m.
St. George's Anglican rch is also hosting
several events on Saturdsllhonor of the 100th
anniversary of its churcNlding. These events
include an afternoon tea at rectory; buggy rides
and tours of the town; a Wait. for children; an
old-fashioned candy booth smorgasbord salad
supper and a barn dance in tvenirg.
Also on Saturday evenhlte Goderich Tourist
Committer will stage its an.fireworks display at
the harboratdusk.
On Sunday there will heefal Church services
Turn to page 3.
Premier Davis
farmers recover their production costs and show a
profit. '
"Hopefully, the farmers will admit they can't
manage their way, and get off their ego trip, or we're
going to have poverty on the farm," said Andre
Durand; a South Huron director on the county
Federation of Agriculture. "The reason (for the
current dilemma) is not interest rates, it's return on
production. Milk has a quota, and they have no
problems." -
Premier Davis toucheci-on theissue in his address.'
"There's a real problem in the beef industry. Part of
the solution lies in your own hands," he told the
Lorne Henderson
gathering. "There has tobe an awareness that part of
the problem lies with the industry itself."
The premier described the intent of the government
representatives at the seminar. • 1
"I'm. here to say there are limitations ... that a
government -can in fact achieve. As a provincial
government, we are prepared ,give certain.
solutions to certain problems, but we can't solve them:
all."
He echoed Mr.: Henderson',s comments on il'terest
rates;'saying they were a p duct of the `policy °af the
government of this country."
Turn to page 3 •
Be paiient!
Census forins
will be thcked
If you have filled out the census gpestlQAd_.,,,,,.,..
are in a panic because it hasn't been Wired
despair.
But that, in fact, is just what many peop;
been doing,: While June 3 was the much p �..
deadline for completion el thecensus forms, alike*
in this area will be picked up.
Census commissioner for Goderich and Colborne
Towns -hips and -the -town of Goderith, Eileen p �
said that many people are in a panic and taping
completed forms to the post office.
"All questionnaires in this district must be held for
pickupand that could be another week or 10 days,"
she said. "But we don't want people to panic. The
canvassers will be following the same route for
pickup as they did to drop the forms oH.
Government advertisements have extenaprely
dealt with the penalty for failure to return the •census
form. And subsequently, many people in this area
believed their tardiness in returning the form would
result in a penalty.
In larger cities, people are required to mail the
forms but Goderich is in a pickup areae
,
Palmer has been picking up several forms that'
area residents left at the Post Office and she said"tile
phone has been ringing all day."
if yo #.111 have a wm let ' —.:.
around the house, don't panic, it will be picked up.. --
Pahner said the pickup procedure should be complete
byJune 19.
;13,130 pledged
to hospital fund
The Hospital Building Fund bas a sound lease to
build on after $13,130.. in cash and. pleAges .was
received by the committee this week.
Recently the board of governors of .Alexandra
Marine' and General Hospital announced plana to
proceed with a fund-raising .campaign aimed at'
producing $250,000 for the construction of a nevi
critical care area. Specific fund -rasing plans are still;.
in the initial stages but a public canvass will beheld.
The new critical care area will provide fourbedttin
a modern facility over the existing laundry. section.
There is no direct provincial funding for the con-
struction and the board is committed to raise $495,0000
for the project.
Strong thieves.
lift heavy chain
Goderich Police are investigating a rather unusual
theft in which 210 feet of heavy chain was stolen from
around the lighthouse. .
Police Chief, Pat King Said the theft occured last
week and the chain is the property of the Department
of. Transport The `chain had- to pried from 25 posts
around the lighthouse area and the weight would have
necessitated transport in a truck.
Chief King said police have no idea when the chain
was -removed and speculated that it could not have
been taken from the scene hea .car., #1e added that
neighbouring residents did not see or hear anything
"In other police news, the awning of -Shore Gifts *as
vandalized .Saturday morning and the incident is
under investigation. There is no estimate of damage.
Carol Williams, a student from Goderich, takes
advantage of Tuesday's beautiful weather to sit
studying in the sun. Monday was the last day of
classes for secondary school students, but many
will write final examinations to improve upon „raise her mark to above 70 per cent. The
marks. Carol, a grade nine student of Central Huron examination schedule at 'GDCI goes until next
school in Clinton, wrote a science exam to try to Tuesday. (Jason Ainslie photo)
Board hassles over closure committee
BY JASON AINSLIE
Human biases were the essence of dispute among
members of the Huron County Board of Education on
Thursday afternoon, when the board met for its final
regular meeting of this school year.
.The discussion was over the establishing of a
citizen review committee to oversee school closures
and course cuts, and Director of Education, D.J.
Cochrane, conceded that itis a sensitive issue.'
He reminded board members that "each board
must adopt a policy which follows certain Ministry of
Education guidelines and which, after receiving
public hire may or may not lead to a decision to
close a school" or classroom.
In his policy proposal to the board, Mr. Cochrane
suggested that voting members of a school ac-
commodation review committee would include two
members of a Home and School Association or two
parents of • children attending the school in question,
these to be elected at a public meeting; two citizens of
the area served by the school in question, also elected
at a public meeting; one school board trustee, ap-
pointed by the board chairman, to represent the
public school electors of the area served by the
school; and one trustee, appointed by the board
chairman, from another area.
It was this last provision which caused concern
among some board members.
Board Trustee Frank Falconer opened the debate
saying "this committee would be useless", unless the
final provision allows for three trustees to be ap-
pointed by the chairman of the board.
He suggested the committee should have an equal
number of board trustees as outside members
because "we'd never get a recommendation from
that sort of a committee (two trustees and four
citizens) that a school beclosed."
"The top brass (board) doesn't have any say in that
sort of system," he said. "What is our purpose of
being here?"
:Board Trustee Jean Adams agreed. "If a parent
has a child in that system, you can't explain closures
or course cuts to him. Parents are biased. People who
come to the public meeting - and you know who they
are going to be - are completely biased. We have to
educate them."
But Trustee Eugene Frayne said "somewhere,
we've got carried away with the power of this review
committee. What we have is the public presenting its
side, its feelings, and bringing recommendations to
the board. The committee has no authority."
"We want the public to be biased," he said. to
prevent the board from making hasty decisions."
Director Cochrane elaborated on the power of the
committee. He said there are two safety valves on the
route to a school closure: first, there must be ap-
proval from the reviewing committee for any
recommendations to be presented to the board: then
the entire board must approve the recommendations.
"I weighted the representation specifically to give
the citizenry more say at the committee stage." he
said. "The memo from the ministry requires that the
public have input."
"If we load the committee with trustees, 'we'll lose
that input," Trustee John Jewitt said.
Board Vice-chairman Bert Morin said, after
considering the needs of the students and community.
the purpose of the review is to examine details of cost.
He said if outside citizens understand the costs of
courses or schools, then they can be directly involved
with the solutions to problems. "It's more than fair
Turn to page 3 •