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The Huron Expositor, 1946-08-02, Page 2SOS. ' .n posito fihed' 1860- hail Mclean, Editor. at Seaforth, Ontdriorev- r lay afternoon by McLean ubSeriptior rates, $1.50, a year in Vance; -foreign $2.00 a year. Single 'pies, 4 cents 'each. Authorized as Second Class Mail, Post Office Department, Ottawa. 'Friday, August 2, 1946 Farm 'Machines Right now farmers in this district arc' if the midst, of a bumper harvest. That is good news, because there never was .a time when the world Seeded it more, not to mention the farmer himself. There never was a, time either, when the farmer was favored with better harvest weather, nor a time when the stooked fields, with their bright, clean grain and straw, show- ed to better advantage from the roads and highways, Or, possibly a time in this district at least, when there were so many fields of stook- ed grain visible at one time. ' And all in the face of a farm labor shortage more acute than at any . time in our History. There is a rea- son far flus; of"course; and that -rea- son isimproved farm machinery. .• There is a shortage of machinery too, but little by little, new machines are taking the place of old, and filling the gap ,in farm- labor. In a country drive of twenty miles or more last week, only two horse- drawn binders were seen in the fields. All others, and there were many of........ them, were being, pulled' by tractors. Very feu horse-drawn wagons were seen "drawing grain, the majority were rubber tired and also pulled by tractors. Small changes, perhaps, but figured in time, .theyrepresent many hours and even days saved in the harvest time. It was the same in haying." New - machines are taking the place of old. On one farm in this district, one man ,with a, tractorand self-propelled hay baler, baled -30 tons of cut hay from the windrows in a day. This hay, in compact bundles, is easy to handle and easy to store. New methods naturally are subject to' criticism, and criticism is and al- ways has been a long suit with the. farmer. But no criticism is going to - stop the new era in farm machinery. it is true that the new era has, as yet, shown itself in a small way in On- . tario, but it is here; and here to stay, and broadening out with every year's harvest operations. In fact that new era would al- ready be well established here if the war had . not intervened and labor unionunrest had not seriously delay- ed manufacture since the war ended. But .revolutionary labor saving farm machines have been invented, built, tested and are now in operation in the United„ States, and will soon find, their way into Canada. And 'when, wesay revolutionary machines we mean just that. Al- ready 'besides one-man hay° balers, there are in operation across the line, one-man baby tractors with attach- ments for plowing, harrowing, plant- ; ing and. cultivating; 'one-man forage harvesters,' that will cut, chop and • throw back into trailers any kind of forage crop; . one-man combines; hydraulic loaders that turn tractors ' into power shovels for such heavy fart jobs as loading manure or stacking hay. In the State of Texas, tractors are Plowing without drivers. These ma- chines plow straight across the land, make a • quarter turn, continue at right angles to the far end of the field, turn again, making sm4ller squares each time, until the fieldis finished, and the only assistance they 'require is refueling. At the front end of these phantom plows are rig- ged small disks, which ride in the ,previous furrow. As ' the furrow turns a corner,the disks follow it, like a wheel riding in a winding 'slot. 'their move hent turns the steering eol>i nin 'arid keeps, the tractor point- ed' an the right -direction, while the plb*. ..�rl�a .a new furrow for the r behind Nto follow:__. After he track has ' been -1'600 ... o anelk the uiaciiinis wCirk'' to the. ' are o' , ...ate e ; li operates tits TWO 11= X 1 like a giant va ' m cleapnerr- ,that sucks up nuts lying cal the ground, s t out -leaves and dirt and -knocks off the , husks. Machines , of similar nature are being built to pick apples and other fruit. It all sounds like a fantastic dream' of course. But looking over the files • of an old Expositor a short time agb, we noticed that the first self -binder demonstrated in this district was, judging by the criticism of the farm- ers • of that day, considered pretty much a fantastic dream too. And what about the portable threshing machines, the farm tractor, the auto, etc., etc.? - All these lived down the criticism levelled at them, and so will these ' new machines that we look upon as fantastic to -day. They will cost money, of course,but costs will be surmounted as they were in another day. And when all is said and done, can anything cost more than farm ' labor at present prices? • Belgium Show The Wap Belgium,- like every country , here .and abroad, has had•taste ofinfla- o ra tion. Prices are away up and labor unions have made exhorbitant de- mands for wage increases. But Belgium, unlike other coun- tries, seems disposed to do something about it. Over there the government, instead of giving way to wage de- mands, proposed'to the labor unions that actiori`shoyld--be taken- to -lower prices. It pointed out, and rightly, that this would not only increase the buying power of wages, but increase real wages. The labor unions, to their credit, have agreed to the government's sug- gestion, 'and' the reduction in prices - has been set at 10 per cent. •This re- duction applies to all manufactured goods, • excepting shoes, which, • will be cut 20 per cent. It would appear that Belgium lab- or unions .have come to the conclu- sion that the enforcement of higher wage demands does not give • them any lasting gain, and seldom even a temporary one. Consequently, if they bend their energies to obtaining low- er, prices, to make sure that increas- es in manufacturing efficiency and savings in manufacturing costs are passed on to the consumer—and-they are consumers -every wage earner will benefit. What is more to the point "from •the labor view, they will get a much wider and general public support to their cause, thanby trying to gouge the public to benefit solely them- selves. 1 Government Expenditures The war has been over for quite some time, but as yet there has been no noticeable let-up in the flood of propaganda that issues from ' the several departments of the Ottawa government. The . waste baskets in -every newspaper office, large or small, are full of ' it. We have, no complaint about .the releases sent out by the Department of Agriculture. Nor of vital statis- tics, because they are most informa- tive and serve a very useful purpose. But in a time which calls for econ- omy -and if there ever was one it is today—it seems more than passing strange that the department of de- fence is still spending $262,137 an- ,nually in maintaining a publicity de- partment. Most newspaper offices have had a large experience in the working of publicity departments of one kind and another. And not a helpful ex- perience either. As a lavish way of spending money they have few eq uals, but. why the taxpayers' money should be dispensed in such large chunks in glorifying the work of de- partments, or the, people running them, or even an building military pedigrees, is quite beyond us.' The war is over. • Some Statue The Margate, England, City Coun- cil has received from a citizen a re- quest that it launch a national cam- paign to erect a giant statue of Winston. Churchill on the white cliffs of Dover as a symbol -of British lib- erty. It, is further proposed that statue, poised on a high chalk cliff, be illuminated to guide Ships in the: , Channel.. P The illumination, we presume, r would come frail the end of the ,famous Churchill cigar. tk 0 Intereattng items picked .from The „ •Exppsitor of fifty and twenty-five years ago. From The Huron Expositor , August 5, 1921 The bowling tournament held here on Thursday of last-, week was very, larger* attended, more than 20 rinks taking part. Major Heaman's' rink, oC Exeter; won first prize; •Dr. Ross' rink, Seaforth, 2nd prize; J. Pass- more's rink, Hensall, 3rd pride, and Fred Hunts rink, Goderiej , fourth. • The garden, party given by the Sea - forth Citizens.' .Band in Victoria Park on Thursday evening last, was a de- cided success • from every point of view. , The program consisted of an address by Mayor W: H. Golding; solo by Miss Minnie Monier; Scotch and Irish songs by -Mr. McGee,... of Auburn; four solbs by Mr.- Hand - more, of Wingham; duet by Dawson Reid and. Melvin McPhee, and a drill. given by 24 young ladies and arrang- ed by Mr. James Robb. The Band will realize. some $200, which yvil1 be add- ed to the sund for their new kiltie uniforms., Mr. James T: Maf•tin has moved his implement stock to Mr. G. C. Bell's garage, three doors, south of his for- mer stand on Main St. Mr. R. H: Sproat has, completed his •pretty new bungalow on Victoria St., and intends moving into it• this week. On Friday evening of last week Mrs. J. L. Dell, of Hullett, efitertained a number of lady friends in honor of Miss . Edith McMichael, whose mar- t riage takes place in August.` The shower was a veryunique one, being • of plates, which were dropped by lit- I . tle Mabel Wright from .a tree on the _ ionnos lawn into an apron that the bride-to- be wore. Seaforth bowlers staged an ,invita- tion Scotch Doubles tournament on Wednesday'last -that •proved,.a, Sec- cess,'somei 20 rinks taking part. The winners of the first event were Dr. F. J. Burrows and Dr. H. H. Ross; the second event was won .by M. R. Rennie and Albert Whitesides, Hen- sall, who won by default from G. D. Haigh and J. M. Best, Seaforth. The eithibition football game play: ed on the recreation grounds, Sea - forth,' on. Thursday evening last be- tween Listowel Seniors and a, picked team from Seafortb, resulted ins win for the visitors. The Huron line-up was a'seefallows: Goal, Adams, Sea - forth; backs, Ryan, Dublin; Arm- strong, .Kinburn; half -backs, Goven- lock;