HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1979-03-08, Page 14tetters art aoWeoated bx Bab taottrt EMaie Rd Etmna Out H3M.2C7
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Farmers
must find their own nota solutions .. ..
The thorny question of quotas willitave to be by
farmers or the, overnmentwill step; :in and solve it for
them, •
If that hap ns, all. the hard work over the years done b
dozens of ammrers..on, marketingboards uld be Mat. .
f.. ... ,..,. co 1....a so.
says Gordon Hill, past -president of the Ontario Federation
of Agriculture.
As one of the speakers .at the 14th annual marketing
seminar sponsored by the Rural Learning Association.
Gordon told the delegatesbluntly that a. solution to the
quota problem most be found and farmers themselves,
must, find that solution.
"If we don't, adverse consumer reactioncould be so
severe that governments will curb marketing powers held
by the boards, In fact, it could be the rock on which
marketing boards founder," he said.
.with, you, Gordon.,
Gordon is not God. His word is not sacred and he would,
be the first one, to laugh at such a suggestion.
But he has ben around a long bene, first as an active
member of the old Ontario Farmers. Union now the
National Farm rs Union - and as president of the
federation in ntario. He was a member of the special
committee on arm income - remember .the SCOFI report
and Bill' wart? • - • which' . was one of the .most
comprehensi e' reports. on • farming, ever tabled in this
province. ,
He .is. presently living quietly in. Varna, not doing too,
much :of anything but fishing,he says, along with a hog
operation and growing white: beans;
His words _must be heeded',; Collectively, there is na
doubt in my mind that the rural community hasthe brains
. ':to solve the prickly problem of quotas, quota values and
quota transfers. The people are . there. But too many
marketing board members arecontent to sit back and: let
the rest of the world go by because they are doing all tight,
thank you.
Don't rock the boat;; they say;. Leave us alone, they say.
Don't worry about quotas, they say.
Well, people are worrying about them and it's • time
1P a
J. ottIngs
r
those who are happy with tate status auto sot oft their
collective duffs and tackled the problem,
I don't have a solution but I'm not a farmer. If farmers
don't come up with the answers, someone else will Salve it
for them. They'll be left out in the back forty wondering
eta
what in Carnation happened to their orderly marketing,
system.
Quotas are given tofainters by marketing boards.
Without a quota, a farmer cannot produce. Those quotas.
are bound to become a sought-after commodity.
Because they are in demand, they could become.
expensive- That expense eventually will be included in the
price of the product. Marketing boards using a quota
system swear that quota price is not included, in the cost of
production and, therefore, not passed 90 to the consumer:.
Let's be specific -here. Too many consumers, marketing
boards automatically .mean quotas. This is a fallacy. It is
simply untrue. Of the 21 marketingboards in Ontario, only
six are on a quota system andone of those boards does not
sell food. It sells tobacco. The other five are milk, cream,
turkeys,, eggs and chickens. All other boards sell on;
different basis, . .
And even those six boards administer differently. •
Don't mist4nderstand rite, l am not against a quota
system. I'm saying that farmers had better come. togrips.
with this ticklish. situation before those costs are "reflected
in what the consumer pays. •
Quotas should not be considered part .of production
cots, They should not be borne by the .consumer. If this is
ever proven, *then consumers have a right to shout long
and loud. When' they do, politicians will listen, When they
listen, they could-upset-the-nrarketing-applecart in Otttaru
and Canada.
"1' am, in my own mind, leas t able to justify quota
systems*" Hill, told the 150 delegates at the conference,
"Yet, I am a staunch advocate of supply management,"
The present course which some boards are on will
cause- the system to breakdown, he :maintains,' Until a
— :method is found to contain quota prices, the job of orderly
marketing by farmers is only: half done.
BY JACK,RIDDELL MPP"
Last week 1 wrote: about
the'o-
s Balled "new .North•
American phenomenon" of
the elderly and their role in
society.
As••I'm sure you are aware,
the subject of retirement age
has been under discussion a.
great deal. Professor Parkin-
son - the author': of Parkin-
son's Law, which P roved that
the amount of work done is in
'inverse proportion to the
.number ofpeople doing it -
has donee a study on retire-
ment ages. , He
found that mental powers
• and energy, show signs of
'flagging at age 62 when the
retirement; age of a corn an
8 p Y
is 65. Where retirement age
is 60, people start to lose
their grip. at 57. ' Where.
retirement age is 55, the
decline begins at 52. In each
case the gearingdown.
begins three years before
"retirement" age.
How different is the atti-
tude of the management
executive who said "1 am 57
years old' and i don't know
• what. I want to do when 1
grow up." Obviously, he was.
having no problem with the
much' talked about mid-life'
crisis.
However, for many people
auch.a crisis is very real. Nor
is either sex immune. I. am
not of physiological
problems - but of career and
lifestyle problems: "Where
•have I come from and where ,
am I going?" people ask .
themselves.'.
For women, the difficulties
are frequently aggravated
because they have spent
much of their time being
"wife and mother."- They
arrive at a stage of life when
the young ones have fled the
nest or are about to do so,
and: they have •to take' a new
look at themselves and their
place in the scheme of things.
As recently as 1900, life
expectancy of a female • was
about 48 years y now it is
more than three 'score years
and ten, and that mythical
Creature "the average
woman" has no children of
pre-school age after she has
Leached her Mid -thirties.
There used to be two cycles
in a woman's life - pre -
Marital and the rest of her
ife given over to marriage
sad' childrearing.. Today,
'there it a third cycle, bet-
ween the hid -thirties and the
seventies or even later, when
she can pursue hey own,
lititerests, and so many
women are using this] third
'cycle - this gift of a new life'-
to .meet the challenge of a
career, rather :than a job of
work.
For them, the catch -phrase
"Life Begins at Forty" has a
whole new meaning: For
f them this time :of
n and reassessm•e t nd new
beginnings' is like a personal
renaissance.: • • •
There are ,innumerabl'e
cases of women who have
carved out exciting and ful-
filling
filling careers for themselvei.
at :a time when .they might,.
well have. succumbed to the.
so-called mid-life crisis
Some p eo lei have'been P
able to make it on°their own.
Others night have succeed-
ed had they been able to; get
counselling and. advice.
Clearly there is a need :fora
proliferation of agencies or
groups y voluntary 'or other-
wise - to help people make
this transition.
People well past. the mid-
life have also made exciting
new beginnings.
Toronto called simply "Over
55." One of their spokesmen
has stated that firms Are -
indeed moving with the
times with respect to more
mature workers. ''They're
taking a different ;view of
older people now and we're
-teeing people in their seven-
ties being . productive in all
fields'.
Research and debate on
the role of olderpeople in
There is one agency in.
t
society is receiving world-
wide attention. David Hob -
man,
director of Age Con-
cern England, said recently,
"When people retire, we
give them a watch - the
cruellest symbol of all, for
the one thing they are likely
to have too much of is 'time."
So much depends ;upon_
attitude our attitude to our
. own age, and the attitude of
society generally to the older
people within that society. In
this latter connection,' age-
ism has been described as
the mostprevalent kind of
racism.
As to our own, own •indivi-
dual attitude, so... many
people are afraid of growing
old. The first grey, hair is
cause for alarm. As someone
once said, "By all means, if
your hair turns green or blue,:.
run to the doctor that's
cause for alarm. But grey
hair is no, cause for alarm.. Be
proud of it' wear it like a
badge of honour." Don't let.
it affect your self-image or
your lifestyle. •
Youth is morean attitude
of mind than a time of life.
It's enthusiasm, joy, imagin=
ation, courage. It's a spirit of
adventure, a determination
to live lifeto the hilt.
Sit William. Mulock, Chief
Justice of Ontario, died in
1944 at the age of 100. On his
95th Birthday, he spoke to a
Very distinguished group of
.people, gathered to celebrate
this event. His remarks at
that:'titne inspired . his aud-
ience. People intheir forties,
fifties ' 'and • sixties • found.
themselves taking a whole
new look at their own lives
because of what he had to
say, "I' am still at work," he
said, "with my hand to the.
plow, • and my' face to the
future. The shadows of even-
ing lengthen about me, but
morning, is in my heart..The.
testimony I bear is this: that
the Castle of Enchantment is-
not yet behind: me. ` It is
before me still, and daily I
catch glimpses of its battle-
ments and towers.. The rich
spoils of my memory are
mine.. Mine, `too, are the
precious things of today-
books, flowers, pictures, nat-
tire and :• sport...The best:
thing of all is friends."
Warm both hands before the
fire of life, he urged. ' Live
.fully and happily.; Make good
friends •:acid cherish ..good
memories. Scorn the passage.
of time.
'Water Well
IDRiLLINGI
W.D. Hopper
and Sons •
"4.MODERN ROTARY
RIGS'
la Neil' 527-1737
Duri 527-0828
1 Jim_o27-0775
4r` + rS
!�G
BY ALIKCEi (if li
Detling, a ;good ;accountant, one who is
knowledgeable about farming- and familiar
withprovincial and federal legislation
covering farm transfers or partnerships, is
the best way farmers can. deal' with loaf;
coroblems, accordin to a Grand Rend tax
nsultant• g •
Bill McEachern, who worked for Revenue
Canada for 30, years, and now operateshis
own firm told a meeting of the Iluron.
County Federation of Agriculture that any
farm transfers betwfamm;enber
any farm sales are being carefully checkesor d
today when capital. gainseen taxes filed,
Mr, McEachern said although husband-
and -wife partnerships may provide a slight
tax credit and pension advantagestthere are
pitfalls.
The consultant said in Order to have a
legal partnership arrangement, the farmer
must prove his wife contributes both capital
and labour to the farm operation. '
He said the labour contribution is the most
important aspect to the partnership to prove.
Bev Brown, a federation member, said an,
Eastern Ontario farm women's organization
has recommended; that women in partner-
ship arrangements•keep a daily schedule of
their labour on the farm: and get witnesses
such as vets or R.O.P. men'who may visit the
farm; to witness their contributions to the
farming operation;
Mr. McEachern said .while• the taxation.
department recognizes.the wife as A partner
in -the --operation, tiie—Farnt.--Credit--Cor--
poration doesn't take the wife's labour into
account; •
•
. Manof.j questions .- • _ ,
., at the Meeting
dealt with the transfer or "'roll-overs" of
property and assets from a father to a son.. ,
Mr. McEachern, advised the audience to
consider profit' sharing arrangements rather
than a full partnership'operation since the
accounting costs are way Out of line when a
father and son go to divide the farm assets,
In ,a profit-sharing arrangement, :each.
partner would` have their own assets, and "a
son could buy a new tractor without his
father's permission." •
Mr, McEachern toembers he doesn't
recommend incorporating a farming
operation,:, unless partners are making
between $20;000
$39,000 each year.
since
incorporation brings accountin fees and
troubles to farmers.
`He advised if family members' 'do ` ins.
corporate an. ,operation, then the farmer
shouldn't put his farm into it, since this can
create a problem if one member of the family,
wants out at some future date.
Mr. McEachern said. transferring a family.
farm from a father to son can cost as much as
$100,090 in avoidable income; taxes unless
the farmers: can get someone who really
knows the tax legislation toassist in the
transfer
By, handling a 'roll-overroperly; Mr.
P .P
McEachern said you can pass the capital
gains tax down four or.five generations down.
the •line, so the taxes :.won't
have to be paid`
for 30 to 40 years.
The problem in roll=overs however is, that
many accountants aren't familiar enought
with provincial and federal' legislation. in,
transferring property. The tax consultant
told the audience, "I. know only three
accountants who can do a roll-over
properly.!'
The rights of federal auditors in de-
mandin access to farm records' was also
de-
manding
questioned by members of the audience.
Mr. McEachern told the members that
Revenue Canada: can examine all of
farmers records, as :long as: they do it at the
farm,
"They aren't allowed to, take them (the
records) out without your permission unless
they have special identification to seize your
records, if they do, that's when you're in
trouble," the tax consultant said,
le saidthe threat has been used by
urF: plans
summersi he i
This year Huron Count?
;secondary school students
tom!: keep on going to class in
the summer months,
The 'Huron County, board
of education will offer its first
summer school this year ,at
Central HuronSecondary
School in Clinton.
The summer program will
'be for students who have
-either failed subjects or want
to upgrade credits, but it
won't be for students,
w.antin8to take new courses.
The pilot project, which.
received approval fps
principle, will; need atvleast'
150 students v4411.110140,
students per class. 'The;
students would go to their
own • high school and the
board would provIle trap-
sportation, fro'in there; to;
Central 'Huron. 'Secondary
'School;
Every week more ,and
more(See.ople 'd
.. discover what,.
mighty jobs are ac-
complished by low cost
Huron Expositor Wand .Ads;'
Dial 5270240;
audtiors, "well, if you don't want to give
them (records), we'll take them" but records
can't be removed front a farmer's home
except for a special investigation,
He said if the auditors used any of the
information on the farm records outside the
audit procedure, then they would lose their . •
jobs.
Also, he advisedthe audience that they,
nowhave a right to go into a..Revenue
Canada officeand view their file under new
government: legislation.
• He said if farmers ar unhappy about the
audit, .there :dee appeal procedures they can
follow when the audit is completed.,
, The tax consultant also told the audience
-h feels_.the Conform—accounting service is
anexcellent one t One as long as information is fed
'
into the system correctly,
In other business,. the Huron County
Federation of Agriculture decided to with-
drawn
a earlier resolution on binder twine
and; support the resolution made by the
Canadian' Federation of Agriculture;
The national body has asked the govern,:.;
meet' to withdraw their ;investigation by
Revenue . Canada on , the countervailing
duties for bialer twine because of purported'
• subsidies in countries such as Brazil, Mexico
and Tanzania.
The resolution said these ,countries pro-
duce the only sisal twine available, since it
can be grown only under certain, climatic
conditions. Also, many Canadian farmers
prefer • the sisal twine to the plastic twine
manufactured in Canada, -since the sisal, is
bio -degradable.
The federationsaid theydidn't feel the
present situation was harming the Canadian.
binder twine industry, since only plastic
twine is produced: in the country.
Andy Durand, a Zurich area farmer,
reported he had , been unsuccessful, in ,
investigating' the amount offoreign land ownership in Hay Township. .
' ' Mr. Durand said hte township clerk and:
the regional taxation: office in Goderich both
refused to give .hi information '
g him ron on, foreign_
ownership in the• township.
Doug Fortune said his township ; council
also turned down a similar ,request' °for=
foreign ownership information, since it would
involve too much work for the township clerk;
to research the information from thetax roll. ,
Jim McIntosh, a Seaforth. area farmer and'.
former clerk of Tuckersmith Township,
suggested federation members couldg sin.
access to this information if .they were
prepared to go through the township tax
rolls themselves.
CO OP
T_ •
Annual
MEETING
for members of
Seaforth Farmers Co-op'
6.30 p.m.
af' f
Se f
•
a orth
le r
o H:
Tickets available at ,•
the affr
fr
actors: :
iWe like to know our customers bylname!
•
Seaforth F -
Farmer e s Co-op
5.27-0770
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