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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1979-11-08, Page 15-• • The ..0.rittmovelear rose • Bead, Putthcajole, weep, wail and Yell about preserving farmland and only a few farmers will shake •;your hand to tell You to keep 111P the good work. Write one column on the advantages of nuclear energy • foe peaeefid uses and the fit hits the shan. A coupleof weeks age, I suggested that nuclear energy • is the only reasonable solution at this time to .the energy problems facing this nation, .If Canadians continue, to demand a way of life that is luxurious in comparison to much of the'rest of the World, then nuclear energy is, the only answer. • • Those comments provoked a pile of letters from one end of the province to the other. I was sent pages of material against the idea, much of which will take me a couple 9f weeks to. read, And read it I will. • The most intriguing piece of literature was entitled The Birch Bark Alliance, a tabloid-curn-magazine which was difficult to read but packed with anti-nuclear. information, 'Afters cattle from Dresden, Godetich, Seaforth, Kincard- ine, Drayton, Stratford,.• Gilmour, Iroquois, Brighton, Walkerton and Campbell ford. Onecame all the way from Charlottetown, P. El., from a reader in Montague. Most writers, of course, took a stand against nuclear energy. My, views suggesting that agriculture •should be given a preference when the petroleum shortage comes were met with approval. Everybody likes to eat, it seems. • But to suggestthat Canada's Candu reactor is the safest method cif harnessing nuclear power brought a storm of protests. I appreciate the letters. I do not know how many other letters were received by the papers who subscribe to this column. For sure, in future, if the mailbag gets empty, I'll just pen another piece supporting Ontario Hydro and the Candi' reactor. . * It is unfortunate, in My humble opinion, that just as much enthusiasm and support cannot be generated for the plight of agriculture today. It is too bad' a group, of people weren't jolt Oncerned about the plbtligate Inle of wood _ farmland', rtnen-renewahle resource that ia• being gobbled up almost as fast as petroleum resources in Canada. And it is a shame, tclo, that more people do net supOort agriculture in the fight lt0 organize a sYsteM of Marketing that allows farmers to compete with multi -national companies throughout the food chain who seem to be able to plant detrimental stories ia mass -circulation magazines,. Maybe the fight to save land is too mundane, too unglamorous, for the anti-nuclear bandwagon. It doesn't " attract beautiful movie stars like Jane Fonda and what's -his -name, her husband. I see by the papers that she tias jumped off the. bandwagon to go back to making movies for 4 while, I'll probably be hanged in, effigy by the editors of the , Birch Bark Alliance but I agree Wholeheartedly with an editorial in the Globe and. Mail recently which stated that. Ontario is in danger of being pushed into the chasm of energy shortage by a legislative committee that does not even recognize the chasm is there. The committee examining Hydro affairs is cons'cleri recommendation that would delay the construetion; of the four -reactor Darlington nuclear plant, The editorial states that Ontario has little undeveloped Water power, a little inferior coal, But it does have uranium and the technology and experience to produce the safest nuclear power reactor :in the world. • "Even if the building of nuclear reactors were to go on at the pace Hydro proposes, it is unlikely that they could meet the demand for electricity, especially when electrical MS and trucks come on stream.. :there is no time to - waste." • Alternate methods of energy may be viable in time to come but none has been proven yet. I still think we are stuck with what we've. got -- a proven method with the • expertise to build them -- until the anti-nuclear lobby can • come. up with a viable alternative. • .. • .. • • ' . 1 : . . .. • GET PROFESSIONAL carpet 'cleaning result's (At iiii-IT-YOUNSELF RENT OUR RINSENVAC—the • • • portable, easy-to-use carpet cleaning nuptials that gently. • • rinses carpet fibers with hot waterand • • dulling solution. • loosen$ and liftsdirt, ,arinte end residues to . • *soma surface . where they are Immediately vatuunted up: , • feeices your • camets CLEAN and•FRESHI • test.for i1Iiamsc000k: $112 day : CROWN . ••. HARDWARE: 527,-1420 • sereatth • •• qr. 0 t.4-4 THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS—The four newly•:elected directors of the • Huron County Federation of Agriculture are Jim" Hunter, Jim McIntosh, Walter Elliott and Tony McOuail. These directors were elected' at, last Thursday's HFA meeting in Clinton,. • •„- (Expositor -Photo) ' • . From Queen s Park .;tiolismsest • • . • • • • ‘-‘ est . BY .M.ICT GIBS Frank Wall, a member ot the Ontario. Federation or Agriculture (OFA) executive, told members of the Ifull County Federation of Agri- culture that be thinks the current high interest rates Will • "seriously jeopardize Our way of production, what we produce and how eft, iently we produce it." Mr. Wall told the meeting the interest rates are going to create problems for farmers due to the "high cost of short term money." He told federation mem- bers there wasn't •any •re- solution on interest rates submitted for discusSion •at the upcoming QM conven- tion in Toronto at the end of the month, which surprised him: Merle Gunby, president of the Huron County federation said, "1 think We're still in a statenf shock, Frank." Mr. Wall said the reason given for higher interest rates was as a curb for inflation, but he said if farmers can't get short term motley, ..and food'supplies become scarce, then, prices will increase anyway, He said for example he 'didn't know how long corn growers will be able to stay tzi business if the costs of energy and the costs of short term money keep rising. Mr. Wall was speaking to federation member t on the proper. way . to draft • re- solutions -to the OFA convert... tion. He told members that people who set up re- solutions •Must .make sure they do their homework well, • before presenting the re- ° 'Solution to the OFA board of direetbrs.'• He also criticized "pro- paganda sheets” which are telling the public that if the • government would get rid of marketing boards, "then everything will be alright." : Mr.,Wall said nothing is needetocire. than, getting the farmer's story across to the pitblic. • TAX EQUALIZATION • In other business, the fed- eration receiiisAreplies from six of the colinti's In town- ship councils about the 1980 revised tax equalization fac- tors. •• The federation wrote to the councils to see if the farm Contract should be cancelled BY MURRAY GAUNT • M.P.P. Ontario Hydro should, con- sider cancelling a 538 million Simplify your booldieeping with ID •boiler contract for the Darlington nuclear power plant and calling for new tenders, said. Jim, Bradley. MPP (St. Catharines) in thd Legislature this week.' He said he favours the cancellation' because of pro- blems •with other nuclear boilers built by Babcock Wilcox Canada Ltd,• ' in light of the many difficulties involved with the work performed by B & W to this point, and in light of the financial commitments that 'may be involved in final agreements concerning these problems, one has to wonder whether the cOmpliny has the capability to catty out the Work on Darlington", Mr. Bradely stated. • He made the comments after voting for a motion before . the legislature's standing committee on resources to criticize Hydro A nevv theque accounting system With the follouti'ng benefits: Fat, easy, accurate records • Fits your banking routine • getter management decisions • Improved credit, control. • Less tax dollars • Confidentiality ID HANK • TOROIVID DOMINION' the bank where people !Italie the diffetenCe Talk it co& with yOur local W Manager. iiiiii1111111.11111111111.111.11111111111111110111.00.1110.011.111111 for failing to provide details last July on, problems with boilers supplied' for the Bruce A generating stilton. Hydro's •executive , vice- president (operations), testified that during a pre- vious appearance he had not disclosed problenis involving stress levels boiler-drilm welds because it was thought the problems had been solved: He said it was only in September that .new *analyses led; Atomic Energy , of Canada Ltdto suggest a new review of stress levels in the Bruce. boilers. A ta-sk force was set • up and Hydro announced October 16th that eleetrical • Output of the four Bruce A _units was being cut while the • review was under way. • • The Provincial 'Treasurer has acknowledged that over the past three year 'Ontario has been entitled to almost • 5500 million in equalization • payments. However, the .Province,has no intention of taking the money, and it's not, because the government is too proud. Under the, present equalization formula, Ontario is technically entitled to the money, but • the • Treasurer • add,ed: "According to the .principle • for which • equalization payments were established, Ontario, in the philosophical sense, •is not entitled • to receive them, since our per capita •incomes are well above the national average" The Minister of Education has announced the appoint- ment of a three-man commis- ' sion to study the law giving teachers the righ;, to strike. This commission will hold • public hearings on the • Bargaining Act, more commonly known as Bill 100. • r•• • n"Organkatittrt and the Connell* 'Could co-ordinate action on a •Campaign on the fnci?il- which are expected to tn, Crease taxes in Mal areaS. The councils from Howlek, Godericb, Vsborne, /*Kit. 'lop and Stephen indicated they woold be interested in a joint meeting with federation members on the issoe. Hay Township council re- sponded that they weren't opposed to the neweqealiz- 'Voted to send letter to the 16 township councils IndiCat ing the need for a joint meeting to diseuss the issue at Settle flrittre' date. r The federation also receiv* ed a response from Minister of Agriculture tome Hen. derson to a letter sent to the minister criticizing bis Mandl •9.4 (arm.severances for retir- ing farmers. • The minister told the federation the SOYeranee 'ation factors, Hay is the only` Huron County township which won't face any real change in equalization fac- tors. The ‘federation members • issue is "an issue 1 feel • strongly aboot." He said. "A • farthei should be allowed a lot on which to retire dr a 161 to help get his children started on the farm, I am Mit against a fanner building the extra house on his farm if he wants to but I think he should have the optima Of a'0., " ‘'• Jim' McIntosh Said. he didn't feel the minister had haeked tip his arguments for severance in the letter, Merle Onnhy Said, "These Kneaded farin severances are usually' only used for that •'purpose for less than .five years. Frank Wall Old the meet- ing statistics indicate three • or four years is all the time those severances remain in the farmer's hands. Gerry Fortune asked, "Does Mr. liendersen own a farm and is he thinking of retiring soon?" Max Demeray suggested when the retired farmer is done with the severed parcel of land, it shoulckrevert back to the original farin. Mr. Wall said, "then we don't need a severance." Bob Robinson requested that the federation reply. to 'Mr, Henderson's letter ask- ing the minister to state what protection there is for the • farmer who owns the farm the lot is severed from when • someone else buys the lot, The federation isconcern- ed that when severed proper— ty is purchased by non- farMera, the owners 141, Complain about far* ae' tivities and odours, Members also disensse4 letter from the Wool Coen,fr Y Feder*** On . relief progrant in the WOod, •Stria area. . To dater the Hawn County Federation has taisett ap ProsimatelY $16,000 to con,' tribute to the. ,disastee relief fund, in addition to sending feed and Manpower to *SSW farmers whose farms were damaged in the August tor- nado. • The Orford Feclenition ex- pressed concern that the costs of trucking feed to the, damaged farms won't be covered by the disaster relief fund. • The Huron' County feder- ation members voted to give support to the Oxford County federation's request that transportation •costs 170 , - matched or else ccivered with fundsfrom the disaster relief fond. The members also elected their four remaining direc- tors on the Huron County federation executive. The directors are Tony McQuail of West Wawanosh, Jim McIntosh of Tuckersmith, and Walter Elliott and Jim Hunter of East Wawanosh township. II r armer..... • See us for •Forward Contracts •*Grain Bank 1°eredliton) *Storage (for sale later on) OPNOTCH TrIPNOTCH FEED') 1. 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