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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1981-10-14, Page 1e 133 YEAR -41 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1981 , GODERICH, ONTARIO 50 CENTS PER COPY Cardiff receives 1,037 letters BY STEPHANIE LEVESQUE HENSALL - A presentation of 1,037 letters stating the feelings on the economy of the Huron County peo- ple was presented to MP Murray Cardiff (P -Huron- Bruce) at the Huron County Federation of Agriculture's annual meeting here October 8. Gerry Fortune, president of the Huron County Federation m ade the presentation to Cardiff. Prior to the presentation, Fortune said she had read the let- ters as they came in. She said the letters made her feel "sad, frustrated, desperate, and angry". These feelings were vented, not at the letter writers, but at the situation the economy is in. She related how in one of the letters, a person who had been farming, for 25 years didn't know what he was going to do, because next year he would have no equity left. Cardiff said following the presentation that it was the largest number of letters he had ever received. He said "agriculture has been given another blow", with the announcement that day that interest on government loans to farmers increased to 16.75 per- cent from 14 percent. In a lighter moment, Russell Bolton of McKillop Township was presented with the Huron County Award for his involvement in the Federation of Agriculture. Norman Alexander made the presenta- tion and read out a long list of Bolton's ac- complishments. It was the sixth year for the award. We're in this Together Hannam says BY STEPHANIE LEVESQUE HENSALL - "We're all in this together", past presi- dent of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture told the Huron Federation's annual meeting here recently. Peter .Hannam; the guest speaker for the annual event, ,was talking about the current economic situa- tion. He commended the Huron Federation as it is the most active and vocal federationin the province. But he said not to letthe good production in Huron County lull the members into a false sense of security. Hannam said he had a "fear" of deflation, because a "collapse" as was experienced in 1929 is determin- ed by the rate of speed from inflation to. deflation. He compared the current inflation rate to that of a steamroller, .and the higher inflation goes, he wonders how soon and how severe the deflation will be. He said that as more farmers go out of business, there is more of an impact on the commodity market and more chance of a collapse. He recommended an orderly change, with government policy slowing down the possibility of deflation. Hannam said it isn't true that the price of farm land has been going up steadily. He . suggested if the farmers looked back over the past 200 years, they would find land prices have gone up and .down. He again emphasized his fear` of deflation and what it would do to the price of farmland. He said the hard- ship would be far greater than that being experienced now. Hannam spoke at the meeting on the grain in- dustry, and related how appalled he was at his own lack of knowledge on the subject when he joined the Canadian Livestock Feed Board. Hannam is current- ly chairman of the board. • He advised barley producers to not gear up produc- tion'for the world market, rather he said, there is a more positive market in Canada. Hannam said the federal freight assistance program for transportation to the Maritime provinces assists Canadian pro- ducers selling to Canadian markets. He said he would hate to see French barley ( from France) arrive in Canada to feed Maritime livestock. A low price at harvest time because of poor weather is just a symptom, said Hannam. The real issue is the global grain market. He explained the difference between a shortage and a surplus is about one percent of the global grain production and the difference between a glut on the market and a critical shortage is about three percent. He said there was a critical shortage of grain last year, and in anticipation of this production was in- creased. It was increased by 20 billion tonnes. He agreed that didn't sound like much in relation to the world market, but it has created a glut on the market. Hannam said a lot of farmers have switched to barley crops, because of lower input costs, less dry- ing time and easier storage. He said this has resulted in more barley being produced than could be consum- ed. Hannan compared market prices and said the main competition for Canada is Europe. In his concluding remarks, Hannam praised the works of the Huron County Federation of Agriculture and said to "keep up the good work". Divers from G.E. Young Diving 'and Marine of Department of Public Works has run into problems Toronto continue working on repairs to the slope with the reconstruction project.( Photo by ,Dave supports on the northeast revetment wall in Goderich Sykes) . Harbor. The project was started September 15 but the Three thefts reported on weekend A break and enter occurred at the Burger Bar on Kingston Street Friday evening. Approximately $146 • was stolen. Two minor thefts were also reported to police over the weekend. A bicycle was stolen and some Christmas' decorations and tablecloths were stolen from a storage area at an apartment building on Kingston Street. Canvass, program highlight campaign The fate of the fund-raising campaign for the construction of a new Intensive Care Unit at Alexandra Marine and General Hospital, now rests with you, the citizens of Goderich and surrounding area. The fund-raising committee has diligently laid the foundation through months off preparatory work and now all that remains is the door-to-door canvass on Thursday evening. Three hundred canvassers will knock on all doors in the town and township of Goderich early Thursday evening soliciting your support for the fund that will pay for a new Intensive Care Unit. According to fund -rasing committee chairman, Bob Dempsey, the 300 canvassers and 30 captains have been encouraged to begin early in the evening. Since each canvasser will be responsible for an area covering 10 to 12 households. the canvass will be quick and hopefully, successful. Any donation will be gratefully accepted by a canvasser, but since pledges on the project will spread over a . three-year period to. December 1983, the committee would like people to think in terms of donatingwith post-dated cheques. In that way, people can make a meaningful con- tribution over a three-year period and the post-dated • cheques will make money management an easier chore fo'r the committee. • While the entire community .will be involved in the canvass, the committee would also like everyone to. share in the success of the venture, and have scheduled a two-hour television program on Cable television channel 12, beginning at 8 p.m. The two-hour special will feature professional entertainment from the Toronto area as well as local talent. Many local dignitaries, politicians and service club representatives will also be featured with their donations to the fund. Dempsey explained that the program will offer some fine entertainment but will also be the fund's thermometer of success and viewers will be able to follow the progress of the fund as it strives for the $250,000 mark. If you are missed during the door-to-door canvass, additional pledges will. be accepted during the telecast of the program, from 8 to 10 p.m., by calling 524-2641. The two-hour program will be hosted by Tim Baker and the local entertainment portion has been produced by Hugh Oliver. Several talent agencies in Toronto have donated the services of clients and the professional entertainment segment has been previously taped for presentation Thursday. Also during the telecast, the finalists in the elementary school poetry and coloring contests will receive prizes donated by Pizza Train. Your support will ensure adequate and competent health care in a new Intensive Care Unit at Alexandra Marine and General Hospital. When a canvasser calls Thursday, support the fund or c all524-2641 between 8 and 10 p.m.. It depends on you. Township taxes maybe in bind '.4tj •�. .-. a+.. .:'.w/-•�.y'-W`4.47;+44.11, ,,,,k1b•3. G.. .. A decision by the Huron Board of Education to collect the education requisition in four instalments, beginning next year' may put many townships in a bind. The board has • previously collected the education requisition twice annually but decided to make the• move to four instalments to save' .on interest payments. Director of Education, John Cochrane, said the board could save $80,000 per year in interest charges by collecting four,times a year. While the board will save'on interest charges by not having to borrow, it could put the interest burden onto the townships in Huron. Most municipalities in -Huron collect taxes twice annually, but to meet the board's Help committee promote Goderich . BY JOANNE BUCHANAN The Goderich Tourist Committee is looking for new ways to promote the town next summer and they are requesting help in doing so from citizens, service clubs and interested groups. "Our problem seems to be that even though we have a very attractive and enjoyable > place to promote, we feel we need to have more things to offer to the tourist and the nearby visitors to keep them coming back," explains Doug Bundy, committee chairman. Each summer, the committee 'sponsors two main attractions to the town --the Canada Week activities in June and the Festival of Arts and Crafts in mid-July. The committee would now like to develop another annual • event for the month of August to attract potential visitors and, in this regard, they are open to suggestions from the public. One of the ideas they have come up themselves is an old-fashioned summer garden party which could be held on The Square over a weekend in conjunction with the Huron County Pioneer Museum's Tiger Dunlop Days. It could in- volve a tea garden, old-fashioned games, a band concert, prizes for old-style costumes and even a queen crowning. The committee has some money which could be used to implement this idea as well as the expertise and the resources to do the promotion. What they are looking for is a group or several groups who would be willing to take on the planning and organizing of such an event for next summer. It could even be used as a money -making scheme for the group(s) involved. Another idea that the committee has been working on is a permanent parade float which could be used in many local and regional parades and county fairs. The float would help to advertise and promote the Port of Goderich as a place to visit. The committee has a design for the float -something resembling a boat which could be constructed and mounted on a small truck or flat bed, trailer. They also have the money to pay for its construction. But they have run into snags trying to come up with a truck or flat bed trailer. "We were wondering if some community group or service club would like to take on the project, funded by our committee to construct a float and to make arrangements for transportation. We world have summer staff who could take the float to parades," says Bundy. "It seems poor economics to purchase a truckwhich would only be used eight or 10 times a year on weekends...Can we get ariy suggestions from community members?" Bundy explains that tourism is big business in Goderich with many restaurants, motels, hotels and merchants depending on it. Approximately 17,000 tourists passed through the tourist informationbooth in town this summer -that's the largest number recorded there ever. The tourist committee consists of seven members plus a council representative and has an annual budget of $27,000. Approximately $7,000 of this goes towards operating and manning the tourist in- formation booth on a seasonal basis with most of the. remaining amount spent on promotional . material such as brochures, flags and advertising in newspapers. and on radio and. t.v. This year an .ad- ditional $1,800 was . used to pay for a week-long promotion.of the town with a video-tape at the Eatons Centre in Toronto. Promotion of the town is all-important to the tourist committee and Bundy says if the tourist industry is to survive here, more promotional events are needed. "These two new ideas:an annual event for August plus a permanent parade float -are something we'd like to get off the ground, but we need some assistance, not monetary assistance but assistance in the way • of workable ideas, organizing ability and manpower," he explains. How about it? If you or your group or club has any suggestions .or can offer help in any way, contact Bundy at 524-8895 or write to the tourist committee in care of town hall. Seaforth firm objects to board's tender .award BY STEPHANIE LEVESQUE The Huron County (Board of Education accepted the tender of G. L. Slanght Limited of Crediton for a York -Shipley boiler at $34,611 for Seaforth District High School. The bid accepted way the lowest of seven tenders received by the board The recommendation to ac- cept the tender was originally subn fitted to the board by the management committee but was reviewed by the executive committee after receiving a complaint from Bell Industries Limited of Seaforth, a boiler manufacturing company. In the executive committee's•report to the board jt stated, "as a result of a string of objections in the „ •* •5.�...,, t .\.n2 ....'.?vim .. ..efi past from Bell Industries Limited that one of its boilers was not used as the 'base bid' for tendering of boiler replacement in Huron County Schools, the pro- ject engineer was instructed by this board's ad- ministrative staff to use a Bell Industries Limited boiler as the 'base bid'." The base bid is the item whose specifications are used on the tender forms and must be equalled or ex- ceeded by a tenderer. This practice was followed for the boiler tenders. "The lowest tenderer on the total project using both the "base bid" boiler and suggested alternatives was G. L. Slaught Limited," stated the executive Turn to page 3 first instalment they wdl either have to change the collection system or borrow to meet the payments. Colborne Township reeve, Bill Bogie said the change in the' education requisition system will definitely reflect on the farming comMunity. As for changes in the tax system, the township will have to, take a look at it. "It will just mean that we will have to borrow and it will make the board look better," he said. "It just transfers the charges elsewhere and the taxpayer will have to pay interest anyway.. We collect taxes in June and November and if we don't change it will mean borrowing." • . Township treasurer, Ben Straughan, • said he ' doubted there would be any changes in the rural tax system., "I doubt we would make changes but it will mean we will have to borrow for a couple of months," he said. "In the farming community money is not regular and the bulk is received in the fall. Taxes are designed to accommodate the .community."' Turn to.page 3. INSIDE THE SIGNAL -STAR Prevention The Goderich Fire Department held a 'display at theSuncoast Mall this past week to promote Fire Prevention Week. Part of that display included an extrication demon- stration. Joanne Buchanan has the story and pictures on Page 1A. Jungle day While Goderich may be far removed from the mysteries of the jungle, the Royal Bank held Jungle Day Friday and part of the display was a large parrot. See page 2 for the picture. P,.