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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1989-03-29, Page 1INDEX Letters - A2, A5 Sports - A8, A9 Walton - A13 Dublin area - A14 Births - A19 Obituaries - Al 9 Brothers make maple syrup. See page A3. Parade organizer wants more money. See page A6. Easter card game is a hum dinger. See page A14. Seaforth, Ontario HURON EXPOSITOR, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 1989 50 cents a copy Quotas like steroids good only in the short run EDITORIAL NOTE: The beef vote is a question which concerns every beef pro- ducer in Ontario, and which may have a lasting effect on the cattle industry. hi the coming weeks The Expositor will be look- ing at the issues surrounding the vote, set for April 14. This week we talked to a pro- ducer who is an outspoken opponent of a supply management system in the beef industry. On April 14, 1989 beef producers in On- tario will hold a vote which will determine the future of the marketing system for their industry. And at least one area beef producer is fighting mad that the cattle in- dustry faces the possibility of being governed by a supply management system. Ross Procter of RR 5 Brussels says his great-grandfather settled just down the road from where he now lives, so he could farm far away from the bureaucracy which then existed in Great Britain. But three generations later Mr, Procter says he is seeing the possibility of losing the freedom his ancestor moved to Ontario to gain. Over the past 15 years Mr. Procter says there has been an element of cattlemen who wanted a more restricted market. Several times in the past, a supply management system for the beef industry has been debated and defeated. But in February 1988, Ontario Minister of Agriculture and Food Jack Riddell established the Ontario Beef Marketing Task Force. As a result of a study con- ducted by the task force, a producer vote is being held. "A group of those people who didn't get their own way started this beef vote," says Mr.Trocter. "Without the government ear they never would have had life." Mr. Procter is referring to the Ontario Beef Producers for Change, who are the push behind the formation of a marketing commission. The beef vote is a mail -in vote, with a ballot bearing two questions. Question one reads: "1. Are you in favor of the proposed producer -controlled marketing commis- sion which would regulate the sale of all beef cattle in Ontario?" If 60 per cent of the province's beef pro- ducers answer "yes" to question one, an Ontario Beef Cattle Marketing Commis- sion would be established. According to the Beef Vote Committee, the commission's goals would be "to assist in expanding the market for beef to con- sumers by supplying a quality product at an affordable price and at a fair return to the producer... '; to restructure Ontario's cattle marketing system as needs are iden- tified; to promote the marketing and con- sumption of beef; and to represent and speak for producers. The commission would be made up of the present two beef producer organizations, which would be restructured. The proposed commission's respon- sibilities would be to regulate the sale of all beef cattle, and to register all beef producers. Also: All slaughter cattle offered for sale would be sold in a public forum by sales agents appointed by the commission. The commission would collect marketing data on all cattle sold for slaughter. It is intended that competitive selling of all beef cattle sold for further feeding would be phased in over time. The commission would be responsible for working with Agriculture Canada and other organizations on research into im- provements in grading and the introduc- tion of an indexed carcass grade and iden- Ufication system. The commission would. investigate the feasibility of price pooling. A "No" vote on question one on the ballot would result in the continuation of in - Turn to page '1Forrilly'..$44.Ator:th;flor to *bat . 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Although ticketa aro avallRble at the door, thoso interested In attending,ootateettto.parettine ,!•titienettrtvi'litaketioritS.SUattioattekaitSgiit thathior. number Alt int tfid alone, and is firmly against quotas for what he calls one of the last free enterprise commodities. "I'm 61. If I'm going to retire this is going to be one of the last things I let go, " he says. "It's too much fun. Where else can a guy ride a horse at work." Mr. Procter adds he won't give up a free market !rig system without a fight. Corbett photo. THE BEEF VOTE is an issue which will be resolved on April 14, but in the meantime both the Ontario Cattlemen's Association and the Ontario Beef Producers for Change are giving beef producers information they will need to cast an informed vote. Ross Procter of RR 5 Brussels already has his mind made up as to which way he will be voting. He wants the beef marketing system to be left Tuckersmith solicits Seaforth's clay business Tuckersmith councillors were con- cerned to hear Seaforth Town Council had authorized purchasing of 8,300 cubic yards of clay cover material from the Nixon Gravel Pit, to be used for the final closure of the Seaforth-Tuckersmith landfill site. The Tuckersmith councillors felt they had received a verbal commitment from some representatives of Seaforth council that the clay be purchased from Tuckersmith. Tuckersmith has to do clay stripping anyway, to get at the gravel in its pit, and. the estimated cost to move the clay is $14,000. A meeting was held between the Clerk and Deputy Reeve of Tuckersmith Township, and Seaforth's Mayor, Clerk and head of the Public Works Committee in the morning before the Tuckersmith council meeting. The Tuckersmith delegation noted they would have been willing to negotiate if they had known Seaforth had received a less ex- pensive offer, rather than £ace the costs of stripping and stockpiling their clay overburden. An agreement was reached that if Tuckersmith would be willing to pay loading charges up to $4,150 to compensate for Seaforth's loss of a $2,300 deposit to the Nix- on Gravel Pit, that the clay would be taken from the Tuckersmith site. Tuckersmith council will be forwarding a, recommendation to Seaforth town council to cover loading costs up to $4,150 if the clay is taken from Tuckersmith. Seaforth council will render a decision on this matter at its next meeting. The Tuckersmith councillors were con- cerned that Seaforth municipal officials Clocks move ahead on Once again the time has come for us to move the hands of tune ahead one hour. Yes, it's time to move the clocks ahead. Every year at this time we "spring ahead" one hour, and every autumn, we "fall gave them no prior notice of the purchase from the Nixon Gravel Pit. "It seems pretty hard to believe they could go another route when we bad a pretty firm commitment," said councillor Bill Dejong. "Why didn't they meet with us first if they wanted out of the agreement, and do it face to face?" asked Reeve George Cantelon. Seaforth Clerk Jim Crocker said Seaforth municipal officials didn't understand that Tuckersmith needed to get rid of the clay in their site, and simply took the best price. He said Seaforth will lose its $2,300 deposit by 'fury to page 11 Sunday morning, back". So before you go to bed Saturday night, or when you wake up Sunday morning, set your clock back. If it's any consolation, in the long run you will gain an hour of daylight. Seaforth hospital fundraising canvass kicked off Tuesday night fterlovallan ADDITION TO SEAFORTH COMMUNITY HOSPITAL LIM The fundraising campaign for the Seaforth Community Hospital building fund officially began at a kickoff night at the Seaforth District High School Tuesday night. The approximately 330 canvassers and captains who are going to be raising $900,000 to help finance the hospital expansion were briefed on how to make the two week can- vass a success. The house-to-house canvass will be done across Seaforth, McKillop, Tuckersmith, and Hullett, and in parts of Morris, Grey, Logan and Stanley Townships. Fundraising committee chairman Marlen Vincent says the hospital fundraising cam- paign can be likened to the arena campaign of a few years ago in many ways, but he notes the hospital expansion is a bigger pro- ject and will require more from the com- munity. A total of $750 over three years from an average of 1,200 households is what is be- ing asked of the public, making the magic number 68 cents per day. "li every home gives the $750, there will be no problem," says Mr. Vincent, "but we also realize there are some people who can't give that much. So we're going to ask the ones that can afford to give to make a bigger contribution." Mr. Vincent says Seaforth businesses, and corporations in business in Seaforth will also be canvassed. "Commercial people will see that in their donation they're building for the future of the community, and I'm confident they will give accordingly," he says. Memorial donations can be made to perpetuate the memory of a donor's friend or relative. All donations of $1,000 or more Will be given suitable recognition the hospital, if the donor so wishes. Gifts of $3,000, $5,000, $10,000 or more will receive recognition on a plaque, and may also be given recognition on a plaque on a item of equipment they bought, or on the door to a room they helped equip. Anyone wishing to discuss these avenues can contact Mr. Vin- cent or hospital administrator Don Smith. "But anyone who gives a donation over the three year program will be recognized in a book on public display, even if it's kids who made money selling lemonade on the street corner," says Mr. Vincent. The building fund has climbed to about the $100,000 mark already. The Seaforth Op- timists have given $25,000, the Seaforth Legion haS donated $10,000, and other con- tributions have been made from two sport- sman's dinners, the winter interlude, the re- cent Easter egg sale, as well as from con- siderable donations from residents and former residents of the Seaforth area. "And a lot of others have given large donations to held get the kitty started," says Mr. Vincent. More fundraising events are in the works, as the high school will be doing a fundraiser in May, and a spring sale will be sponsored by hospital staff. KICKOFF NIGHT At the fundraising kickoff night at SDHS the canvassers were entertained by the Seaforth Harmony Kings and the Harmony Iii-Lites. Bruce McCall, former owner of the Brussels Stockyards gave the canvassers a motivational speech, pointing to the 1982 fundraising when the community needed to raise 01%000 but went over the top and rais- ed $696,000. Mr. Vincent then went over can- vassing procedures and ahowed volunteers Tura to pnge 11 1