HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1955-09-01, Page 3Pointing up to the very un-
satisfactory returns for potatoes
the directors of the Ontario Po-
tato Growers in session at Al-
liston on August 8 instructed
their Secretary, R. E. Goodin,
to issue the following statement:
"Widespread drought condi-
tions throughout Ontario during
the critical growing stage for in-
termediate and late crops of po-
tatoes have resulted in extreme-
ly low yields. To further add to
worries of potato growers, mar-
ket prices have reached an un-
usually low level (far below
costs of production) dtie to sup-
plies arriving from U.S.A. at
distress prices, since the six
week seasonal tariff of 371/2
cents per cwt, on imports ter-
minated on July 31st.
• *
Considering the present seri-
ous situation the directors, On-
tario Potato Growers Associa-
tion, meeting in Alliston, South
Simeoe County to -day Aug.I8)
urgently request that EMER-
GENCY measures be taken at
once to assist in stabilization of
the market, by putting into ef-
fect tariff rates as requested on
several occasions by various or-
ganizations representing the in-
dustry in all Provinces of Can-
ada, including those presented
by master and individual briefs
at the hearing of the Tariff
Board on the subject early in
June of this year,
* ••
Moved by Heber Irwin - Duf-
ferin County, Seconded by Orley
Marshall -- Wentworth County
and carried unanimously by di-
rectors representing the entire
Province."
During the Alliston meeting
reports of a drastic downswing
in prices were general. In the
Belleville area, for instance,
threats of imports saw the
Market break from $2.25 per 75
pound bag to an offering price
of 90a.
* * *
That potatoes are in trouble
RINE WORDS - Costumed as a
cow, a woman member of the
Ceylon Humanitarian Society in
Colombo sings a song after mak-
ing a speech denouncing cattle -
killing. It was the annual "Pity
the Cove" meeting,
has been evident for some time.
Most of the trouble stems from
the situation in the United States
and the subsequent threat of
imports, The Americans have
a surplus estimated at 50,000,-
000 bushels above market re-
quirements. As is always the
case when the surplus position
develops there is a wild hunt
for markets and of course, in
this case, Canada looks like a
good disposal area.
* * *
Here in Ontario under the
threat of imports when the duty
of 371 cents per hundredweight
came off automatically on July
31 prices broke sharply as deal-
ers indicated intentions of seek-
ing supplies across the border.
The break in prices prevented
heavy imports although enough
have come in to make the in-
dustry realize that the U.S.A.
crop is in control of the situa-
tion unless the Canadian Gov-
ernment takes immediate action.
Certainly the position of the
Canadian potatoe industry is
ample proof of the need for
some degree of tariff protection
if the industry is to survive,
* * *
Some idea of how grim the
situation is in the United States
is to be bad from the following
extracts from American publi-
cations:-
THE POTATO WORLD
The 1955 potato crop is fore-
cast at 400,335,000 bushels -
12 percent above the 1954 re-
vised production of 356,031,000
bushels and less than one per-
cent below the 10 -year average
of 401,146,000 bushels.
(The revision of the previous
year's crop, which is usually
made in the following December,
was made for this report.) The
revised production of 1954 dif-
fers less than one million bush-
es from the preliminary esti-
mate publiahed in December
1954, The prospective 1955 crop
is the largest crop since 1950
when 429,896,0000 bushels were
produced.
The indicated production of
400 million bushels stunned
everybody. Guesses on the July
PrOduction Estimate were gen-
erally 375 to 385 million bushels,
but nobody expected a produc-
tion of 400 million, Everybody
was stunned to say the least. It
means a huge surplus, It had an
immediate affect on the market
as everyone felt that the pro-
duction is so large that it's
simply a hopeless cause.
* * *
Last year, we produced 355
million bushels and even that
crop was too large in spite of
the fact that Maine potatoes, due
to weather conditions, showed
such an unusually large cull -Out.
The old potato deal was headed
for a poor wind-up when di-
saster hit Alabama the last few
days in March. Wiping out of
the Alabama crop with serious
damage to some of the other
states bordering the Gulf wiped
out a lot of May potatoes so that
old potatoes made an immediate
about-face and had a strong
wind-up. It was a disaster in
the South that brought about a
strong wind-up to old potatoes
last year when we only pro-
duced 355 million.
THE NEW YORK PACKER
WASHINGTON, D.C., July 29
Nothing is to be gained by
telling a drowning man he could
have learned to swim before he
went out in a canoe that over-
turned.
Likewise, little is to be gained
now for trade or officialdom to
--- 9, Felines
10, Curved
molding
71. Spreads nay
19. 1•'rees
19. Throw
lightly
Ar'R.nS: 50 Augments 31. State or
1,0eonsrtnus
1. floor
fastener 1. Fteadniece 32. Russian
5. Glnnntlty 3, Cuckoo mountains
9 r'ol'ansihle 3. Pilot 23, Small lakes
Bed 4. Yvan 25. inn
12 nil. r Make .1. Constructed 20, Ahour
13 Raider 5. "Honest •-." 29, Plunder
14. Pooch 7. Prost med- 20. Iia into
15. Row 8. Backless seal 32. Pad
10. Transported
forcibly
18, ltallep town
20. Balances
21. Collection
item
23. Fashion
2.1. Alternative
26 Remnant
of fire
27 traded for
money
IL Chart
38 inflamed
Places.
33 lanemi
35 Too had
88, Type at car
40. About
41, Building
sites
43. Cozy places
46 Regal.
mansion
48 British
statesman
49. Tourist
51 costly
54, Help
50, Italian 11*er
55, -minty
edging
97 owns
58, Broods of
alteasa me
CROSSWORD
PUZZLE
34. Beach
covering
37. Northern
Enron eau
33. Painted
instrument
48. Sen
44. Cao fprtlVel.V
45. MeloO nn god
90. Melody
47. Boys
93. Cupid
60. Compass
nnint
52. Playing
card
53. Legal
notion
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Answer elsewhere on, this page,
... Fashion Hints e . .
L:KE MOTHER . , . LIKE DAUGHTER, is this polka dotted pyjama
duet. Fashioned from silky -soft acetate cri5klecrepe, these
pyjamas are generously cut for style . and comfort. Blessed
with a carefree nature, they are easy to wash and require little
ironing. Not shown here is a duster for Mama which matches
the pyjamas and makes an ideal travel set.
tell the potato industry to keep
their shirts on - to cool off or
to act collectively to search for
some escape from a not -to -be -
discounted terrific merchandis-
ing problem for this year's crop.
SIZE OF SURPLUS
The potato industry is in
trouble - 50 million bushels of
trouble to say the least this year,
possible more if growing con-
ditions continue at the pros-
pective rate.
A brief, cool look-see at the
crop and merchandising outlook
may halt hysteria from many
quarters, and provide a gather-
ing ground whereby this dismal
situation may be remedied.
The big offenders in the over-
production of potatoes this year
are the eight major late states.
They exceeded the recommend-
ed goals of USDA, but the big-
gest offender was the weather,
which provided perfect condi-
tions up to this time to boost
yields to a point where the ex-
pansion of acreage has been ex-
aggerated.
Surgical Treatment
For a Fish!
Fish swam swiftly to and
fro in the world's -strangest
surgery - a giant tank at Pal-
os Verdes, California - a short
time ago while a surgeon with
special breathing apparatus per-
formed a delicate eye operation
on Charlie, a myopic bat ray
weighing fifty pounds.
Charlie had accidentally blind-
ed himself by banging too vig-
orously on the glass wall of the
tank, which is known as an.
oceanarium.
A crowd gathered to watch
and to hear the eye surgeon,
Dr. George Biasdel give a run-
ning commentary on the opera-
tion over a public address sys-
tem.
Fascinated, they saw Charlie,
under an anaesthetic, lying
strapped to a small operating
table laden with . Weights. The .
surgeon wore a special lens- on
his faceplate to correct under-
water distortion and a diver
stood by with a tray of surgical
instruments.
Lives of many creatures are.
now saved yearly by surgical
operations which were once
thought impossible.
Like children, animals are
always swallowing things they
shouldn't. At one London aini-
mals' hospital recently a cat,
which had swallowed a hatpin
nearly six inches long, was op-
erated upon successfully while
another patient, a small terrier
weighing only seven pounds
which had swallowed a piece
of lead pipe two inches long,
waited his turn patiently,
An X-ray photograph once
revealed that a dog had become
a "money -box"; an operation
brought to light nine pennies
and a half -penny, A Blenheim
spaniel which was the victim of
a road accident was fitted with
a false leg and a false paw. The
leg was made of silver covered
with leather and had a flexible
joint which the dog quickly
learned to use.
False teeth for animals are
now no novelty. One of the first
complete sets was made for a
favourite dog belonging to the
late Ring George V.
Snake surgery can be tricky,
but it is usually quite success-
ful. At the London Zoo as long
ago as 1924 a deadly snake suf-
fering from abscess in the jaw
was operated on.
The patient was a green mam-
ba, that terror of the African
forest which lies in wait for its
victims amid the branches of
trees. A specially -designed box
was used as an opreating
theatre so that the surgeon
could work in comparative
safety.
The protesting reptile was
hooked into the box and then
a noose was inserted through an
aperture and manipulated over
its head. The noose was pulled
tight and with the patient thus
secured the operation was per-
formed successfully.
More Balloons
111,484 gross of balloons were
manufactured in 1953 versus
100,189 gross in 1952.
"Yes, Sir-'?"
Cork Harvest
Preparations were made for
what is believed will be a record
cork harvest this year. It be-
gan in August and for some
weeks afterwards many thott-
sands of tons of cork were
stripped from evergreen oak
trees in Spain. and Portugal.
First crops are gathered when
the trees are fifteen to twenty
years old. After that crops are
taken every eight or ten years,
the cork's quality improving
wtih the age of the tree.
Harvesting requires skill and
dexterity for if the inner bark
is damaged a tree may die. A
mature tree will yield up to
150 lb. of cork at each stripping.
Some years ago a London firm
of cork importers was asked to
provide a cork wall for use in a
film. The scenario called for the
blowing up of a brick wall. A
real wall could have been built
more easily but to blow it up
might have endangered the lives
of the film stars. None of them
minded being peppered in the
face by cork fragments.
During the war a Spanish ship
bound for Britain struck a mine.
But instead of going to the bot-
tom, she floated. War insurance,
in view of the nature of the
ship's cargo, had already been
quoted at exceptionally low
rates. The cargo was cork.
The wise carry their knowl-
edge as they do their watches,
not for display, but for their
own use.
-SSR THOMAS BROWNE
Fast Punishment
In olden days in Britain ex-
ecution followed judgment with
terrifying speed. Directly fol-
lowing the fatal words ... "That
you be taken hence ." the
condemned man was taken out
and hanged, after being granted
a few minutes to prepare his
soul.
That is the origin of the ex-
pression "short shrift." A priest
was always at hand to shrive
him, that is, to give him the
last rites and help him on his
journey.
The custom still persists in
that a. chaplain is always in court
when sentence of death is given,
to add "Amen" to the judge's
prayer - "May the Lord have
mercy on your soul."
Nowadays a man is rarely
sentenced to death without a
trial which has lasted two or
three days. Yet not so long ago,
in 1925, at the Manchester As-
sizes, a murder trial lasted lit-
tle more than four minutes
when a plea of guilty was as.
cepted from a young man
charged with the murder of a
woman at Stretford. The accused
was condemned and, after three
Sundays had passed, he was
hanged.
As a rule the judge will re-
fuse to accept a plea of guilty in
a murder charge and will order
the case to be fully tried. But
One of the shortest cases in the
record of the Old Bailey took
place in 1935, when James Vent
pleaded guilty to the murder of
a woman by cutting her throat
in Camberwell.
cTheaccused, smiling broadly,
apsweired "Guilty" in a loud
voice when called upon to plead,
az"" waited unconcernedly with
lits Bands in his pockets while
therjudge made inquiries as to
his mental state -and then asked
Vent's counsel to take him out-
side the court and make sure
that he understood what he was
pleading to. Upon his return he
persisted in his plea. The judge,
having heard medical evidence
to the effect that the man was
sane, .had no alternative but to
proceed to sentence.
R. Barclay Warren. K.A., 8.B,
Struggle for Survival
Nehemiah 4;6.9, 15, 21-28;
12:27, 43.
Memory Selection: And they
said, Let us rise up and build,
So they strengthened their hands
for this good work. Nehemiah
2:18.
The story of Nehemiah leading
the returned exiles to build the
walls around Jerusalem is one of
the most thrilling of the Old
Testament. Nehemiah held se
position of honour in Babylon,
cup -bearer to the Ring. The king
noticed Nehe>niah's sadness and
inquired for its cause. He was
grieving because the walls of his
home city, Jeruusalem, were i34
ruins and its gates had been
burned, The king released Nehe-
miah to go and build the walla
and ordered that materials be.
furnished him.
There were many obstaelee.
But Nehemiah prayer."That ex-
pression occurs several times in
the story. He didn't get discour-
aged but he prayed and his
strength was renewed. Neigh-
bouring chiefs ridiculed the work.
But Nehemiah and bis people
were undaunted. Then the ene-
mies conspired to come together
and fight against Jerusalem.
"Nevertheless we made our
prayer unto God, and set a watch
against them day and night."
(4:9), The Samaritans slandered
them saying that Nehemiah was
fortifying Jerusalem in order to
rebel and proclaim himself king,
but he replied that this was a
falsehood of their own devising.
Finally Sanballat and Tobiah
hired a false prophet to intimi-
date Nehemiah and scare him
into hiding in the temple. Then
they intended to belittle him
and jeer at his cowardice. But
Nehemiah refused to fall into
their trap.
It's a great story of faith, hard
work and cooperation. God
blessed them and the walls were
completed. Nehemiah saw the
realization of his vision.
We need these elements in the
church today. Without faith it
is impossible to please God.
Faith can only survive in a pray-
ing heart. Then we need hard
work. The preacher can't d0 it
al]. There must be others wile
are willing to tithe their time to
advance the kingdom of God,
We must have cooperation. The
people had a mind to work, They
worked well together. This spirit
will win anywhere. We need
more of it in our churches today.
ONE WAY OUT
The superintendent of a zoo
was mailing an order. He began
the note, "Kindly send two mon-
gooses," Somehow that didn't
look right to him, so he started
again with. "Kindly send two
mongeese." Still he wasn't sat-
isfied. Finally he settled his
problem by writing, "Kindly
send me a mongoose." Then he
signed his name and added a
PS,: "Send another one with it."
Upsidedown to Prevent Peeking
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NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH by Rugs Arnold
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