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The Huron Expositor, 1976-05-20, Page 17Jack s Jottings Speeding charges rise by 36% By Jack Riddell M.P.P. The Minister'of Transportation • and COmmunications has announced that lower speed. limits and compulsory use of seatbelts in the Province have saved almost a life a day. Also the • number of speeding charges laid by Ontario Provincial Police has risen 36 percent in the three months during which reduced speed limits have been in effect on our highways, according to a polite spokesman, who also said that the' total was .55 per cent higher for.Atiril this year than forl April 1975.. Speed limits in Ontario were reduced to 60 m.p.h. from 70 m.p.h. on freeways and-to50 m.p.h. from 60 m.p.h. on' other highways on February 1st. According to a report 'tabled in the Legislature by the Minister of the Environment, it has been recommended that, continued efforts be made. to reduce lead emissions .. from smelters. An Ontario inquiry -board has recommended that tests of children and preg nant women for undue intakes of lead be built into routine public health procedures in the area close .to Toronto smelters. The, goves,n- ment expects ,companies to pay for the work of replacing heavily contaminated top soil around lead plants in' Metro, replacing it, or paving over the area. 'If the ' Companies refuse,to pay for the work, the Government will have it done and try tiNe.cover the money from the companies, It is also possible the work could be done by the ' companies under thy,. • pressure of provincial control orders. a ,The Minister of Colleges and Universities has told the Legislature that more than 14, per. cent of tht2 16,500 full-time graduate students at Ontario's universities are foreigners. Some 5 percent of the province's 130,600 undergraduate students arc foreigners. The figure for the 55;300 community college students is about. 4 percent. He has also . announced ' that university tees for new, foreign students will incre4se from $585 to . $.1,500 next ,January and community college fees for such students wilig o front $250 to $750 'this fall,Foreign 'graduate students Will have 'their fees raised from.an Average of $877 to 0.250:00. Mr. Hugh O'Neill. (1,,Ouinte) askedthe Minster .of Transportation and Communications, whether he was fuel prices generally. Mr. Snow responded that he was aware of the substantial differential between the prices. charged'. He said there artk 23 service centres on our ekpressways and the reasons the gasoline prices are higher at the: 23 service stations on Highway 400 and 401 than elsewhere, is the leasing arr-angement the companies • ha‘',e with the ministry. The lease agreetnents call for a percentage of gross sales, not'a per gallon rate. When roost of these leases or contractst were drawn up, some of them quite a number of years ago, fuel was at a much more reasonable price_than it is today. Mr. Snow said that the revenue,,,e the Province is receiving for these leases has gone' up . considerably with the increase in the price of fuel. He said they are looking into sotn„se way to alleviate some of this situation, Undthat he has had a full investigation awareof the differential 'in the price of gasoline, between highway service centres and ,off-highway service stations and what action the Minister proposed to take. He also .tynted to know what effect government leases with oil companies have on the prices charged for gasoline at service stations, in 'yiew of the increases in federal excise tax and For Pre-emergent weed control in soybeans, field beans (white and kidney) snap and lima beans. Wettable • powder herbicide .11 Why spray for weeds you don't have? If yoU'donl have velvetleaf, cocklebur, thistle, yellow nutsedge or bindweed, but you do have . troublesome grass problems like crabgrass, green foxtail, witchgrass, and weeds like lamb's- . quarters, black nightshade, pigweed or ragweed, then Patoran is your most-. efficient and most economical weapon against weeds. • AGRO-CHEMICALS OF OUR TIME. BASF Canada Limited •• 10 Conetellation Court, Rexdale, Ontario 18-677-1280 ----Time to think of your PLANTING NEEDS Seafarer Sanilac and Kentwood SEED BEANS are available 1 EPTAM And PATORAN are in plentiful supply at COMPET1 TIVE PRICES All other weed control chemicals available on short notice Ontario Dean Growers Co.Operative plant at Seaforth -ORDER NOW Phone 345-2007 WHITE BEAN GROWERS ONTARIO BEAN GROWERS virs CO . OPERATIVE y Two locations LONDON SEARATH gqy 19th, . furrow Letters are appreciated by Bob 'Neter. Wale Rd.. Elmira, Ont, N3B 2C7 * ne foot in the , Many people in this province feel that-it is a democratic right to own a gun. Legislation is underway right now to tighten gun control laws. Most farmers, especially a group in southwestern Gn- ' tario, feel the legislation is a mistake and will place an un- fair burden on farMers who keep a rifle to rid their land of pesky varmints such as groundhogs and brush wolves, Personally, I hate guns: They are ugly weapons of destruction, almost obscene. I have not owned a gun since I was 14 years old and shot my sister in the you-kiiow-where with a BB pellet. Like all • gun tragedies with bigger and more powerful guns, it was an accident. As a youngster growing up in 'the Kawartha Lakes area, my peers had three major ambitions: To own a good bicycle, 4 good dog and 'a BB gun. I worked like a dog to buy my own bicycle after "fours" and Saturdays. I paid for that bicycle at $1.25 a week. I bought d'dog for 25 cents and a second-hand BB gun for $2. After popping my kid sister on the behind. with the BB pel- let, the gun was confikated and I have never owned one since. I find hunting for sport distasteful and get a little sick at the stomach sometimes when the big, white hunters return from-the hunt in Noyeinber and regale any one who will lis- ten with stories about their prowess with a rifle., This is a personal viewpoint and many farmers will find 'great room-to argue with me but, I simply do not see the need • for any one in an urban setting to own a gun. In addition, I think if the truth were known, few farmers need a rifle and nobody needs to own a handgun. And yes, I know how much harm groundhog holes can do to farm equipment such as flat tires and broken axles and stalled machinery. The cost of repairs has a lot to do with it, too. But a gun is designed as a weapon of destruction and it seems U;) me that there are too many people bent on-destroy:. ing things —anything — these days. I view these modern, vigilante movies with .disgust and sometimes despair at the state of the human race. Movie- goers scream with glee and applaud with gusto when the anti-heroes take the law into their own hands. They maim and murder and the audience loves it. I agree that any gun legislation will hit those people who may have a legitimate reason to own a rifle. Those who want a, gun to bolster their egos or for illegitimate reasons or unlawful reasons will get a weapon no matter what the law states. • But if the lawmakers make it even a little more difficult for anybody to own a gun, a life or two may be saved. A d it will be worth'it, . . Dozens of farmers do .not feel as I do. Many gun . aficion dos will put me down as a peacenik who would rather run than fight But I agree with any legislation Which will make it more difficult for any one to either beg, borrow, buy or steal a gun. In the Excited States, a country born in violence: the feel- ing in faVor of loose gun controls runs much higher than it does in Canada, Far more Americans feel that a man, has the right to defend his own property, by violence if necessary, than do Canadians. Our history is different and thank God for the difference. Canada was born at th'e negotiation table by people-discussing their differences peacefully. This is a heritage that I cherish. A cow cannot give birth to a colt. Violence only breeds violence., Guns were manufactured originally for violent purposes and I see no reason to perpetuate thatviolence. . 3,5„...;, • • MACLAND WALL SYSTEMS CONCRETE FORMING CONTRACTORS ,P.O. Box 130 Winghom, Ontario CONCRETE WALLS BUNKER SILOS, HOUSE FOUNDATIONS " 3574182 RECEIVERSHT, SALE J.F. FARM MACHINERY LTD. THAMES ROAD EAST " EXETER, ONTARIO 235-1021 CLEARANCg All items reduced for quick sale. SALE STARTS IMMEDIATELY * large inventory of spring-tooth cultivators. * vineyard Spring-tooth cultivators * row-crop-cultivators 7 heavy-duty field cultivators * fertilizer'spreaders *. hay rakes *.forage boxes * forage harvesters * wagons 'All items completely aasembled and ready to go. (No cteliverles)• Also: C-Arge'selection of roller chain , flat steel Chain, hydraulic cylinders and accessories, hydraulic hoses, drawipins, split pins, hair pins and much more. by rit c For Your $praying400 cisCp11 SPRATEK -W Five self propelled field sprayers equipped' With $ff foot hydraulically controlled booms for' even applIg4Ogilt of your herbicides and a minimum of tracking. All units are radio dispatched Mid serviced by its, 0*n tank truck. LAWN CLEANED of Weeds TOPNOTCH FEEDS LIMITED