The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutThe Seaforth News, 1942-02-12, Page 6TSI♦;' $EA 'QR.TII NEWS Canadian -made Bofors anti-aircraft guns, hauled by Canadian -made tractors, help guard the Pacific coast, which has suddenly become a front upon which ail eyes are focussed. These fast -firing guns are capable of hurl- ing 140 shells a minute to a considerable altitude, Summer Ski-ing at Athabaska Glacier, Jasper National Park, Alberta Winter Scene in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada Problems Revealed By Farm Surveys Much has been written and spolten in recent weeks concerning the sur- vey of farm; conditions recently con- ducted in a' typiosi Huron County township. We could think of no bet- ter way for our two Minister of Ag- riculture (Provincial and Federal) to be spending one of those long 'Winter evenings than in studying the facts and figures presented in the report of that survey, One of the striking facts brought out was that the average age -of the farm operators was 52 years, As far as we know those who were respon- sible for the questionnaire presented to these farmers missed a glorious chance to really get to the bottom of the agricultural problem by inserting a question' as to how many of these farmers had sons who could be ex- pected to carry on, once a few more years had been added to the fifty- two. When the average age of a group of farm operators is fifty-two we realize that there must be quite a number of them who are quite a distance above that milestone in life. No doubt Hullett township is very like any other farm community. There are likely to be quite a num- ber of younger farmers who were rash enough to get married in the past ten or fifteen years with a firm belief in their ability to wrest a liv- ing for themselves from the soil of some good farm. Some of these will no .doubt have been disillusioned long ere this. Then on the other hand there will be the older men— men past sixty, sixty-five and even seventy—still carrying on out on the old home farm. Some of them have raised famil- ies—boys, and girls both. They are in the city now. Once in -a while they urge Dad to sell out and move to the village. We have a sneaking suspic- ion though that they would hate to see Dad do just that. The old farm has an attraction in the good old Summer time. 'One can always leave the children out there for a week or two; and who can say that Dad and Mother are not very much pleased to have theist? At Christmas time, too, the old homestead has quite an at- traction. After all Christmas out on the farm is just a little bib different from Christmas in town or village. Then there are others who have no one to carry on. Some of us may say they should sell out. But we sel- dom know the circumstances. As these men have .grown older the farms has been slipping back a bit each year. Few of them would care to ad- mit it. The change has been so grad- ual that they have probably not no- ticed; but to the outsider the change is tremendous. For seventy or more years these men have earned their livelihood. Today they are face to face with a greater problem than they have ever tackled. Their equity in farm and stock would not be suf- ficient to support them throughout their remaining days. Every farm community) has its quota of vacant farm homes. Rented farms are becoming much more plentiful, and every community has quota of farmers just hanging on, in the hope of a brighter. 'day and a TlillflSDAY,'fi'ESRUAFIY 12, 1942 Rn more active demand for farm lands. What of the: future? Hundreds of these farms are depreciating in vaT lue, Many of theme are now in such condition that it would require sev- eral everal years to bring them back to producing enough to pay interest, and taxes, plus a living for the oper- ator. These farms wil 1probably have to be absorbed into a large Tarin unit, and modern machinery would make larger units desirable from a strictly economic standpoint once farm labor, becomes more plentiful, At present ;farm labor is too much of a problem and farm prospects too uncertain to permit expansion, There is also every likelihood of there being quite an influx of immi- grants after the war. Many fear that these will eventuallytake bhe places of diose farmers whose sons have found occupations more to their like ing somewhere else. These are two ways in which this part of the farm problem might, to some. extent, be solved. A more commonsense way would be to assure the farmer a cost of production, plus a reasonable pro- fit for his farm products.—Rusticus in the Stratford Beacon -Herald, "Recce" units are entirely mech- anized, Their function is to dash ahead of the main armies in fast little oars, in armored • ears or ' Bren carriers, in lorries,. even on motor- cycles, and to penetrate far into ene- my territory. Frere they will spy out enemy dispositions and report them rapidly to headquarters, harass the. opposition troops with every sorb of automatic weapon, take prisoners and rush them back for interrogation also destroy posts, fonts and dumps and generally spread as much dam- age and demoralization as possible. Units trained in this way have had conspicuous successes during the past few weeks, Each unit is entirely self-contained so; that it can fight 'alone for many days. It carries its own gasoline tanks and repair units, A.A.. weapons, auto- matic cookers and mobile offices, Its men are expert mechanics. '4I saw two men take the caterpill- ar tracks, off a * Bren carrier, clean and overhaul them and get them back in twenty minutes, That meant skill and effort in'abundance," wrote a correspondent who watched a re- cent exercise. The individual hardiness amazed this observer. He saw them storming an "enemy" post .which was heavily protected with barbed wire. Tfrey continued to fire Bran guns from the hip, discharge rifle grenades and make great play with sub -machine guns. The keenness of the modern sold- ier is proved •by the rush of volun- teers who come forward whenever a new "tough" unit is formed. The men know well that they will be called upon to go into the thick of the fighting and risk their lives recklessly when the time comes. But there are always many more volun- teers than vacancies. British Shock Troops Are Tough In the British army of 1942, as the result of intensive secret brain- ing during the preceding few months there will be several different variet- ies of shock troops, trained in every triele and strategy, physically tough- ened to the very limit. They are in amazing contrast to the "spit and polish" army of pre-war days. These men are trained to the minute, self- reliant, and thrive on trouble and hardship. They fight as they go—and how they go. They have some very unpleasanb surprises in store for Hitler's panzer divisions. Many re- cently revealed exploits—including the hit-and-run landings in Norweg- ian waters, could have been carried out only by troops who were 100 pen cent tough. For) many months these shock troops have been put through rigor- ous and secret training. Physical en- durance was the first essential. Sometimes they ended a forty -mile march in quick time with a swim across a wide river, and then took part in a hand-to-hand fight with the "enemy." The fighting is real—noth- ing sham about it. Shock troops must be able to swim a river in full equipment, holding rifle or tommy gun above the head. A course of jiujitsu teaches them how to overpower enemy sentries without a sound. They must be able to operate every sort of weapon— including those captured from the enemy to read maps and make their way across any sort of country, to control small boats ab sea and on ri- vers, and to perforin acts of sabotage with the utmost efficiency. So high are their standards, that in some cases only five per cent of, those who volunteered have been ac- cepted. Another new tough unit is known as the "Recce" (Reconnaissance Corps). These picked volunteers, who act as roughriders of the mechanized army, were first seen in action dur- ing recent maneuvers. Among the most severe of all training musb be that undertaken by the army's motorcyclists. In real ac- tion they must get through, no mat- ter what the obstacle. Their training is realistic. Take this description of an exercise: 'The motorcyclist comes roaring down a rough field and a slope. The rider skillfully jockeyshis machine over a ridge that normal riding could never have cleared. Then -hi eye takes in the fact that there is a thick hedge between him and me, with no gap and no gate. He rolls himself into the semblance of a hedgehog. There is a crash of sticks and he has ridden through." AUCTIONEER T. W. AHREINS, Licensed Auction eer for Perth and Huron Counties Rales Solicited. Terms on Application Farm Stock, chattels and real estate props„+.y. R. R. No. 4, Mitchell Phone 634 r 6. Apply at this office HAROLD JACKSON Licensed in Huron and Perth coun- ties. Prices reasonable; satisfaction guaranteed. For information, write or phone Harold Jackson, phone 14 on 661; R, R. 4, Seaforth. EDWARD W. ELLIOTT, Licensed Auctioneer for Huron. Correspond• encs promptly answered. Immediate arrangements can be made for Sale Date by calling Phone 203, Clinton. Charges moderate and satisfaction guaranteed. e..{�ii k.. '�''Skvv �t9�,1! r K�. {' niF.ii'4?"11.J.k 6til mIfv'��. fi •ryk, ,, • We Are Selling Quality Books Books are Well Made, Carbon is Clean and Copies Readily; All styles, Carbon Leaf and Black Back. Prices as Low as You Can Get Anywhere. Get our Quotation on Your Next Order. • The Seaforth News SEAFORTH, ONTARIO,