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The Brussels Post, 1974-05-22, Page 2ISTAILIINSO len WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 1974. Serving Brussels. and the surrounding eommunity,. Pu'(Ilished each Wednesday afternoon at Brussels, Ontario by McLean Bros.Pu eshers, Limited. Evelyn Kennedy - Editor Tom Haley Advertising Member Canadian Community Newspaper Association and. Ontario Weekly Newspaper Association. Subscriptions (in advance) Canada $6.00 a year, Others $8,00 a year, Single Copies 15 cents each. Second class mail Registration No. 0562. Telephone 887-6641. Brutssels Post BRUSSELS ONTARIO 6 Not all affluent Everyone has heard about the sudden affluence of the farming community. Farm properties have doubled in price, food prices are higher than they've ever been and someone--- the farmer probably --- is "raking in the dough". This is the way most non-rural people see the current agricultural economy. Then in the middle of this optimism (and perhaps envy on the part of city slickers) Agricultural Minister William Stewart tells us that for hog farmers, things aren't so rosy. Farmers are losing $5 per pig on the 3,200 hogs consumed in Toronto each day, Mr. Stewart told a Toronto audience recently. There are other indications that the large chain food stores are getting a larger chunk than the farmers of the prosperity that rising food prices are bringing. And as an editorial from the United Church points out, not all farmers benefit from the higher prices. The editorial continues: Possibly as many as 25 percent of all Ontario or Quebec farmers cannot make a decent living off their land. Let's look at a typical farmer. on a 150-acre farm between Peterborough and Port Hope. This is a century farm and he is the fourth generation to work it. Up until five years ago, he would have had trouble getting $30,000. for the acreage and all the buildings on it --- a pitiful record for years and generations of saving and scratching. He buys approximately 50 young heifers at an average price of $200. and will try to sell them as springers (near calving) in 16 to 18 months. Two or three of the animals will have died by then, some others won't get a calf and yet others will not thrive. At any rate, he will have difficulties realizing $400 for' the animals he sells, even at the present firm market. From this maximum gross profit of $9,500 or so, he will have to take off as much as $4,500. for high protein feed which is not grown on his fields, seed, fertilizer, minerals, salt, fuel for the tractor, wear and tear plus repairs on equipment, casual labor during haying and crop time. There will have to be some custom work done, taxes, interest, finance charges on car, truck and equipment. All in all, in good times, he may net $5,000. for more than a year's work. Being an ambitious man with a young family to raise and educate, he also works full time at an outside job. His day begins in. the barn at 6 a.m., he returns there after work and usually comes into the house at 9 or later. Why does our friend do it? No one really knows except that he may not stick with it much longer because people from the city keep offering more money for his land, and one day when he is more tired than usual and the offer is high enough, he will decide to sell. • Another farmer in the same circumstances but living in the Temiscamingue area of Quebec is not so fortunate since he has had his farm listed for more than a year at $10,000 asked, without an offer. Canadians have paid a lower percentage of their income for food than any other nation, but this era is over From now On, either directly or through subsidies, the consumer will have to pay more for his fare. The farmer has resigned from hit rOle as the beheVolent provider for Canada's gigantic barbecue. I can understand why a president or a king is assassinated. What I fail to understand is why town councillors are not assassinated fairly frequently. In the first case it is usually done by a crank, nut, or fanatic. In the second case it would be done by a group of irate citizens. What is done in many small towns these days in the name of "progress" is so difficult to believe that the mind reels at the prospect. You've all seen it. In a desperate attempt to get bigger and more progressive, towns across Canada have assaulted the eye, the ear, the nose, and plain common sense. I believe the definition of rape is, "Carnal knowledge without consent." If this is so, there is a lot of rape going on in Canada these days, in villages, towns and cities. Again, yOu've all seen it. Turn the fertile farmlands on the edge of town into new "developments". Cut down all the trees. Pave everyt hing that isn't paved. All in the name of those great modern gods, "the car", and "business". And all with the benign approval of misguided town councillors, who actually believe, in the dim little recesses of their minds, that they are contributing to "progress." "Progress" is usually just a synonym for what the town's businessmen want. And what they want is more business, so they can make more money. That's fine. That's their bag. But very often they can apply pressure and exert influence with results that cynically bulldoze the desires of the average citizen, who is not cognizant of their wheeling and dealing until it's too late. Don't get me wrong, I'm not just an old grump, who thinks any change is going to be disastrous. I've served on the other side of the fence, and I am aware of the abuse a councillor receives, the long hours he spends on other people's business, and the lack of appreciation for *hat he does. But on the other hand, as a councillor, a reporter, and a citizen, I have seen sotne of the dimmest characters in town elected to council because none else wanted the job. And I have seen what they can do to reduce a beautiful small town to an ugly, noisy, stinking mess. Bigger isn't necessarily better. In fact, it's usually ‘vorser. But many a municipal councillor thinks lie's going to get into the Canadian history books or something if he helps make his town bigger. Too few of them stop to think farther than five years ahead. As I suggested, strongest influence on the councillors comes from businessmen. But the latter's closest ally is nearly always the "town engineer", More councillors have been bamboozled by town engineers than there are flies on a dead dog. - Your average councillor doesn't have much technical knowledge. Consequently, he is mystified and awed by such terms as "access road" and "drainage" and "hardtopping" and "right of way." Quite wrong is the councillor. He should question and find out what the hell is going on. Engineers, in my opinion, are not superior beings. They are people who like to build things, and tear things down. And the latter often precludes the former. Show an engineer a tree and he'll hand you a chain saw. Show an engineer a curve and he wants to straighten it. Show an engineer a garden and he wants to pave it. Show him a hill and he wants to flatten it. Show him a beautiful rushing river and he wants to dam it. It's the engineers who should be damned in this country. We need trees and curves and gardens and hills and rivers. We don't need stumps and straight lines for speeding and more parking lots and bulldozed flats, and dams that flood thousands of acres. We need fewer, many fewer, engineers. Show me a town engineer who has ever looked at a 100-year-old maple without lust in his heart, who has ever looked at a space more than 25' x 25' without wanting to asphalt it, or who sees any running water, even from the kitchen sink, without Wanting to divert it, and show you a freak who will be kicked out of the Professional Engineers' Association at its next Meeting, 'Oh, well, all is not lost, My neighbour brought me two huge platesfUll of cleaned smelt last. There's still hope for the i But not for , dumb councillors and rapacious o hpee.n gineers. They will all go to hell I Empty house in Spring Sugar and Spice By Bill Smiley LI • Con teas p ent I. V ngag ce Itai 1av ary or an 'try hool quid ado] Mr. d be ancc e sa viso tilize vid ifil eze t °ugh del Y Y iU ade d Ge ltan isit to a by er, we hel if tags ford Vii k to Tian Ilin E eph n fav offic( 90 Sh he ,! Want se 0 both ion eded ord ; office it sh asis, irm; ted e fo r ar Itant an a r of t an't 'e gasl eed