HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1977-08-18, Page 33sr
-51
fY
}
Gj
,.ri+r 'n.: �,y ': ✓.r,T::n�. :.im,�'�>`r .„m,w:.-`7�-'A.�7�
.7i
EV
rz;
vt
rri
11.
1
1
5
Bureaucracies have a way of heating your brains out with
rules and regulations.” •
The Ontario Milk Marketing Board (OMMBI, the Ontario
Milk Commission and Onta7rio Minister of Agriculture .and
Food_Williarn Newman, have managed -to push the Old Order
and Amish Mennonites of Ontario up against a brick wall
in the subject of shipping milk in cans.
'Yes, I know. For those in charge of the OMMB, shipping
milk in cans is considered unsanitary. The board has given
ample warning. that such shipments will- no longer be allow-
ed after Oct. 31, 1977.
The ban is to be strictly enforced: No more milk in cans.
So be it. Mostfarmers have had fair warning and are will-
ing to accept the dictum. There are only about 1,800 in On-
tario still using cans..The�rest have gone to bulk -milk tanks,
properly refrigerated, to retain the quality of the milk.
But I, for one — and Jim Romahn writing in the Kitch-
ener -Waterloo Record for another — believe that the Old
Order and Amish Mennonite groups in this province clearly
deserve special treatment. '
Misunderstood and neglected, the plain people who shun
all modern conveniences such as tractors, hydro, telephones,
cars, trucks and bulk -milk coolers, should be given consider-
ation by the bureaucrats.
Officials think the plain people are just stubbornly cling-
ing to out -dated rules and regulations. The bureaucrats in-
dicate that this small segment of the rural population are
ignorant, stupid clods who just will not conform.
But, because I am living in the heart of Mennonite coun-
try,,•1 know this is not true.
They are, as Romahn writes, clinging to their faith. And
that faith tells them to live a certain way, a way that is sim-
ple, self-denying, humbling and old-fashioned. They believe
they should eschew modernity, shun all those things that
would tempt. them to put material possessions above their
God. They avoid debt because it could become a worry. They
make positive attempts not to take pride in their own ac-
complishments.
crated by Bob Trotter. Erdal. Rd., Elmira. Ont
They avoid things which could be construed as luxuries
or even conveniences,' things that drain their money away
from their prime purpose in life: farming..
Over the years, they have patiently. explained to various
bureaucratic empires that' they are different. They won a
longstanding battle over the Canada PensionPlanand prov-
ed conclusively that they are their brothers' keeper. They
have tvon sortie exemptions from federal and provincial
governments.
They have won some of these exemptions because they
ask nothing fro i governments except to be left in peace.
For that, they pay taxes without question.
They take no family -allowances, no old age pensions, no
medicare, no farm credit loans. Many refuse even to take
milk subsidy cheques. I have known some tvhb refuse pre-
miums for hogs because it is a bureaucratic scheme. -
Some of these Mennonite people have refused to install
bulk coolers. So adamant are they in their refusal that some
communities in south-western Ontario are putting their
farms up for sale°and leaving the country.
Their leaders 'maintain that once hydro is in the barn,
the temptation is there to install other conveniences.
it is time for the. bureaucrats to do something about this,
to devise .an alternative that will exempt these people but
not provide a loophole for others to exploit.
No problem is so great that it cannot be solved when rea-
sonable men are willing to sit down and talk about it with
the goal of trying to find a solution.
Unfortunately, the bureaucrats seem' to think that the
plain people are a nuisance. They don't vote either for Lib-
erals, Conservatives or New Democrats. Or even milk board
directors.
Said Romahn: "We stand to watch a bureaucracy rob a
significant, a passive and an altogether admirable minority
of part of their lifestyle. Tomorrow it may be my minority
or yours that is crushed by the same system."
Amen, I say.
event tragic. tractor.roll. deaths
r rollovers account
highest number of
se and
ara
flings
;'. spray,
ick Couplers
$ for every need
pumps, sewage pum-
er pumps, specialty
EPPS
Sales & Service
HWY. 8 EAST
CLINTON
482-3418
ONLY SELL —
ANO PLEASE
TAKE NEED,
V3Pk(ERS
AIL r
GUARANTEED
PROPERLY'
INSTALLED
farm machinery -related
fatalities in' Ontario.
"Many of these fatalities
could be prevented by the
safety -conscious use - of
equipment," says Michael
Miller, consultant for the
Farm Safety Association of
Ontario.
Last year, tractor rollovers
accounted for 15 farm
fatalities (28 percent' of the
total fatalities). Other
tractor -related fatalities
caused four farm deaths last
year.
Sideways' tractor rollovers
are the major cause of
fatalities. To avoid them, set
wheels at the widest possible
setting for the job, lock brake
pedals together before high
speed travel, and match the
speed to operating conditions
and loads.
Miller suggests using
engine braking when going
' downhill and slow speeds for
turning.
"It is important to avoid
crossing steep slopes, if
possible. Watch for
depressions on the downhill
side and bumps on the uphill
side," says Miller.
He advises operators to
turn' downhill, not uphill, if ,
stability becomes a problem.
Stay as far away as
possible from ditches and
rivers, as the banks are steep.
, To help maintain stability,
keep the front-end loader as
M CLASSIFIED SECTION
sale
cents per yard.at the
40 cents per yard
red. Landscaping
Phone 1-237-3202 orl-
,
--tf
B. Custom work
DON'S CUSTOM COM-
BINING —"truck and wagon
supplied. Phone Brussels 887-
6666 or Blyth 523-4260. —30-31-
3-33
HIDE C. Wanted
and Duroc '
nd gilts, registered,
tested, lows back fat.
McNally, ; 519-367-
,33,34;35 1..•
EAR
OLD standard.
Y by Sudden''Yankee.
ar old riding, horses,
les. Arabian stallion
Phone :1-519.236- i y k is Land
race
ages to low of 138
BAR days, b.fr to .37 norimal in
OLD Hereford • ventor of 25 to 30 boars,
ebred phone 524- . , Rob#nsbni ItR. 4,' "villain 345
2'31 i..33,34,35,36,'
CORN WANTED. Peaches
and Cream variety - fresh
picked for freezing - 5 dozen.
Phone 52'4-9034.---33NC
p. livestock
PUREBRED HAMPSHIRE
• BOARS, Hamp Duroc boars,
York ; n ;ace boars,';ROP
is
low as possible during
transport.
Rearward tractor
rollovers, although less
frequent than sideways
rollovers, are almost always
fatal, says Miller.
"The tractor can hit the
ground in less than 11/2
seconds after the front
wheels begin rising," he.
adds.
To prevent backward
rollovers use weights to in-
crease the tractor's stability.
It is , important never to
hitch a load higher than the
tractor drawbar.
CLAY —
Silo Unloaders
Feeders
Cleaners
Stabling
Leg Elevators
Liquid Manure Equipment
Hog Equipment
BUTLER —
Silo Unloaders
Feeders
Conveyors
FARMATIC —
Mills
Augers, etc.
ACORN —
Cleaners
Heated Waterers
ZERO —
Bulk Tanks
Pipeline & Parlour
Equipment
W ESTE EL-ROSCO
Granaries
B & L - Hog Panelling
LOWRY FARM SYSTEMS
RR 1, Kincardine, Ontario
Phone 395-5286
-. Start a forward motion
slowly and change speed
gradually. If possible, avoid
backing downhill.
Always ,drive around dit-
ches. Should the machine be
stuck in the mud try ,to back
out first. Miller says that if
backing out fails the safest
bet is to pull the machine out
with another tractor.
LARGEST STOCK
IN THE COUNTY
WORK
BOOTS
0
—Industrial
— Farm
Factory
Plain or safety toe
PUNCTURE PROOF
SOLES
ROSS
SHGE SHOP
142 The Square
Goderich, Ont.
WATER WELL :DRILLING -
"76 YEARS EXPERIENCE",
• FARM • SUBURBAN • INDUSTRIAL • MUNICIPAL:*
• FREE ESTIMATES,
• GUARANTEED WELLS
• FAST -MODERN EQUIPMENT ..
•4 ROTARY & PERCUSSION DRILLS
"OUR EXPERIENCE ASSURES t,.
,LOWER COST WATER WELLS,"
VIAS
4 Rotary tied Pirclitsslon Drills
PHONE 3S74t960
WELL DI IL IIVC;: U�Mtt'ED Wirl"AM
Godlier CIII$ Mel ptei
"ONTA'Ricei FIiN•EST WAtER.�t i:s SitiOt490o"
•
Going back' tog the city is was 'most d fticult', '"while The working day on ,the
going to seem duil fqr 18 -year: pointing to the blisters on his farm usually' begins by
old Carl Wheeler Of London, hands and Carl feeds and waters the
Carl, a'grade 11 student at`
cattle and pigs and :then is.,
Saunders Secondary School in Ails d'tttiei have been varied
perience' on- ar. farm to -t'be .::and•corit„dnvirtg tr�ac`7fcsr.,
bailing�` time.xo stop• -for luiar,Ji during
Goderich area -this .summer, ; , hay. bwlding_fences . the day and Carl admitted
an experiencethathas tussled and dleaning out the grain
his thoughts to either working bin. Sometimes the hours 9 to 5 job. ”
The students participating
in the Junior Agriculturalist
program in Huron County had
a chance to meet and com-
pare notes during their
working term„ and Carl said
that all of them seemed to be
enjoying the - transition to
rural life.
Net everyone experienced
the same problems but the
three ' main obstacles that
cropped up most in the
conversation were getting up
assigned his chores for the
,..had„..111s. first ex• -� .11 tblg i ears n�2�*
that it sure is different than a
or perhaps owning a farm. ave een ong an t e wor
He is now working .on the
farm, of Gerald Rodges, RR 2,
Goderich, under the Junior
Agriculturalist program
sponsored by5the Ministry of
Agriculture and Food. The
program serves a dual role in
providing jobs . for students
and offering''oityydwellers a
chance to experience farm
life.
The program runs from
June 20 to August 20 and costs
are shared by the host farmer
and the Ministry. The
students work six days per
week and are given room and
board" and $16 a day. Only
students without previous
farm experience are chosen
for the program.
For Carl, and many other
city students in the program,
their interest was mainly
securing employment in a job
market that had little to offer
this summer. But now the
work is more than just a job.
"I would like to work on a
farm later. It is different and
it seems like fun." Carl said.
"It is going to seem dull in the
city after this. I like the farm
because of the different
lifestyle."
Carl had an interest in
farming in his native
England while he lived there
although he had actually
never been on •a farm. His
family moved to Canada two
years ago and settled first in
Montreal before moving to
London one year ago. - - -
For a teenager from the
city, farming is a modest
change of pace that naturally
takessome adjustment.,
While at the Rodges farm,
t Carl was quickly introduced
to bailing hay which he said
tough but ithasn't altered
Carts' love of farce life.
Tho students - do not enter
the program completely
unaware of farm procedure
and are. • given a two-day
orientation course on farm
life, and machinery. Junior
Agricluturaligts in the area
were given an orientation
course at Centralia College
that consisted of films,visits
to farms and demonstrations
of farm machinery.
But the orientation course
certainly cannot prepare an
unsuspecting student for
everything,
"At first Mr. Rodges, used
to kid me a lot about doing
thirigs wrong but it takes a
while to catch on." he said.
"Driving the tractor was
hard. I took my foot off the
clutch all the time and it was
just terrible."
• The people who farm are
also a very distinct and dif-
ferent breeed to a person
exposed to farming for the
first time, Carl admits that it
is .a full-time job and added
that farmers have more
things to do and probably
work harder than most
people. -
Carl's working days on the
farm have been varied and
sometimes long. While . they
were bailing hay work went
until 1 a.m. and he said
sometimes it is necessary. to
work 17 hours a day.
But when there is a big job
to do help is only as far away
as the nearest neighbour.
"The farmers know each
other and are very close and
friendly." Carl noted, "They
help each other ,all the time
and if Gerald needs help he
just phones his friends and
they come over and help."
•
eicperienfie
said. •
He admitted that farmers
are masters of many trades:
out of necessity but believed
the two basic •;ingredients
needed to farm were an in-
terest in animalsand working
on the land.. ,
For the inexperienced farm
work can be tough and quite
often demanding. But when
the day is done Carl and the
family dog wander down to
the river , for a little
relaxation, quiet and bass
fishing. And it all seems
worthwhile.
RIGID OR SWINGING 1
Pull 3 bolts to convert from rigid to swinging im1
-
peller paddles on the Butler V -II silage distributor-
unloader. The big -capacity 26" dia. impeller has a
convenient easy -access lift-off top.
We also install cattle feeding, ventilating, and
manure -handling systems.
1
"AMBERLEY
4*wyamS4tetd
4
RR 1 KINCARDINE, ONT. NOG 2G0 „��
PHONE: 395-5286
—____'—
This gives you
membershi
privdeges a
all Scatiabank
branches
acrOss Canda
join Scotiaclub and you' can use your Scotiaclub card to
cash personal-Scotiaclub cheques at any Scotiabank branch in •
the country for amounts up to $100 in any one day. Think of
the freedom that gives you.
Think of the other attractive benefits of membership:
• any number of personal cheques on your Scotia
Chequing Account, witFfout service charge and
without any minimum balance requirement.
• distinctive personalized Scotiaclub' heques, including
your name, address and phone number along with an
attractive cheque wallet. ,
• any number of commission free travellers cheques,
drafts and money orders for personal use. In the case of •
foreign. currencies, the current exchange rates apply.
• commission free payment of bills normally acceptedby
your Scotiabank branch,
Scotiaclub gives you these benefits plus more, and all for
just $2.00 a month. Apply at any Scotiabank branch for
Scotiaclub membership.
Scotiabank
THEBANK OF NOVA SCOTIA
rrr