Zurich Citizens News, 1975-03-06, Page 2PAGE 2
ZURICH CITIZENS NEWS THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 1975
Discuss boycott at Presbytery
Rev. Robert Lindsay, who is
responsible for anti -poverty
programs in the United Church
of Canada, was the guest of
Huron -Perth Presbytery at its
bi-monthly meeting held in
Hensall United Church, on
Tuesday, February 25. He had
been invited to come and answ-
er questions and criticisms
concerning the position of the
United Church on the Californ-
ia Grape and Lettuce Boycott.
The issue had been raised at
an earlier meeting, when
Charles Walkom of Fullarton
presented a paper charging that
the United Church was giving
the impression that it was anti -
farmer, and also that he felt
boycotts of perishable foodstuffs
were morally wrong.
Mr. Lindsay, who was born
and raised on a farm, and still
has relatives in farming, began
by outlining some of the back-
ground on the boycottcottthat bega
in 1965. He noted that up to
the end of the 60's the Americ-
an churches had been divided.
Eventually however, they tooll
the side of the UFW (United
Farm Workers of America). The
overflow of the Boycott into
Canada came in 1973. Mr.
Lindsay affirmed that since
Canada representes about one
third of the California grape
market, we have no choice
being involved.
He then presented the reasons
for the involvement of the
United Church in the problem.
It takes the same attitude as the
courts and churches in the
United States; that is, that the
contracts in question are not
simply a loca 1 jurisdictional
dispute, thus; he said that the
United Church will stay with
the boycott. until there is legisl-
ation that will permit a superv-
ised and free settlement by a
secret ballot, of what the farm
workers want. The whole quest-
ion, Mr. Lindsay cautioned, is
very touchy and there is much
at stake on all sides: the growers
the Teamsters, and the UFW.
He concluded that at present
the church must sit and wait on
this war of nerves. Mr. Lindsay
felt that this was one of the
most significant social issues
of the 20th century.
Mr. Walkom, who had pres-
ented the original paper that
initiated Mr. Lindsay's visit,
responded by quoting extensively
from a speech that the Hon.
William Stewart had recently
delivered v inEssex Count I
Y• ,n
that address, which was also
picked up by "The Farm and
C)untry" magazine, Mr. Stew-
art too criticised his United
Church on the boycott issue.
"Pastures of Plenty, " a two part
T.V. program featured on the
CBC's Man Alive Program and
partially funded by the United
Church, also was criticised. Is
the United Church against fann-
ers and the family farm. asked
Mr. Stewart, and so did Mr.
Wa lkom.
In answering these charges,
Mr. Lindsay was first hotly
critical of the "Farm and
Country" for being overly em-
ANIMMEMINiair
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otional and sensational in its
pot shots at a distance" type of
editorializing. He would like
to meet these writers face to
face. "At least you, Mr.
Walkom, have the grace to sigr.
your name to your letter, " and
corne here to discuss the matt-
er openly, Mr. Lindsay replied.;
Regarding the T.V. program,
Mr. Lindsay assured that for
the segment of time with which
the filen dealt it was true and
a worthy statement' of social
comment. Its purpose was to
raise the issue. (He later report.
ed that the family featured in
the program is still being look-
ed after by the United Church,
and that it was his call to Will-
iam Stewart that initiated
government action to provide
the schoolhouse.)
However, Mr. Lindsay prom-
ised, the church is concerned
with farmers and the family
farm
andnota i
is n anti -farmer.
In fact, the United Church has
set up a committee on agric-
ulture with membership repres-
enting a wide variety of people
in agriculture. It is moving
to help keep the family farm
in existence.
During an open question
period, other members express-
ed the concern that the United
Church in its opposition to the
growers of California is thus
against farmers in Ontario who
are also producers. Mr. Lindsay
replied that the growers of
grapes and lettuce in Californ-
ia are in no way like the farmer
in Ontario. He said they are
more like hug corporations with
from 500 to 13, 000 acres under
production year round.
His parting remark was that
the church will continue to be
concerned with the seasonal
worker and it does not intend
this to be anti -farmer.
Rev. Don Deas of Mitchell,
the chairman of Presbytery,
thanked Mr. Lindsay, Mr.
Walkom and others for their
participation saying that it had
been a good discussion. "It is
nice that we can disagree with-
out being disagreeable."
Later in the meeting a resol-
ution asking the Huron -Perth
Presbytery not to support the
grape boycott was presented.
However, due to the lateness
of the hour, it was referred to
the next meeting for action.
In other business of the day,
Rev. Norman Gibson of Central
United Church, Stratford, and
chairman of the International
Youth Exchange Committee,
announced that they had select-
ed Miss Marilyn Hester Day, of
Stratford as their representative
for this Exchange which will take
place in July and August of
this year.
She is a medical student
at McMaster University, Hamil-
ton, and will join over 100
other youth from the United
Church who wilibe participat-
ing in this project. It is one of
the many planned to celebrate
the 50th. anniversary of the
United Church of Canada. The
thirtee er applicants will
form .a wort and follow up
group.
Rev. John Roberts, of Belg-
rave and chairman of the Div-
ision of Ministry, announced
anumber
of changes in pastoral a
ar 1
P
relations. Rev. Dr. Harold G.
Lester, formerly of Kingston
area, is to be the new retired
assistant for Central United
Church, Stratford. Rev. Wes
Siebert of Centennial United •
will be retiring from that church.
in July, at which time he will
become assistant at St. Marys
United
Church.
Rev. Ray Lindsay of Monkton
has accepted a call to the
Bright's Grove Church, near
Sarnia. The Monkton charge
has issued a call to the Rev.
Michael Bolger of Barons River,
Manitoba. The Walton Charge
will be losing it's minister, Rev.
Derwyn Docken, who has acc-
epted a call to the Dorchester -
Crumlin Charge as of July 1.
The Rev. Grant Mills will
be retiring from the Thames -
view charge in Fullarton, and
also retiring is Rev. Harold
Dobson, who leaves the Grand
Bend Church, and Rev. Charles
Forrest from Fordwich, all as
of July 1.
New ministers coming into
Huron -Perth are Rev. Bruce
Pierce, of Abby, Sask.; who is
the new minister for Crediton
as of July 1, and Rev. E.S.
Stevens who has already begun
his duties as the new minister
of the Brucefield charge.
0
CANTAG COMING
The Department of Consum-
er and Corporate Affairs plans
to make it easier for consum-
ers to compare various brands
of durable goods at the time of
purchase. Within a year, the
Department will launch
the CANTAG program with
labels on refrigerators, audio
amplifiers and air conditioners,
reports Consumers' Association
of Canada.
4:
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