HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1988-12-28, Page 5Canada Post operates
u der 'exclusive, privilege'
ar ditor,
A recently-pub1jsh1,1 column by
An M. Smith in some community
newspapers talks about Canada
Post's so-called "monopoly" on
mail
I believe there are some ,11portant
points that you should 'A about
this issue and how jt critildaffeet the
costs if postal seririce for
Ca adians, especially ii rural
Canada
In the first place, Canada Post
does not have a monopoly in the
same way that telephone and hydro
companies have. We have an "ex-
cl sive privilege" over the
movement of letter mail.
This means that those who wish to
compete in our business, such as
courier companies, must charge at
least three ; 44es the basic 50 -gram
stockyards default confusion
letter rate. Since most coiner
charges are much higher than $1.71,
this is not a major obstacle to
competition.
Another form of co iipetition for
ourtraditional briingssithe newer
vllege arrangement, the basic- postal performance of prOperly-prepared
rate in Canada is the lowest in the first-class mail across the country.
world, except for the United States, There is ni similar independent
when measured in terms of the time measurement to justify Ms. Smith's
required by the average worker to assessment of the reliability of the
earn the price of a stamp. By the service provided by the Montreal
same measurement, the rate- in operator. In fact, they left _un -
_Canada today is the same as it was _ delivered large amotmts•of mail that
0.953. e - - they had been paid to deliver and
Canada Post is the only postal ad- Canada Post had to move in and
ministration in the world and only return it to sender. Someof this
delivery system in Canada — to had been in the operator's hands
have its delivery performance long before the carrier went out of
measured by an independent audit- business.
Ing firm that publishes the resultsYours sincerely,
quarterly. These reports show a Allan Skrumeda
steady improvement in the delivery Director of Community Affairs
Agriculture minister clears.
Dear Editor: Early in the new year, the board
There has been considerable con- will be considering another four
fusion in the community about com- applicants which were late in being
pensation for those affected by the submitted.
defaultoftheBrusselsStockyai.ds. The Brussels situation shows the
I electronic Mifides of "trarismi
Fin iciaI Protection value of this program, which has
docu4• ents being introduced by -11Land- program is designed to paid out almost $1.9 million to
telecommunications companies. provide compensation in cases such producers since 1982.
From this you can see that Canada as this and has been extremely ef- For 77 producers affected by the
Post faces a highly -competitive ficient -.and effective in dealing with Brussels default, the program has
business environment. We are the claims of those who met the made all the difference in the world.
moving to iieet those challenges
head-on by improving efficiency and
reliability and are steadily in-
creasing our volumes of mail.
The event that gave rise to Ms.
Smith's column was a recent
decision by the courts against an
operator who delivered letters, in
urban Montreal at a rate below the
basic letter rate.
The exclusive privilege over letter
mail was granted to Canada Post in
the public interest, in the same way
criteria.
The program — which was estab-
lished in 1982 after extensive con-
sultations with the industry — is
designed to protect Ontario
prucers, but not those from other B
4 •,
provinces.
As a result, out of total clahns of 11
,000 which have been processed is gratefully
so far, $257,000 has not been ac-
cepted for payment by the Beef acknowledged
Financial Protection Fund Board
because the transactions took place Dear Editor:
as hydro, cable and telephone outside the province., The board is We wish to acknowledge once
,earapanies are grouted exohititio -. _made.: iupef. representatives ,of the again, the generous support., of the
territories, so that uniform petal "bee in't-ost/Yv • • LI)helping
rates can be provided•toCnadians 'Toe remaniag $543,600 in claims their nelgnwrs- utreugn rae: ilurun
whether -they livein rural or urban - processed. to -date came from On- -POPSY Christmas_Bureau 1988.
areas. _ tario. Since the program is designed • it-ourcUstorn, we ask avariety
of groups to manage the local
operations for us: This year we are
particularly grateful to:
-The Whigham Salvation Army,
Lieut. Cal and Mrs. Melony Barber;
-The ,Cliristian BefOraiiediChureh,
Helen Hoorda and Janet Stryker,
Clinton; .. .
Sincerely yours,
Jack Riddell.
Ontario Minister of
Agriculture and Food
ureau support
'. 1 11
....w_ to cover 90 per -cent of the losses,
Canada Post has the responsibility Ontario producers could have
to serve all of Canada. The operator received payments of about $489,000.
who infringed on Canada Post's Payments of $3 ,000 have been
exclusive privilege offered his made to fl Ontario producers to
service only in( high-densityThk inehuie,• „. the f,„
metroriolitair area; ivhere 'there is a m'emb 'eli;wh-e;e cattle wereaffected
lot -of Mail -to bi moied oier ihort by the Brussels 'default.
distances.
Another 21 claims have been
In 'this way it is passible to have rejected because the board ruled
costs and rates lower than ese of theY did not meet the criteria 01 the Godbolt andAudrey McGregor;
Canada Post. We proVide service program. Any person who has had a
everywhere in Canada, including claim rejected can appealdirection -The Salvation Army, Goderich
remote areas where there are king the hoard. and Capt. Walter and Mrs. Vivian
distances to be covered, low The largest ninnber were_rejected Chirk,
_
vnlinflea and resulting high „ because, the.: applicant:, load, -TheSeaf.0111-010".. and
If big eitir operators were allowed_ cashed. the, cheque from Bruise's Leona Sccittf,
to skim the &vain off the Postal Stockyards within five days of These live groups provided an
market, the biggest view' ns wankd receiving it. This five-day rule has alternate 814Ifing service to 320
be the people living in rural Canada. been hi effect since the program families, enabling to. put gifts
These operators show no interest in began in no and is desi to under the tree for over 700children.
serving small communifies and ensure the producer fames good This annual project of Family and
rural areas. business practices and does not Children's Services of Huron County
In seeking to -maintain its coin- extender 't• requires over 1,000 hours of
mitment to rural Cana without the I have been impressed with the volunteer work. It is, the vohmteers,
revenues from lar r cities, Canada speed, fairness and efficiency of alongwith the hundreds„ idOet_ple
Post would be forced to charge much those who administer the program. whO donate cash .1 gaffs whotsshow
er rates than at present. These It can often beano/It to determine tts the trite spirit ofehristrnas.
rates would be borne mainly by the who is a legitimate producer — Thank you again. Our hats are off
people in small towns and rural something that is necessary to pre- to the citizens of Huron County.
area S whOilrenld likel3thavefiale nfq AgrientheAtegOtrokkheFPrOgOno- Yours sfincfrely,
theoptionsaVailahleirthigeities4; r% er1411,-It gip k‘enn
Under the current ,elte_hOhle.prii,,_t" Innde, - • Fee
-the Exeter United Church, lina
IMPortant • legislation which
protects farmers -from nuisance
lawsuits over noise, odor and dust
was -one of the five agricultural bills
which recently received final ap-
proval.
The Farm Practices Protection
Act — which establishes the freedom
our farmers need to carry on the
basic and essential work of' food
production — received third reading
and royal assenton Dec. 15.
Another key piece of legislation
which received royal assent on Dec.
15 was the Farm Implement Act,
which strengthens warranties and
requires the provision of repair
parts for farmers who buy new farm
equipment.
These two pieces of legislation,
along with the Agriculture and
Horticultural Organizations Act and
amendments to the Grain Elevator
Storage Act and the Farm Products
Containers Act, are major steps
forward for farmers in Ontario.
The five bilis, which I brought
forward as minister of agriculture
and food, provide important new
protections for farmers, while also
providing'sPecific benefits to a wide
variety of agricultural groups.
Under the Farm Practices
Protection Act, a board will be
established to hear complaints by
individuals about odor, noise or dust
from farm pracficeg.
If nuisance is shown to result from
normal farming practices, this board
will dismiss the coinplaiiit. If the
board-iiiidi thatthe' Praetice is not
proper, it may issue an order
requiring the farmer to cease or
modify the practices.
It is important to note that this so-
called "right -to -farm legislation"
does not give the farmer the right to
pollute. An underlying principle of
the act is the requirement that farm
practices continue to comply with
other provincial legis 'on such as
the Environmental 1 _ ctions .Act
and the Pesticides Act.
The Farm Implement Act
provides farmers with significant
new rights, such as the provision of
the emergency repair parts, stan- t
dardized sales contracts and
minimum warranties.
Theraetlwhicb some would calL a
"amnion Law , o o ides for
repair or replacement of a new farm f
implement which fails to perform
during its first 100 days or 100 hours
of actual use.
In addition, the legislation s
Agricuiture and Fo�d
° Minister -
_provides a formal process for 'tfr4-
- resolution of problems encountered
in the sale, service, maintenance,
safety and warranty of farm im-
plements.
Both pieces of legislation were de
- veloped after extensive constilatkrt.
with all those groups that are af-
fected by the provisions 4' the 'new
laws.
The Farm Products Container Act
allows organizations to generate
revenue for their activities through
a producer licence fee added to the
price a producer pays when wir-
chasing containers to r'zkage
products.
Under the revised legislation, the
provisions of the act may be ex-
tended by regulation for any asso-
ciation representing producers of
farm products. For instance, maple
syrup and flower producers may
seek authority tocollect funds under
the act for purposes such as
research or promotion.
The Grain Elevator Storage Act
provides protection to grain owners
who store their grain with a com-
mercial elevator, through the
licencing and inspection of
elevators.
The amendments allow elevator
operators to take advantage of
rapidly -changing markets by
marketing grain they have in
storage for other owners, provided
they have posted easily redeemable
financial security with the chief
inspector.
Finally, the Agricultural and Hor-
ticultural organizations Act Con-
solidates three acts into a single
piece of updated legislation.
The act removes outdated, redun-
dant and restrictive sections of the
three former acts and incorporates
more than 500 organizations.
GRANTS TO RIDING
I was pleased to learn from Ed
Fulton, minister of transportation,
of a municipal road subsidy of $6,800
to Usborne Township to relocate the
watermain for culvert replacement
on the Anderson Municipal Drain..
John Sweeney, minister of com-
munity and social services, advises
hat capital funding has been
allocated in the amount of $7,325 for
he relocation of Little Kids Corner
-ChildCare in Godeticb.
Ii addition, $2528 will be provided
or painting of the Goderich
Municipal Day Nursery and the
Wingham Children's Centre will
eCeive $2,160 for a telephone
ystem.
USC is making positive inroads
in famine -struck Ethiopia
Dear Editor:
Overseas agencies seldom
highlight positive and hopeful
projects to win, public support.
Ethiopia is a case in point.
Mention Ethiopia and most
Canadians think of a wasteland of
war and faiiiine, 'without hope. This
image is misleading. There is
hardship, but there is also progress.
USC Canada is helping to supply
funds so that farmers and Scientists
can work together through
Ethiopia's Plant Genetic Resource
Centre (PGRC) to conserve the
country' e traditional seeds and
select the best for development and
storage in times of drought.
Dr. Melaku Worede, PGRC
director, describes the program as
the only way to sustainable agricul-
ttlrat growth -1;Y EthiePia- Local
ieedi have been developed by
centuries of co-operation between
man and nature to resist drought,
pests and disease and improved
varieties will be used to increase
agrieultural prodOction.
The ministry of agriculture, farm
-
ere- associations and the Ethiopia
Seed Co-operative are working in
close co-operation with PGRC. The
cost to USC of launching and co-
ordinating this important pilot
project is $1.3 million. We need the
financial support of Canadians to
help Ethiopia put its own resources
to work.
Please send your contribution;
every dollar counts.
John Martin
Chief Executive Officer,
USC Canada
56 Sparks Street
Ottawa, Ont.
IIP 5B1
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